Spine Specialist Near Me in Wildwood, MO

Spine specialist near me in Wildwood, MO. Lower back issues can make everyday tasks like sitting up difficult, and disturb how our bodies function. For physically active people, back issues can prevent you from being at peak performance. For workers, it can prevent you from putting food on the table for your Wildwood, MO family. For others, it can prevent us from taking the dog for a walk or playing with our children like we love doing. Physical therapists with a spine specialty 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 live your best life. If you’re ready to at long last move on from a crippling back condition, request an appointment with an Axes Wildwood, MO spine specialist, or get in touch with the Axes location most convenient for you.

According to Missouri Revised Statute §334.506, a doctor needs to prescribe physical therapy. If you’re recovering from a back or neck injury, or are living with chronic pain, ask your doctor if physical therapy with a spine specialist in Wildwood, MO can be safe and effective for you. In the meantime, take advantage of one of Axes’ 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 brain to your pelvis. There are several different parts of your spine:

Vertebrae

The spine consists of 33 vertebrae, which are small bones that form the backbone. 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 allow us to move; the others are immobile.

Facet Joints

Facet joints connect the vertebrae. 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 without grinding against each other.

Intervertebral Discs

Discs are the circular cushions between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. There is one disc between each vertebra. Discs have a softer middle called the nucleus pulposus, which allows for mobility and absorption, and a tough, circular exterior called the annulus fibrosus that prevent the gel-like center from leaking out.

Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is made up of of nerves that travel through the vertebrae, extending from the brain to your lumbar region, where the nerves continue into your lower extremities. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column. The nerves branch out 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 various types of soft tissue. Ligaments connect bones together and holds them in the correct structure. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and power their movement.

Living the lifestyle we want depends on all of these parts working together and functioning properly. A variety of conditions can interfere with the spine and keep you from the activities you love most. If you’re dealing with back pain or spine issues, a spine specialist in Wildwood, MO like Axes’ physical therapists can provide safe and effective relief.

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

The American College of Physicians developed guidelines that include numerous physical therapy treatments for lower back pain and neck pain. Whether you’re living with chronic pain or recently suffered a work injury, Axes’ Wildwood, MO spine specialists can help you live your best life. Some of the common conditions we treat in Wildwood, MO are:

• Disc Injuries — Herniated discs and bulging discs can be caused by either an injury or wear and tear as we get older. They can impinge 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 an umbrella term for irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is our bodies’ longest nerves and begins in the lumbar region. It can lead to crippling pain, weakness, and tingling from your buttocks all the way down to your foot.
• Spinal Stenosis — Stenosis occurs when the space inside your backbone is too small. Symptoms include pain, balance problems, and loss of sensation in the extremities.
• Spinal Arthritis — Arthritis is swelling or tenderness in one or more joints. It onsets as the cushioning between the joints degrades over time or from over-exertion. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. There are over 100 types of arthritis, most of which can affect the spine.
• Axial Back Pain — Also called nonspecific back pain, this refers to pain isn’t brought on by a clear, diagnosable cause. Common causes are 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 Wildwood, MO spine specialists will work with you and your doctor to design a treatment plan, based on proven strategies, and aimed at getting you back to the things you love doing most and a more comfortable life. While some conditions, like arthritis, can’t be “cured,” physical therapy is an effective part of a holistic wellness routine that reduces pain and other symptoms and achieves optimal mobility.

If you need surgery on your spine, we offer pre- and post-surgical rehab in Wildwood, MO to help your surgery go as well as possible.

Benefits of Working With a Physical Therapy Spine Specialist in Wildwood, 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 can get the same relief and results for some back pain as surgery, without the same risk of complications. Early intervention by a licensed Wildwood, 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 develop a treatment plan based on your injures, your age, and the lifestyle you wish to achieve or get back to. Through numerous different exercises and techniques, physical therapy can reduce pain, help your spine and nervous system function better, enhance range of motion.

Physical Therapy for Spine Issues

Depending on your specific condition, your Wildwood, MO spine specialist at Axes may implement some of the following practices to help get you back to what you love doing most:

• Manual Therapy — Our Wildwood, MO manual therapists are experts at using subtle 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 essential for getting your body stronger and more flexible. In addition to limiting symptoms now, certain exercises will also help overall function and improve movement health. Exercises we might assign include:
  • Core stabilization
  • Postural retraining
  • Flexibility
  • Cardio conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Home exercise
• Injury Prevention — There’s nothing worse than believing you’re moving on from 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 Wildwood, MO will be holistic 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 time-tested techniques.

Other services we offer in Wildwood, MO include:

• Beginner Running Program
• Chronic Pain Treatment
• MCL Injury
• Shoulder Pain
• Injury Prevention
• Mobility
• Knee Injury
• Joint Pain
• Sciatica

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

Don’t let a spine condition prevent you from what you love doing most. At Axes, our Wildwood, MO spine specialists are dedicated to positive patient outcomes. Your pain may not have been your choice, but you can choose to do something about it. For a professional and knowledgeable Wildwood, MO spine specialist to help you, schedule an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or contact the location closest to you