Whether continuous pain disturbs you or arc pain limits your movements, physical therapy relieves both types of pain. A physical therapist helps restore, maintain and maximise a person's physical strength and make it independent.
Do you want to know how physical therapy helps with pain relief? After exercises, the blood flow of the injured area increases, which maximises muscle recovery. Gentle stretching increases the mobility and flexibility of the joint and soft tissue.
Manual therapy combines strength, stretching, and stability exercises to get better outcomes. Even electrical stimulators or massage ball trigger points are used to break adhesion and minimise pain because tense muscles restrict movement and cause pain.
What is physical therapy, and how does it work?
Physical therapy is a branch of medical science that focuses on the science of movements and helps people to perform daily tasks without pain.
Physical therapy works based on the nature and severity of the injury and the underlying causes. The different techniques used to treat a person as a whole are the following:
Strengthen your muscles: to bear extra weight and speed or sudden change in direction during a sport.
Massaging the tender area: with a massage ball trigger point, increase the nutrient-rich blood flow and hence reduce pain.
Relaxes the tense muscles: The physical therapist loosens the tight muscles by gently stretching and heating the issued area.
Improve range of motion: Physical therapy improves the range of motion after limited mobility due to neural problems or fractures.
You get relief: from stubbing, throbbing or burning pain with the help of physical therapy.
General exercises: When you start doing available exercises, it strengthens your body and improves movement or ability.
Prevent or recover from a sports injury: If you are a sports person, you encounter cases of ankle sprain or torn ACL once per week. Physical therapy helps to prevent or recover from a sports injury.
Prevent chances of surgery: Sometimes, the neural issue becomes worse than the physician suggests for surgery, but with nerve gliding techniques for a few weeks, you can prevent events of surgery.
Helps patients get back on their feet: Physical therapy is mainly used during an extended stay in ICU as it helps patients get back on their feet and become independent.
Balance training: Physical therapy also includes balance training, especially in the geriatric population. Hence reduces the chances of slipping or falling.
Women's Health: It is also used to recover women's health after childbirth.
Chronic illness: Physical therapy also helps manage chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis. How?
How do physical therapists treat chronic pain?
Physical therapists treat chronic pain by making proper evaluations and diagnosing the cause of why certain muscle groups do not work. Exercises are designed to reduce stress on tight muscles and improve mobility and flexibility.
There are many treatment options for chronic pain, depending on the severity of the condition. The best ones are:
Exercise:
Exercises help to strengthen weak muscles. It also improves the joint ability to bear weight. The primary role of exercise in alleviating pain is that it inhibits pain signals to the brain. In short, it retrains your thoughts.
The main exercises are:
Aerobics exercises:
Low-impact aerobics exercises are designed to increase heart rate. It does not put additional stress on your joints and muscles.
Strengthening exercises:
Strengthening exercises focus on your core. You can use different resistance bands for this. It also increases your capacity for weight bearing.
Stretching exercises:
Stretching exercises help to improve mobility and flexibility. It can be used in a warm-up phase as well as a recovery phase.
Other Techniques:
There are many other passive techniques used to treat chronic pain.
Dry needling: It helps to release tension and breaks knots and trigger points.
Heat and Cold Pack: Heating the muscles before exercise helps to lengthen them. The use of cold packs reduces soreness and swelling.
Massage: Massage helps to improve circulation and break adhesions. You can use a massage ball trigger point for it.
Pain Neuroscience Education: It is an electrical method to diagnose the cause of pain.
When should you see a physical therapist for pain?
Taking care of yourself is essential, but it's also important to remember that physical therapy begins as soon as possible after an injury is sustained. Because your body has limits, if you push it too hard, you could injure yourself more than necessary.
It is used for rehabilitation after surgery or immobilisation for a specific time. Physical therapy maximises muscle recovery and reduces the chances of further injury. There are severe cases when you see a physical therapist for pain. It includes:
Knee injury
Neck injury
Shoulder injury
Ankle spraiN
ACL rupture
Spinal Cord Injury
Sports Injury
Entrapped Nerve
It is necessary to start physical therapy as soon as possible. Because when an injury sustains, it leads to permanent damage, disability, nerve impairment and limited mobility.
Is movement-based therapy effective for pain control?
Movement-based therapy is used as an adjacent treatment. It is best for chronic pain as it reduces pain and stress. It improves the range of motion and provides strength, balance and coordination.
Movement-based therapies have excellent effects on the cardiovascular system. Your mood, cognition and physical fitness all can improve through movement-based therapy. It also reduces kinesiophobia and helps in behaviour changes.
Different movements are performed in specific ways to maximise muscle recovery.
It includes:
Yoga helps to improve depression.
Tai Chi prevents falls and fractures.
Qigong is used in Parkinson's patients to prevent falls.
Pilates helps to reduce back pain.
Final Verdict
Does pain limit your activities to a specific range? Don't worry. Physical therapy helps you with pain relief. Physical therapy encompasses rehabilitation, injury prevention, maximising muscle recovery and prioritising health. Put in a nutshell, It improves our quality of life.
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