Spine Specialist Near Me in Maryland Heights, MO

Spine specialist near me in Maryland Heights, MO. Lower back pain can make everyday activities like walking up the stairs difficult, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For physically active people, back injuries 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 Maryland Heights, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from going on bike ride or other physical activities. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help return to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re ready to finally be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Maryland Heights, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you.

Pursuant to Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or living with chronic pain, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Maryland Heights, MO is right for you. In the meantime, take advantage of one of Axes’ free injury screenings.

The Human Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It extends from the base of your brain to your pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. Every vertebra has a hole in the center to protect the spinal cord and its nerves. 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 allow us to move; 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 extend, bend, twist, and rotate. 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 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 softer center called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior called the annulus fibrosus that prevent the nucleus pulposus from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a collection of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae that allow the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord allows our brain to tell our bodies to move, and our brains to receive sensory information from our body.

Soft Tissue

Surrounding and within the spine are also various types of soft tissue. 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.

A well-functioning spine relies on all of these different structures to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different factors can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Maryland Heights, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Maryland Heights, MO Treat Me For?

The American College of Physicians recommends numerous physical therapy treatments for people living with lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Maryland Heights, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we treat in Maryland Heights, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either an injury 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 a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and begins near your tailbone. It can cause to immense pain, weakness, and numbness from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. Symptoms include pain, balance problems, and loss of sensation in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. 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 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 Maryland Heights, MO spine specialists will form a team 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, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive treatment plan that eases symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If your spine condition requires surgery, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Maryland Heights, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. 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, without the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A knowledgeable and experienced spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and create 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 reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, boost range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on your specific condition, your Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle pressures and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Manual therapy we may use to help you include:
  • 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 pain now, certain exercises will also help overall function and improve movement health. 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’ve overcome 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 stay healthy in the future. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Maryland Heights, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to optimal movement health and keeping you there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will be based on time-tested techniques.

Other conditions we help treat in Maryland Heights, MO include:

• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Mobility
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica

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

Don’t allow a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Maryland Heights, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with this condition, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and knowledgeable Maryland Heights, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location nearest you