Spine Specialist Near Me in St. Ann, MO

Spine specialist near me in St. Ann, MO. Spine injuries can make everyday tasks like bending over 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 breadwinners, it can prevent you from providing for your St. Ann, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from going on bike ride or other physical activities. Physical therapists with a spine specialty can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re seeking. Through safe and proven exercises and treatment plans, Axes Physical Therapy can help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’re prepared to at long last be free from a crippling back condition, schedule an evaluation with an Axes St. Ann, MO spine specialist, or reach out to the Axes location most convenient for 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 St. Ann, 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 starts at the base of your brain and ends at your tailbone. The spine is made up of:

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 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. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a “gel-like” middle called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior known as the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the gel-like center.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is a collection of nerves running up the bones in your spine, from your brain to your pelvis, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. 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 various types of soft tissue. Ligaments attach 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.

A healthy spine needs all of these systems to to work together to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. Numerous different factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the things you love doing. When that happens, a spine specialist in St. Ann, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in St. Ann, MO Help With?

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 suffered a work injury, Axes’ St. Ann, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in St. Ann, MO include:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by 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 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 in the lower spine. It can cause to crippling pain, weakness, and tingling through your buttock and leg.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. Symptoms include pain, problems with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It occurs as the cartilage between the joints degrades over time or from repeated injuries. 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 known as 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 is also an effective treatment option for muscle strains, whiplash, and other more acute injuries.

Whatever is causing your back pain or injury, our St. Ann, MO spine specialists will work alongside you and your physician to come up with an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the things you love doing most and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, won’t ever fully go away, physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive wellness routine that eases symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we can work with you in your pre- and post-surgical rehab in St. Ann, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in St. Ann, MO

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a non-invasive treatment plan 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, without the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed St. Ann, MO physical therapist is proven to limit the risk of long-term opioid use.

A spine specialist like those at Axes Physical Therapy will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and create 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 manipulations, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, enhance flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

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

• Manual Therapy — Our St. Ann, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures and stretches to decrease back pain due to spinal issues. Manual therapy 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 helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to decreasing pain now, certain exercises 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 suffer another injury in the future. We help you understand the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you can learn how to be active safely. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in St. Ann, MO will be based not on just recovery or pain relief, but on getting you to your best possible movement health and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other services we offer in St. Ann, 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 St. Ann, MO

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from living the life you want. At Axes, our St. Ann, 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 knowledgeable St. Ann, MO spine specialist to help you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location nearest you