Spine Specialist Near Me in Kirkwood, MO

Spine specialist near me in Kirkwood, MO. Lower back pain can make normal tasks like standing up difficult, and disrupt how our bodies function. For people who play sports, back issues can keep you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can hinder your ability to put food on the table for your Kirkwood, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our children like we love doing. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to what you love doing most. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re ready to at long last be free from a crippling back condition, request an evaluation with an Axes Kirkwood, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 mandates that a prescription is required for physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Kirkwood, MO can be safe and effective for you. In the meantime, take advantage of one of our no-obligation injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and allows our brain and body to coordinate with each other. It extends from the base of your skull to your tailbone. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. The spinal cord and nerves run through holes in the middle of each vertebra. There are five vertebral regions. There are:

• 7 vertebrae in the cervical region (your neck)
• 12 vertebrae in the thoracic region (your middle back)
• 5 vertebrae in the lumbar region (your lower back)
• 5 vertebrae in the sacrum region (the triangle shaped bone that connects to the hips)
• 4 vertebrae in the coccyx region (your tailbone)

The 24 vertebrae in the first 3 regions provide mobility; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Each vertebra is connected to two facet joints which connect the bones to each other. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. They are lined with cartilage and lubricated with synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move without grinding against each other.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the flat, round cushions between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer center called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and an outer ring of tough fibers known as the annulus fibrosus that prevent the nucleus pulposus from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, from your brain to your pelvis, where the nerves go into the lower part of your body. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae that allow the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord carries messages between our brain and other parts of our body.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect vertebrae, hold them in place, and give them structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Achieving the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different conditions can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Kirkwood, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Kirkwood, MO Help With?

The American College of Physicians recommends a variety of physical therapy treatments for people living with lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a work injury, Axes’ Kirkwood, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Kirkwood, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or wear and tear from aging. They can impinge on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates near your tailbone. Symptoms include crippling pain, weakness, and tingling through your buttock and leg.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. It can cause pain, issues with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It onsets as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from over-exertion. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which can affect the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also referred to as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy can also help with soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Kirkwood, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor to develop an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the things you love doing most and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like degenerative disc disease, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Kirkwood, MO to help attain the best results possible.

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Kirkwood, MO

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical therapy is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, without the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Kirkwood, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit long-term opioid dependence.

A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and develop a treatment plan based on your injures, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Kirkwood, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Manual Therapy — Our Kirkwood, MO manual therapists are able to use subtle pressures and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Manual therapy we may use to treat you include:
  • Trigger point dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are essential for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. Beyond limiting symptoms now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a healthy spine when you’re on the move. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s beyond frustrating to believe you’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you can learn how to be active safely. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Kirkwood, MO will be comprehensive and focused on getting you to your best possible function and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in Kirkwood, MO include:

• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Kirkwood, MO

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Kirkwood, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and qualified Kirkwood, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location most convenient for you