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Physical therapy plays an important role in treating chronic pain and injuries. Evidence has shown that physical therapy not only helps relieve symptoms associated with these issues but also increases strength and flexibility and allows patients to better control their movement.
Through the use of different techniques ranging from exercise to manual therapy, physical therapists design individualized treatment plans tailored to help each person manage their particular condition and achieve maximum benefit. With a therapist by your side, you can get the most out of all the treatments while avoiding further complications, making physical therapy one of the top choices for long-term pain or injury management.
What is Chronic Pain?
While acute pain is triggered by an injury and heals as the injury does, those living with a chronic condition may experience varying degrees of pain for long periods of time with no known cause. Common sources include arthritis, a herniated disc, cancer, a fracture or sprain that never healed, and nerve damage. Often the affected area will be localized to a particular muscle group or joint, causing significant discomfort and impacting one’s ability to complete simple tasks or move normally. In drastic cases, individuals find that they may no longer be able to move the area at all due to the immense pain.
Fortunately, there are treatment options available for those suffering from these chronic conditions; strategies such as physical therapy, medication, and in severe cases, surgery can help provide relief from this form of ongoing suffering.
How Physical Therapy Alleviates Chronic Pain
Physical therapists are highly trained medical professionals who specialize in identifying and treating the source of pain rather than just its symptoms. By evaluating a patient’s areas of stiffness and weakness, they provide meaningful interventions that alleviate pain as well as improve mobility. Through customized exercises and therapy techniques, physical therapists aim to facilitate a speedy recovery process to aid their patients in regaining an active lifestyle free of continued discomfort or distress.
Physical therapy sessions may include a combination of the following:
Low-impact aerobic training
Low-impact aerobic training is an ideal way to reduce pain while still receiving the cardiovascular and cardiovascular health benefits of exercise. One can easily incorporate such activities into their daily routine due to their ability to provide a comprehensive cardiovascular workout without a hard impact on the body. For example, instead of running as a warm-up before doing strength exercises, activities like fast walking or operating a stationary bike can be used to achieve similar, if not greater, results with less wear and tear on the joints.
Strength exercises
There are a variety of exercise tools and activities you can use to strengthen your muscles, including machines at your physical therapist’s office, resistance bands, lunges, squats, pushups, and other bodyweight exercises that work on your core muscles such as your belly, glutes, and back. Working with a professional physical therapist or exercise specialist to create an appropriate program tailored to your specific needs can help you get the most benefit from these strengthening activities while also avoiding incorrect or dangerous movements which could worsen your pain.
Pain relief Exercises
These exercises target specific areas of the body that are causing pain, helping them to become stronger and more flexible. With consistent practice of these exercises, you can feel a major improvement in your quality of life. Depending on the severity of your pain, these exercises can offer long-term relief or make a living with chronic pain more manageable.
Physical Therapy for Chronic Pain at Maplewood Sauk Prairie
If you have been suffering from chronic pain for a prolonged period, it can be difficult to find lasting relief. The physical therapists at Maplewood Sauk Prairie Health and Rehabilitation Center specialize in identifying and addressing the root cause of your discomfort so that you can regain your quality of life. Through individualized advice and hands-on treatment, we are committed to helping our clients reduce their pain and restore normal activity levels. Our team is highly experienced and dedicated to helping others get back to doing what they love with minimal interference from symptoms. Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to start moving pain-free.
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