Spine Specialist Near Me in Moscow Mills, MO

Spine specialist near me in Moscow Mills, MO. Lower back pain can make everyday activities like standing up painful, and interrupt how our bodies function. For physically active people, back issues can keep you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Moscow Mills, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from taking walks or other physical activities. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to what you love doing most. By developing a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you live your best life. If you’re prepared to at long last be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an appointment with an Axes Moscow Mills, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for you.

Missouri law requires a prescription for 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, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Moscow Mills, MO is right for you. You can also visit one of our offices for one of our complimentary 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. The spine is made up of:

Vertebrae

The spine has 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

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

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 “gel-like” middle known as the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, 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 is made up of of nerves running up the bones in your spine, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. 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 carries messages between our brain and other parts of our body.

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.

A well-functioning spine relies on all of these systems to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. A variety of 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 Moscow Mills, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Moscow Mills, MO Help With?

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 sustained a work injury, Axes’ Moscow Mills, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Moscow Mills, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either acute trauma or wear and tear from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit function. Degenerative disc disease occurs as a natural result of aging, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lower spine. It can lead to crippling pain, weakness, and tingling from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the spinal cavity becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. It can cause pain, balance issues, 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 repeated trauma. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which are possible in 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 muscle strains, whiplash, and other more acute injuries.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Moscow Mills, 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 more comfortable life. While some conditions, like degenerative disc disease, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic treatment plan that eases symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Moscow Mills, MO to help attain the best results possible.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in Moscow Mills, MO

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-surgical option for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. 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, and doesn’t involve the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Moscow Mills, 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 determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and build a treatment plan based on your medical history, your age, and your desired activity level. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can reduce pain, help your spine and nervous system function better, increase range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

Depending on your specific condition, your Moscow Mills, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Manual Therapy — Our Moscow Mills, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle manipulations 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 essential for getting your soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. In addition to managing symptoms 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 incredibly frustrating to believe you’re moving on from an injury, only to aggravate it. We’ll educate you about your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you can learn how to be active safely. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Moscow Mills, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to optimal function and keeping you there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will designed based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in Moscow Mills, 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 Moscow Mills, MO

Don’t allow a back injury keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Moscow Mills, 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 professional and experienced Moscow Mills, MO spine specialist to help you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location nearest you