Spine Specialist Near Me in Olympian Village, MO

Spine specialist near me in Olympian Village, MO. Spine injuries can make basic tasks like sitting up excruciating, and disrupt how our bodies function. For athletes, back problems 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 Olympian Village, MO family. For others, it can keep us from going on bike ride or playing with our children as we’d like to. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help return to the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. By creating a custom treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re ready to finally be free from a crippling back condition, schedule an appointment with an Axes Olympian Village, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for you.

According to Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, 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, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Olympian Village, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also visit one of our locations for one of Axes’ free injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and plays a fundamental role in most movements and how the body communicates with itself. It extends from the base of your skull to your pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae from the top to bottom of the spine, 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 allow us to move; the others are fused into place.

Facet Joints

Facet joints connect the vertebrae. They allow your back and neck to extend, bend, twist, and rotate. 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 circular cushions between the vertebrae that absorb the stress and shock the body is put under when moving. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer center called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and an outer ring of tough fibers called the annulus fibrosus that prevent the gel-like center from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your legs. 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

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments connect bones together, hold them together, and give them structure. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae, and the muscles are what powers the spine’s movement.

Achieving the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different factors can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Olympian Village, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Olympian Village, MO Help With?

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include certain physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Olympian Village, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we treat in Olympian Village, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to either an injury or general degradation from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit function. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and begins in the lower spine. It can lead to debilitating 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. Symptoms include pain, problems with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from overuse. 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 referred to as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Nonspecific back pain can be caused by obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy can also help with soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Olympian Village, MO spine specialists will work alongside 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, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic treatment plan that eases symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

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

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical therapy can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, and doesn’t involve the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Olympian Village, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

A professional spine specialist will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and build a treatment plan based on your medical history, 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 increasing strength and flexibility, increase range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on your specific condition, your Olympian Village, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help return you to what you love doing most:

• Manual Therapy — Our Olympian Village, MO manual therapists are experts at using light manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services we may use to treat you 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 decreasing pain now, guided exercise 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 — It’s beyond frustrating to feel like you’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We’ll educate you about the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, 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 Olympian Village, 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 designed based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in Olympian Village, 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

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Olympian Village, MO

Don’t let a back injury keep you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Olympian Village, 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 qualified Olympian Village, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location nearest you