Spine Specialist Near Me in Preston Woods, MO

Spine specialist near me in Preston Woods, MO. Spinal conditions can make basic tasks like sitting up difficult, and keep us from optimal movement health. For people who play sports, back issues can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can impede your ability to provide for your Preston Woods, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking walks or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help return to what you love doing most. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re prepared to finally be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an appointment with an Axes Preston Woods, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location most convenient for you.

Under Missouri law, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or find that back pain is disrupting your daily life, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Preston Woods, MO is right for you. You can also visit one of our offices for one of Axes’ complimentary injury screenings.

The Human 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 brain to your pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae from the top to bottom of the spine, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. 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 provide mobility; 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 safely.

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 “gel-like” middle known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb shock, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that prevent the nucleus pulposus from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a collection of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves extend into the lower part of your body. 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 is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments attach bones together, hold them in place, and give them structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A well-functioning spine relies on all of these systems to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different conditions can interfere with the spine and significantly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in Preston Woods, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Preston Woods, 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 living with chronic pain or recently sustained a sports injury, Axes’ Preston Woods, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we treat in Preston Woods, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of 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 a natural result of aging, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates near your tailbone. It can cause to debilitating pain, weakness, and tingling down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. It can cause pain, balance problems, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is swelling or tenderness in one or more joints. It onsets as the cartilage 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 are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy is also an effective treatment option for soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our Preston Woods, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your physician to come up with a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the activities you love and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like arthritis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Preston Woods, MO to help attain the best results possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. According to research 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 recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Preston Woods, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce 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 build a treatment plan based on your medical history, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and techniques, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, enhance range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your Preston Woods, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Manual Therapy — Our Preston Woods, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures 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. Beyond limiting pain now, certain exercises will also help overall function and improve movement health. 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’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, 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 Preston Woods, MO will be holistic 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 proven techniques.

Other services we offer in Preston Woods, MO include:

• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Mobility
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Preston Woods, MO

Don’t let a spine condition prevent you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Preston Woods, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with this condition, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a professional and qualified Preston Woods, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location most convenient for you