Spine Specialist Near Me in Preston Woods, MO

Spine specialist near me in Preston Woods, MO. Lower back issues can make normal activities like standing up excruciating, and disturb how our bodies function. For athletes, back issues can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For workers, it can prevent you from providing for your Preston Woods, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from going on bike ride or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back 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 ready to at long last be free from a crippling back condition, request an evaluation with an Axes Preston Woods, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 mandates that a prescription is required 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 Preston Woods, MO is what you need. You can also take advantage of one of our free injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the 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

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. Every vertebra has a hole in the center to safeguard 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 provide mobility; the others are fused into place.

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 healthy bones and joints to safely glide and slide during movement.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the flat, round 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 gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb impact, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that protect the disc and connect the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae where the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has 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.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. Numerous different factors 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 doing what you love most.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Preston Woods, MO Help With?

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include numerous physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a everyday basis 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 help with in Preston Woods, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either an injury or general degradation as we get older. 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 refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body and begins near your tailbone. Symptoms include crippling pain, weakness, and numbness down one side of your body.
• 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 loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cartilage between the joints wears down over time or from overuse. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. The term “arthritis” describes over a hundred conditions, most of which can affect the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also known as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable 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 Preston Woods, MO spine specialists will work in tandem with you and your doctor to come up with a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the things you love doing most and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like degenerative disc disease, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive wellness routine that reduces pain and other 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 Preston Woods, MO to help get the best results possible.

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

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-surgical option for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. According to a paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical therapy is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, without the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Preston Woods, MO physical therapist is proven to limit long-term opioid dependence.

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 your desired activity level. Through numerous different exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can reduce pain, improve the function of your spine by increasing strength and flexibility, enhance range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on your specific condition, 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 able to use subtle pressures and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Hand-on services 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 crucial for helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to managing symptoms now, certain exercises will allow you to maintain a healthy spine when you’re on the move. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s beyond frustrating to believe you’ve gotten past an injury, only to aggravate it. We’ll educate you about the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you’ll know how to stay healthy in the future. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Preston Woods, 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 peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in Preston Woods, MO include:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

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

Don’t allow a spine condition prevent you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Preston Woods, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and knowledgeable Preston Woods, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or contact the location most convenient for you