Spine Specialist Near Me in Paulina Hills, MO

Spine specialist near me in Paulina Hills, MO. Spine injuries can make normal activities like standing up painful, and keep us from optimal movement health. For athletes, back issues can keep you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can impede your ability to provide for your Paulina Hills, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or other physical activities. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. By developing a personalized treatment plan, based on techniques proven to work, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re ready to at long last be free from a crippling back condition, request an appointment with an Axes Paulina Hills, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location nearest you.

According 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, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Paulina Hills, MO is right for you. You can also take advantage of 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. The spine is made up of:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae stacked along the spine, which are small bones that form the backbone. Every vertebra has a hole in the center to protect the spinal cord and its nerves. 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 first 3 regions are the only ones that can 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 the bones to move without grinding against each other.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the circular cushions between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer middle known as 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 is a long, thin, tubular collection of nerves, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your legs. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The nerves extend to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae known as 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 various types of soft tissue. Ligaments connect vertebrae and holds them in the correct 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. A variety of conditions can interfere with the spine and keep you from the things you love doing. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Paulina Hills, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Paulina Hills, MO Help With?

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include certain 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’ Paulina Hills, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we help with in Paulina Hills, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They can impinge 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 refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and originates in the lower spine. Symptoms include crippling pain, weakness, and numbness 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 problems, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from overuse. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the facet joints of 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 muscle strains, whiplash, and other more acute injuries.

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Paulina Hills, 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 pain-free life. While some conditions, like arthritis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in Paulina Hills, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to a paper 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 risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Paulina Hills, MO physical therapist is proven to reduce the risk of long-term opioid use.

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 current and previous medical conditions, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Paulina Hills, 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:
  • 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. Beyond decreasing symptoms now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a well-functioning spine while going to work or doing the activities you love most. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s incredibly frustrating to feel like you’ve overcome 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 Paulina 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 be based on time-tested techniques.

Other services we offer in Paulina 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

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Paulina Hills, MO

Don’t allow a back injury keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Paulina Hills, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with this condition, but you do not have to decide to live with it. For a licensed and qualified Paulina Hills, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location nearest you