Spine Specialist Near Me in Valles Mines, MO

Spine specialist near me in Valles Mines, MO. Spinal conditions can make everyday tasks like laying down painful, and keep us from our best possible movement health. For physically active people, back injuries can keep you from being at the top of their game. For breadwinners, it can impede your ability to provide for your Valles Mines, MO family. For others, it can keep us from taking walks or other physical activities. Physical therapists who specialize in the spine can help you get back to the functional and pain-free life you’re looking for. 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, request an evaluation with an Axes Valles Mines, 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 living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Valles Mines, MO is right for you. In the meantime, come see us for one of Axes’ no-obligation injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine is our central support structure, and allows our brain and body to coordinate with each other. It begins at the base of your brain and ends at your pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

The spine has 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. Every vertebra has a hole in the middle to protect the spinal cord and its nerves. 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 first 3 regions allow us to move; 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 extend, bend, twist, and rotate. 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 softer middle known as 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 protect the disc and connect the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord consists of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, from your brain to your tailbone, where the nerves continue into your lower body. The spinal cord is protected by spinal fluid and a membrane called dura mater. The nerves branch out to other parts of the body through openings in the vertebrae called 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 bones together, hold them in place, and give them 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 conditions can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can keep you from the things you love doing. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Valles Mines, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can get you back to doing what you love most.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Valles Mines, MO Help With?

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include certain physical therapy treatments for people living with lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Valles Mines, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we provide relief and improved function for in Valles Mines, MO include:

• 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 cause severe pain along your neck and back and limit strength. Degenerative disc disease occurs as the cushioning in your spine wears away, and greatly decreases flexibility.
• Sciatica — Sciatica is a general term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and originates near your tailbone. Symptoms include debilitating pain, weakness, and tingling down one side of your body.
• 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 cushioning between the joints degrades over time or from repeated trauma. Obesity, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions can also lead to arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the facet joints of the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also known as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Nonspecific 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 Valles Mines, MO spine specialists will form a team with you and your physician to develop 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 stenosis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy can be part of a holistic wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and regains optimal mobility.

If what’s ailing you requires surgery, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Valles Mines, MO to help you be healthy for surgery and recovery quickly and safely.

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For You in Valles Mines, MO

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly popular non-surgical option for a variety of issues affecting our musculoskeletal system. 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, and doesn’t involve the same recovery time or risk of adverse side-effects. Early intervention by a licensed Valles Mines, MO physical therapist has been demonstrated to reduce long-term opioid dependence.

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 medical history, 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, increase range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Conditions

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

• Hands-On Care — Our Valles Mines, MO manual therapists are experts at using light pressures and stretches to decrease back pain 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 getting your soft tissue, joints, and bones stronger and more flexible. In addition to managing pain now, guided exercise will allow you to maintain a well-functioning spine while going to work or doing the activities you love most. Effective exercises for spine conditions include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — It’s incredibly frustrating to believe 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. Our injury prevention program includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Valles Mines, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to optimal movement health and keeping you there. Whatever your treatment plan includes, it will be based on peer-reviewed studies that those techniques have been proven to work.

Other conditions we help treat in Valles Mines, MO include:

• 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
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Count on Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Valles Mines, MO

Don’t allow a spine condition prevent you from living the life you want. At Axes, our Valles Mines, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you do not have to choose to live with it. For a professional and knowledgeable Valles Mines, MO spine specialist to help you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy now or find the location closest to you