Spine Specialist Near Me in Shrewsbury, MO

Spine specialist near me in Shrewsbury, MO. Spine injuries can make everyday activities like laying down excruciating, and disturb how our bodies function. For physically active people, back problems can keep you from being at peak performance. For breadwinners, it can impede your ability to put food on the table for your Shrewsbury, MO loved ones. For others, it can prevent us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our children like we love doing. 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 movement health and pain relief your body needs to function, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to finally move on from the issues holding you back, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Shrewsbury, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for you.

Missouri law mandates that a prescription is required for physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Shrewsbury, MO can be safe and effective for you. In the meantime, visit one of our locations for one of Axes’ no-obligation 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. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 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 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 allow us to 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 healthy bones and joints to safely glide and slide during movement.

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” center called 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 collection of nerves, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves go into the lower part of your body. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae and other tissue. The neural foramen are openings in the vertebrae that allow the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord is how our bodies and brains communicate.

Soft Tissue

Surrounding and within the spine are also muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments connect bones together and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

A well-functioning spine relies on all of these systems to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different factors can interfere with the spine and greatly limit your ability to enjoy the things you love doing. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Shrewsbury, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to the lifestyle you desire.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in Shrewsbury, 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 living with chronic pain or recently sustained a work injury, Axes’ Shrewsbury, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Shrewsbury, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either acute trauma or general degradation from aging. They put pressure on a nerve which can cause severe pain along your neck and back and limit strength. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and can have symptoms similar to herniated discs.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lumbar region. It can lead to immense pain, weakness, and tingling 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, balance problems, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is swelling or tenderness in one or more joints. It occurs as the cushioning between the joints wears down over time or from repeated injuries. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. 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 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 is causing your back pain or injury, our Shrewsbury, MO spine specialists will work alongside you and your doctor 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 degenerative disc disease, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic treatment plan that reduces pain and other symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Shrewsbury, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

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

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular 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 recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Shrewsbury, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce long-term opioid dependence.

A knowledgeable and experienced spine specialist will be able to determine what is causing your pain or other issues, 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 manual therapy, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, enhance flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

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

• Manual Therapy — Our Shrewsbury, MO manual therapists are able to use light pressures and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function caused by muscle or joint dysfunction. Manual therapy we may incorporate into 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 body stronger and more flexible. In addition to limiting pain 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’re moving on from an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you can learn how to be active safely. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Shrewsbury, MO will be holistic and focused on getting you to optimal 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 Shrewsbury, 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 Shrewsbury, MO

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Shrewsbury, 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 professional and qualified Shrewsbury, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location nearest you