Spine Specialist Near Me in Osage Hills, MO

Spine specialist near me in Osage Hills, MO. Spinal conditions can make everyday tasks like sitting up painful, and disturb how our bodies function. For physically active people, back issues can keep you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can impede your ability to provide for your Osage Hills, 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 what you love doing most. By creating a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re prepared to finally move on from the issues holding you back, request an appointment with an Axes Osage Hills, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with 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, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Osage Hills, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also come see us for one of our complimentary injury screenings.

The Human Spine

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

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. There are five vertebral 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 are the only ones that can move; the others are immobile.

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 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 surrounds and protects the gel-like center.

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 spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae where 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

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments connect 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.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different conditions can interfere with the spine and keep you from the activities you love most. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Osage Hills, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Osage Hills, 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 everyday basis or recently sustained a work injury, Axes’ Osage Hills, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we treat in Osage Hills, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either an injury or general degradation from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and begins near your tailbone. Symptoms include crippling 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, problems with walking or other movements, and loss of sensation in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints degrades over time or from over-exertion. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable cause. Nonspecific back pain can be caused by obesity or poor posture.

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

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Osage Hills, MO spine specialists will work in concert 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 holistic treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If your spine condition requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Osage Hills, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in Osage Hills, 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 risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Osage Hills, MO physical therapist is proven to limit long-term opioid dependence.

A knowledgeable and experienced spine specialist will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and develop a treatment plan based on your medical history, 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, boost range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

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

• Manual Therapy — Our Osage Hills, 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 soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. Beyond limiting symptoms now, guided exercise 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 incredibly frustrating to feel like you’re moving on from an injury, only to aggravate it. 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 Osage Hills, MO will be comprehensive and focused on getting you to your best possible movement health and helping you stay there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will designed based on time-tested techniques.

Other services we offer in Osage Hills, 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 Osage Hills, MO

Don’t allow a back injury prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Osage Hills, MO spine specialists strive for 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 experienced Osage Hills, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location most convenient for you