Spine Specialist Near Me in Truesdale, MO

Spine specialist near me in Truesdale, MO. Spinal conditions can make normal tasks like laying down painful, and disturb how our bodies function. For athletes, back issues can prevent you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can obstruct your ability to put food on the table for your Truesdale, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our grandkids as we’d like to. 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 movement health and pain relief your body needs to be at its best, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to at long last move on from the issues holding you back, request an evaluation with an Axes Truesdale, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

Pursuant to Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re dealing with a recent injury or find that back pain is keeping you from the activities you love, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Truesdale, MO can be safe and effective for you. In the meantime, come see us for one of our no-obligation 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 tailbone. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that stack on top of each other to form the spinal canal. Every vertebra has a hole in the middle 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 provide mobility; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Each vertebra is connected to two facet joints which connect the bones to each other. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. Between the joints and bones are cartilage and 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 absorb shock and prevent the vertebrae from grinding against each other. Every two vertebrae have one disc between them. Discs have a “gel-like” center known as the nucleus pulposus, which gives them flexibility and allows them to absorb impact, and an outer ring of tough fibers called 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 spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The nerves extend to other parts of the body through holes in the vertebrae known as the neural foramen. The spinal cord carries messages between our brain and other parts of our body.

Soft Tissue

The spine also has muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Ligaments attach vertebrae and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Achieving the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. A variety of factors can interfere with the spine and significantly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Truesdale, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Truesdale, 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 sports injury, Axes’ Truesdale, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Truesdale, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be the result of either an injury or general degradation as we get older. They put pressure on a nerve which can be painful and limit mobility. 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 begins in the lower spine. Symptoms include crippling pain, weakness, and tingling down one side of your body.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. It can cause pain, issues with walking or other movements, and numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is the inflammation of the facet joints. It onsets as the cartilage between the joints degrades over time or from over-exertion. 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 that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Axial back pain can be caused by 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 Truesdale, MO spine specialists will work alongside you and your doctor to come up with an evidence-backed treatment plan to get you back to the activities you love and a pain-free life. While some conditions, like degenerative disc disease, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic wellness routine that eases symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

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

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Truesdale, 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 Truesdale, MO physical therapist is proven to limit the risk of long-term opioid use.

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 injures, your age, and your desired activity level. Through a variety of exercises and techniques, physical therapy can reduce pain, help your spine and nervous system function better, boost flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

Depending on your specific condition, your Truesdale, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Hands-On Care — Our Truesdale, MO manual therapists are able to use light manipulations and stretches to decrease back pain 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 helping you build up strength, flexibility, and balance. Beyond limiting symptoms now, guided exercise 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 aggravate it. We’ll educate you about the musculoskeletal system and how yours is being affected, so you can learn how to be active safely. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Truesdale, MO will be holistic and focused on getting you to your best possible function 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 Truesdale, 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 Truesdale, MO

Don’t let a spine condition keep you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Truesdale, MO spine specialists strive for positive patient outcomes. You didn’t decide to live with back pain, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a licensed and qualified Truesdale, MO spine specialist to help you, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest you