Spine Specialist Near Me in Lakeshire, MO

Spine specialist near me in Lakeshire, MO. Spine injuries can make normal tasks like laying down difficult, and interrupt how our bodies function. For athletes, back problems can prevent you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can prevent you from providing for your Lakeshire, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from taking walks or playing with our children as we’d like to. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. By developing a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the strength, flexibility, and pain relief your body needs to function, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to at long last be free from debilitating back pain, request an evaluation with an Axes Lakeshire, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you.

According to Missouri law, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are find that back pain is keeping you from the activities you love, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Lakeshire, MO is right for you. In the meantime, visit one of our offices for one of Axes’ complimentary injury screenings.

The Human 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 pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. Every vertebra has a hole in the middle to protect the spinal cord and its nerves. 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 are the only ones that can move; the others are fused into place.

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 healthy bones and joints to safely glide and slide during movement.

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 called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and an outer ring of tough fibers known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the nucleus pulposus.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. 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

Surrounding and within the spine are also muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments attach vertebrae, hold them together, and give them structure. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the things you love doing. If you’re living with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Lakeshire, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include numerous physical therapy treatments for people living with lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Lakeshire, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Lakeshire, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either acute trauma or general degradation as we get older. They can impinge on a nerve which can cause severe pain along your neck and back and limit strength. Degenerative disc disease occurs as a natural result of aging, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lumbar region. It can lead to immense pain, weakness, and tingling down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. It can cause pain, balance problems, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It onsets as the cushioning between the joints degrades over time or from overuse. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the facet joints of the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also referred to as 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 condition is currently ailing you, our Lakeshire, MO spine specialists will work in tandem with you and your physician to come up with an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like arthritis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If your spine condition requires surgery, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Lakeshire, MO to help get the best results possible.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For You in Lakeshire, MO

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to research 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 Lakeshire, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit the risk of long-term opioid use.

A licensed spine specialist will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and develop a treatment plan based on your current and previous medical conditions, 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, boost flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Lakeshire, MO manual therapists are able to use light pressures and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Hand-on services we may use to help you include:
  • Trigger point dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are crucial for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to reducing pain now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a healthy 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 — There’s nothing worse than believing 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 protect your spine while being active. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Lakeshire, MO will be comprehensive and focused on getting you to your best possible function and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will be based on time-tested techniques.

Other conditions we help treat in Lakeshire, 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

Count on Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Lakeshire, MO

Don’t allow a spine condition prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Lakeshire, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to decide to live with it. For a licensed and knowledgeable Lakeshire, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location closest to you