We’ve all been there at one point or another — whether it be chronic or acute pain, it can be debilitating to your day to day life. Often times, we are under the impression that pain medication is our only option to reduce pain; especially when it’s seemingly never-ending pain.
You may have heard the recent buzz about opiates in the media. The use of prescription opiates has been on a steady rise for years. In 2012 alone, there were 259 million prescriptions written for opiates by primary care physicians (APTA). That is an extremely alarming number! It can be very easy to get caught up in taking pain medications; as your body develops a tolerance for the dosage you start on, your provider may up your dosage so that you can get the same results. This is a definitive way to lead to opiate abuse and accidental overdose, when the only thing you are looking for is some kind of pain relief.
So where does physical therapy come into play in this situation? Well we all know that when you’re in pain, the last thing you may want to do is get up and move. However, there is incredible evidence that this may be in fact one of the best things you can do for yourself. Physical therapy has the potential to teach patients how to alleviate their pain and show them simple, everyday exercises they can do to manage their pain.
Along with pain typically comes fear of movement and certain situations. Although this may seem beneficial to an extent, not moving creates stiffness, weakness, and in return, more pain. This cycle will continue and has the possibility of taking over your life. No matter how chronic your pain may be, physical therapy has the education and tools to help alleviate your discomfort.
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Fibromyalgia *Massage
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Arthritis *Movement Exercises
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Neuropathic Pain *Therapeutic Exercise
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Sprains/Strains *Ultrasound
- Headaches *Traction
- Post Surgical Disorders *Posture Reinforcement
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Neurological Disorders *Trigger Point Dry Needling
- General Weakness *Patient Education
- Chronic neck & back pain *Balance/Gait Training
- Tendinitis *Pool therapy
…..and so much more!
When it comes to making the healthiest choice for your body, why not start the most natural route? Instead of masking your pain with medication every day, let’s get to the root of the problem and get you feeling better long term!
If you are interested in learning more about the role of physical therapy vs. pain medication, check out the APTA website for some incredible sources:
APTA.ORG or follow the #ChoosePT movement on Facebook and Twitter.
Alyssa Hart
Clinic Coordinator Assistant
Physical Therapy Consultants
PTC_therapy June 21st, 2016
Posted In: General