Spine Specialist Near Me in Wentzville, MO

Spine specialist near me in Wentzville, MO. Spine injuries can make basic tasks like walking up the stairs painful, and keep us from optimal movement health. For physically active people, back problems can keep you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Wentzville, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from taking walks 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 be at its best, and that you need to live your best life. If you’re ready to at long last be free from debilitating back pain, schedule an evaluation with an Axes Wentzville, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location nearest you.

Missouri Revised Statute §334.506 requires a prescription for physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are find that back pain is keeping you from the activities you love, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Wentzville, MO can be safe and effective for you. You can also come see us for one of our complimentary injury screenings.

The Anatomy of the Spine

The spine supports both our physical bodies, and how our bodies communicate. It extends from the base of your brain to your pelvis. The spine consists of:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 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. 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 first 3 regions are the only ones that can move; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Facet joints are the small joints that connect the bony tips of vertebrae on the back of the spine. They allow your back and neck to perform a variety of movements. They are lined with cartilage and lubricated with synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move safely.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the flat, round 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 softer 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 structure, 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 where the nerves to go into other parts of the body. The spinal cord allows our brain to tell our bodies to move, and our brains to receive sensory information from our body.

Soft Tissue

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

A well-functioning spine needs all of these different structures to function properly and in unison to achieve optimal movement health and a pain free life. A variety of factors can make the spine damaged or unhealthy, which can greatly limit your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. When that happens, a spine specialist in Wentzville, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

What Conditions Can a Spine Specialist in Wentzville, MO Treat Me For?

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 living with chronic pain or recently suffered a sports injury, Axes’ Wentzville, MO spine specialists can help get you feeling great again. Some of the common conditions we help with in Wentzville, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be due to 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 the cushioning in your spine wears away, 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 originates near your tailbone. It can cause to debilitating pain, weakness, and tingling from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the vertebral column is too small. It can cause 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 wears down over time or from over-exertion. 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 referred to as nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain that doesn’t have a known, recognizable cause. Common causes are obesity or poor posture.

Physical therapy can also help with soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains.

Whatever condition is currently ailing you, our Wentzville, MO spine specialists will work with you and your physician to develop a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the activities you love and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like stenosis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a comprehensive wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and returns optimal mobility.

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

What a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist Can Do For Me in Wentzville, MO

More and more people are turning to physical therapy as a 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 Wentzville, 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 determine what is causing your pain or other issues, and develop a treatment plan based on your medical history, how old you are, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and manual therapy, physical therapy can limit symptoms, improve the function of your spine by improving strength and flexibility, increase flexibility.

Physical Therapy for Spine Problems

Depending on what is causing your back pain or other symptoms, your Wentzville, MO spine specialist at Axes may include some of the following in your treatment plan:

• Manual Therapy — Our Wentzville, MO manual therapists are able to use light pressures and stretches to alleviate symptoms and improve function due to spinal issues. Hand-on services we may include in your treatment plan include:
  • Trigger point dry needling
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization and manipulation
  • Trigger point massage
• Guided Exercise — Safe exercises are essential for getting your body stronger and more flexible. Beyond limiting 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 beyond frustrating to believe you’ve overcome an injury, only to suffer another injury in the future. We’ll educate you about your injury and how it affects your body’s function, so you’ll know how to protect your spine while being active. Injury prevention includes:
  • Patient education
  • Lifting education
  • Activity modification
  • Conditioning

Your treatment plan in Wentzville, MO will be exhaustive and focused on getting you to your best possible movement health and keeping you there. However we recommend treating your spine condition or back pain, it will designed based on proven techniques.

Other conditions we help treat in Wentzville, 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

Call Axes For Your Spine Specialist Near Me in Wentzville, MO

Don’t let a spine condition prevent you from the activities you love. At Axes, our Wentzville, MO spine specialists are dedicated to 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 professional and experienced Wentzville, MO spine specialist to treat you, request an evaluation with Axes Physical Therapy today or reach out to the location most convenient for you