Spine Specialist Near Me in St. Genevieve, MO

Spine specialist near me in St. Genevieve, MO. Spine injuries can make normal activities like walking up the stairs painful, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For physically active people, back issues can prevent you from being at peak performance. For breadwinners, it can obstruct your ability to provide for your St. Genevieve, MO loved ones. For others, it can keep us from taking walks or playing with our children as we’d like to. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine 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 move on from a crippling back condition, request an appointment with an Axes St. Genevieve, MO spine specialist, or call the Axes location most convenient for you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 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, consult with your physician about if physical therapy with a spine specialist in St. Genevieve, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also come see us for 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 pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

There are 33 vertebrae stacked along 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 protect the spinal cord and its nerves. The vertebrae are grouped into five 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 allow us to move; 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. Between the joints and bones are cartilage and synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move safely.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the circular cushions between the vertebrae that absorb the stress and shock the body incurs when moving. 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 shock, and an outer ring of tough fibers called the annulus fibrosus that surrounds and protects the nucleus pulposus.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is made up of of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves go into the lower part of your body. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. 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

The spine also has various types of soft tissue. Ligaments connect vertebrae, hold them in place, and give them 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 make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can significantly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in St. Genevieve, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Injuries Can a Spine Specialist in St. Genevieve, MO Treat Me For?

The American College of Physicians recommends a variety of physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re dealing with pain on a daily basis or recently sustained a work injury, Axes’ St. Genevieve, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in St. Genevieve, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either acute trauma or wear and tear 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 a natural result of aging, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica refers to a variety of conditions which irritate the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates in the lower spine. Symptoms include immense pain, weakness, and tingling 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, balance issues, and loss of sensation in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis describes several different types of joint disease. It onsets as the cushioning 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 are possible in the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called 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 is causing your back pain or injury, our St. Genevieve, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your physician to design 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 degenerative disc disease, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a comprehensive wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If your spine condition requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in St. Genevieve, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For You in St. Genevieve, 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 is just as effective as surgery for certain types of back pain, and doesn’t involve the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed St. Genevieve, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce long-term opioid dependence.

A licensed spine specialist will be able to find the root cause of your back problems, and build 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 numerous different exercises and manual manipulations, physical therapy can limit symptoms, help your spine and nervous system function better, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

Depending on what is causing your back pain or spine dysfunction, your St. Genevieve, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help return you to the activities you love:

• Hands-On Care — Our St. Genevieve, MO manual therapists are able to use subtle manipulations and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function due to spinal issues. 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 soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. Beyond reducing symptoms 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’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 St. Genevieve, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to your best possible function and helping you stay there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will designed based on proven techniques.

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

Don’t allow a spine condition keep you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our St. Genevieve, 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 licensed and qualified St. Genevieve, MO spine specialist to help you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy now or reach out to the location nearest you