Spine Specialist Near Me in Marlborough, MO

Spine specialist near me in Marlborough, MO. Spine injuries can make basic activities like sitting up excruciating, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For physically active people, back issues can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Marlborough, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from going on bike ride or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re prepared to at long last be free from the issues holding you back, request an appointment with an Axes Marlborough, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location nearest you.

Under 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 disrupting your daily life, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Marlborough, MO is right for you. In the meantime, come see us for one of our free injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It begins at the base of your skull and ends at your pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. The spinal cord and nerves run through holes in the middle of each vertebra. The vertebrae are grouped into five 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 cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions provide mobility; the others are fused when we’re babies.

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 safely.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the circular 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 “gel-like” middle called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior called the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the nucleus pulposus.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your legs. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae where the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments attach bones together, 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 conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can severely limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Marlborough, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Marlborough, MO Treat Me For?

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 dealing with pain on a daily basis or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Marlborough, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we help with in Marlborough, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either acute trauma or wear and tear as we get older. They put pressure on a nerve which can cause severe pain along your neck and back and limit strength. 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 the largest nerve in the body and begins near your tailbone. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and numbness down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. Symptoms include pain, balance problems, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It occurs as the cartilage between the joints degrades 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 are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also known 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 is also an effective treatment option for soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains.

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Marlborough, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor to come up with a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the activities you love 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 reduces pain and other 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 Marlborough, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Marlborough, 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 Marlborough, MO physical therapist is proven 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 create a treatment plan based on your current and previous medical conditions, how old you are, and your desired activity level. Through numerous different exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on your specific condition, your Marlborough, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help get you back to the activities you love:

• Manual Therapy — Our Marlborough, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle pressures and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Manual therapy 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 crucial for getting your body stronger and more flexible. In addition to reducing pain now, certain exercises 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 — It’s beyond frustrating to feel like you’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. 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. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Marlborough, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to your best possible movement health and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other conditions we help treat in Marlborough, MO include:

• Neck Pain Treatment
• 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

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

Don’t let a back injury keep you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Marlborough, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you can choose to do something about it. For a licensed and experienced Marlborough, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location nearest you