Spine Specialist Near Me in Lake Tekawitha, MO

Spine specialist near me in Lake Tekawitha, MO. Spine injuries can make basic activities like sitting up difficult, and keep us from optimal movement health. For physically active people, back problems can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your Lake Tekawitha, MO family. For others, it can keep us from going on bike ride or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help return to what you love doing most. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you live your best life. If you’re ready to finally be free from the issues holding you back, request an appointment with an Axes Lake Tekawitha, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for 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 Lake Tekawitha, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also come see us for one of Axes’ complimentary injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and plays a fundamental role in most movements and how the body communicates with itself. It extends from the base of your skull to your pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae from the top to bottom of the spine, 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 groups. 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 cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions provide mobility; the others are fused into place.

Facet Joints

Facet joints connect the vertebrae. 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 absorb shock and prevent the vertebrae from grinding against each other. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a softer middle known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb impact, and an outer ring of tough fibers known as the annulus fibrosus that protect the disc and connect the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord consists of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, from your brain to your pelvis, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The nerves extend to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae known as the neural foramen. The spinal cord carries messages between our brain and other parts of our body.

Soft Tissue

Surrounding and within the spine are also muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect vertebrae, hold them together, and give them structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s movement.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Lake Tekawitha, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Lake Tekawitha, MO Treat Me For?

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 sustained a work injury, Axes’ Lake Tekawitha, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Lake Tekawitha, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and originates in the lumbar region. Symptoms include crippling pain, weakness, and numbness down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. It can cause pain, balance problems, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It onsets as the cartilage between the joints wears down over time or from repeated injuries. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

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

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Lake Tekawitha, MO spine specialists will work in tandem 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 stenosis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Lake Tekawitha, MO to help attain the best results possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to research published By the American College of Physicians, physical therapy can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, and doesn’t involve the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Lake Tekawitha, MO physical therapist is proven to limit long-term opioid dependence.

A qualified spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and design a treatment plan based on your medical history, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, boost range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on what is causing your back pain or other symptoms, your Lake Tekawitha, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help get you back to what you love doing most:

• Hands-On Care — Our Lake Tekawitha, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may include in your treatment plan 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. In addition to reducing pain now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a well-functioning spine while going to work or doing the activities you love most. 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 aggravate it. We help you understand your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you’ll know how to stay healthy in the future. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Lake Tekawitha, MO will be comprehensive and focused on getting you to your best possible function and keeping you there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will designed based on time-tested techniques.

Other conditions we help treat in Lake Tekawitha, 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 Lake Tekawitha, MO

Don’t let a back injury prevent you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Lake Tekawitha, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a licensed and experienced Lake Tekawitha, MO spine specialist to help you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location nearest you