Spine Specialist Near Me in Murphy, MO

Spine specialist near me in Murphy, MO. Spinal conditions can make basic tasks like laying down excruciating, and keep us from optimal movement health. For people who play sports, back injuries can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Murphy, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our children as we’d like to. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help return to the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. By developing a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the movement health and pain relief your body needs to be at its best, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re prepared to finally move on from the issues holding you back, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Murphy, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 requires a prescription for physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Murphy, MO is right for you. You can also take advantage of one of Axes’ no-obligation 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 begins at the base of your skull and ends at your tailbone. The spine is made up 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. 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 are the only ones that can move; 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 called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and an outer ring of tough fibers called the annulus fibrosus that protect the disc and connect the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord consists of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The nerves branch out to other parts of the body through openings in the vertebrae called the neural foramen. 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 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments attach bones together and holds them in the correct structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s movement.

A healthy spine relies on all of these different structures to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. A variety of factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can significantly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Murphy, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include certain physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a daily basis or recently sustained a work injury, Axes’ Murphy, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Murphy, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either an injury or general degradation from aging. They can impinge 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 our bodies’ longest nerves and originates near your tailbone. Symptoms include debilitating pain, weakness, and tingling down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. Symptoms include pain, balance issues, and loss of sensation in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs 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. 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 can also help with muscle strains, whiplash, and other more acute injuries.

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Murphy, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your physician to design a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the things you love doing most and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like arthritis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

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

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. 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 recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Murphy, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to limit the risk of long-term opioid use.

A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and design a treatment plan based on your injures, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, enhance range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Murphy, MO manual therapists are able to use light manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. 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 crucial for getting your body stronger and more flexible. Beyond reducing symptoms now, certain exercises will allow you to maintain a healthy spine when you’re on the move. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — There’s nothing worse than believing you’ve gotten past 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 Murphy, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to your best possible movement health and keeping you there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other conditions we help treat in Murphy, MO include:

• Back Pain Treatment
• 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

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Murphy, MO

Don’t allow a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Murphy, 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 knowledgeable Murphy, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location closest to you