Find Relief for Your Persistent Aches and Pains
Any pain that lasts longer than three months can be classified as “chronic pain.” When people have chronic pain for a long time, it can become a downward spiral. As a result of the pain, they can become more inactive and sedentary, and their health can begin to worsen.
People with chronic pain may even turn to extreme options, such as surgery or addictive painkillers, to try to find relief from pain.
If you have chronic pain and you’re looking for a non-invasive, non-addictive relief option, it’s time to get in touch with a physical therapist to discuss how our holistic, non-invasive methods could benefit you.
In fact, physical therapy is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the “first lines” of treatment for most types of chronic pain. We can help you get started!
How can physical therapy help with chronic pain?
The course of therapy recommended by your physical therapist will be tailored to meet your specific needs and objectives. After an initial consultation and examination, your physical therapist will begin to work with you on the first methods of overcoming your chronic aches and pains.
Your treatment plan will likely begin with education. Your physical therapist will explain the reason(s) why you are experiencing chronic pain and what can be done to relieve it. The goal of your treatments will initially be to manage pain, so that you can eventually get back to enjoying your normal routine.
Exercise, stretching, and flexibility treatments will also all be part of your physical therapy plan. Becoming stronger and more flexible over time will make it easier for you to move around with less pain in the long term. This is going to be a slow and gradual process, but over time it will help you live more comfortably. Your exercises will focus on the slow, steady, and gradual improvement of your strength and flexibility.
It is likely that part of your pain relief methods will include manual therapy. Manual therapy is a specialized type of massage that physical therapists are trained to perform. These techniques will be used to mobilize tight joints that contribute to the aches and pains that you are experiencing, and to manipulate soft tissues for pain relief. This technique has been proven to be very therapeutic when dealing with chronic pain.
Additionally, posture and body mechanics training will likely be a large part of your physical therapy plan. Learning how to maintain proper posture at home, at work, and at rest can help to relieve pain and also prevent the recurrence of pain. All these treatment modalities will work to help you return to normal life, without the need for invasive surgery or painkillers.
What should I know about chronic pain?
Chronic pain affects every person differently. In many cases, the pain continues long after the body should have healed from an injury or surgery.
The good news is that physical therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach to pain relief. Your physical therapist has many tools and techniques at their disposal to help alleviate and conquer chronic pain.
Chronic pain has a number of symptoms associated with it, aside from the fact that the pain has lasted longer than three months.
Here are some of the associated symptoms of chronic aches and pains:
- Weight Gain and Additional Problems: People with chronic pain may put on too much weight, which can lead to a host of added problems, from diabetes to heart disease.
- Reduced Circulation: Remaining inactive due to chronic pain reduces your circulation, which means your cells are not receiving a healthy amount of blood and oxygen. This can cause tissues to degenerate and leads to feelings of constant fatigue.
- Reduced Fitness: Inactivity due to chronic pain can cause your muscles to weaken and shrink. This can have profound physical effects over time, such as impacting your sense of balance.
- Stiffness: Muscles and joints may feel stiffer when suffering from chronic pain.
- Activity Avoidance: People with chronic pain become fearful of normal activities. The fear of additional pain can cause people to withdraw from normal physical activities that they enjoy.
Get back to living life comfortably with physical therapy!
If you have been suffering from chronic aches and pains, take the first step today to overcome your condition.
Contact Pittman Physical Therapy to schedule a consultation with one of our physical therapists today, and discover how we can help you find relief from your chronic pain!
