How Physiotherapy Can Help Manage Chronic Pain
Physiotherapy treatment can help to cure and manage long term pain which is also termed as chronic pain with righteous and non – invasive interventions.
What is chronic pain?
In several conditions where pain persists for more than 3 months and the body tissues, muscles, bones take longer healing period then the pain is called as chronic pain. Sometimes, chronic pain makes the person feel infuriating, tiresome and might have the significant repercussion on individual mental illness. It all it alters the person circadian cycle.
The source of chronic pain may be not clear to us as the pain sensation perceived and experienced results not only from the agonizing event, but also from the pain signals transmitted by the brain (through descending modulation) resulting from the thoughts, attitudes, feelings and emotions surrounding the painful perception.
Pain and thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and emotions are inversely correlated; on the one hand, negative thoughts, emotions, and memories cause the pain gate to open, causing more intense pain; on the other hand, if our bodies are healthy and our mental health is in good shape, the pain gate will close, causing less pain to be felt at the time.
What Kinds of Pain Are Chronic Pain?
Two different individuals who are victims of chronic pain may have quite unalike experiences. When it comes to this kind of pain, there are no set guidelines. There are, however, some traits that are surefire indicators that you have chronic pain.
Some traits of chronic pain are –
- Ongoing discomfort for 3 months. Although this is the generally considered as “minimum” duration for pain, chronic pain can last for weeks or even years.
- A sharp or dull ache.
- Burning sensation.
It might be a great mistake to ignore this type of discomfort situation. The body utilizes pain as a cue that something is amiss. There is a very good chance that the chronic pain you’re experiencing isn’t due to the obvious underlying reason, despite the fact that some doctors may ignore it.
It’s conceivable that the persistent pain you’re feeling is your body’s response to an undiagnosed injury or sickness, despite the fact that some doctors may disregard discomfort if there isn’t an evident underlying reason. In rare circumstances, you can be suffering from chronic pain as a result of a recognised injury that has not fully healed.
Despite the fact that chronic pain can occur everywhere in the body, there are a few typical types of chronic pain –
- Pain in mid back area – pain that radiates from the neck to the area of your rib cage. This kind of pain is mostly left undiagnosed by the practitioner.
- Pain in the lower back – it is one of the major problems in the population that has been ruled out now a days. It can be due to any reason postural deformity, some underlying pathology etc. chiropractic treatment is considered to be the one of the best area of treatment for this type of pain.
- Types of headache – Tension type headache, Migraine, Cervicogenic headache are one of the most common causes of chronic pin among population. Some study has shown the positive effects of chiropractic alignment in this kind of condition.
- Pain upper and lower limbs – pain in elbow, knee, shoulder, wrist etc. are the regions.
How can we differentiate chronic pain from acute pain?
ACUTE PAIN | CHRONIC PAIN | |
ONSET | BEGINS SUDDENLY | MAY BE CONSTANT OR INTERMITTENT |
DURATION | PERSISTS FOR SHORTER DURATION | LASTS FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS TO 6 MONTHS |
CAUSE | GENERALLY KNOWN | SOMETIMES UNCLEAR OR UNKNOWN |
TREATMENT | SELF TREATMENT, ICE PACK, PRECAUTIONS | PHYSIOTHERAPY,MEDICINES |
ROLE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN TREATING CHRONIC PAIN :-
The work of a physiotherapist in the treatment of a patient with chronic pain is very important and very effective. Physiotherapist treats this group of patients every day. Your physiotherapist will first discuss your problem and then, with your consent, examine you. In addition, he will talk to you about the diagnosed disease. He prepares short and long term goals for the patient and finally plans and discusses the treatment protocol with the patient. This treatment strategy employed a variety of treatments, such as manipulation, chiropractic adjustments, cupping, needling, cryotherapy, or hydrotherapy.
A physiotherapist is not limited to the treatment of patients, but also ensures an improved part of the patient’s lifestyle after the completion of the treatment. He will lead you in a specific direction so that you can lead a pain-free, fulfilling life.
It is also recommended that the patients and his attendants receive prompt regular health updates on their progress.
Is it beneficial to see a physiotherapist?
Yes, there are several benefits to using a physiotherapist while managing your pain at first. Physiotherapists are highly skilled professionals who can only treat patients non-invasively by using their manual skills and hands-on practices.
They will instruct you on safe active range of motion exercises to maintain joint mobility and improve balance.
Benefits of Choosing a Physical Therapist for Chronic Pain Management
- Increased mobility
- reduce the chance of surgery
- Relaxation Techniques to Avoid Pain
- non-invasive treatment
- Help patients become independent
Why should I choose a physical therapist over medication to treat chronic pain?
It is common wisdom that one should concentrate more on physical activity rather than taking chemicals and drugs to stay healthy. The physiological action of medications will temporarily relieve your chronic pain, but unlikely it will make you dependent to its dosage.
Moreover, physiotherapists take pride in helping patients become independent while maintaining the essence of their quality of life without affecting it.
Therefore, a physiotherapist’s role in managing chronic pain is very crucial.
How osteopathy helps in chronic pain?
The osteopathic therapists carefully examine the origin of your pain to determine its root. Musculoskeletal and other structural problems with the body are the focus of osteopathy, which aims to identify, manage, and treat them. By manually flexing and releasing your muscles and joints, you can rectify any potential postural dysfunctions and broaden your range of motion.
A treatment plan is then created after evaluating the structural abnormalities in your body, skull/spinal cord, muscles, internal organs or joints etc. that are causing the pain, Because it is difficult for the individuals with chronic pain to expect their bodies to be free of months, if not years, of pain with just one or two treatments, it may take several sessions to achieve the intended outcomes. With regard to chronic pain, the goal of the osteopath is to down regulate the nervous system, thus we use gentle osteopathic techniques, soft tissue, mobilization treatment, and myofascial release techniques to treat it. Additionally, they will also assist you to learn how to move more effectively and manage your body’s movement patterns by applying the concepts of neuromuscular therapy.
Some Advantages of osteopathy –
- Reduce and get rid of chronic pain
- Boost tissue blood flow and circulation
- Decrease muscle stress
- Promote pain-free movement
- Increased adaptability
- Relieves muscle tension
How chiropractic helps to manage chronic pain ?
Chronic pain may be caused by neuromusculoskeletal system abnormalities. While this is frequently the case, it is not always the case that individuals shrug off these kinds of problems as being common or something they must learn to live with. Thankfully, chiropractic care can help in this situation. The neurological system, muscular system, and skeletal system are all three simultaneously addressed by chiropractic therapy, which addresses the neuromusculoskeletal system as a whole. It emphasizes the bones, muscle system, and nerve system. In contrast to therapies that only target one area at a time, like massage therapy, chiropractic therapy is unique in that it treats the complete neuromusculoskeletal system at once. This may lead to better alleviation and speedier bodily modifications.
Consult Now
Best Physiotherapists in South Delhi
How chiropractic treatments works?
Your spine will function more effectively thanks to the several procedures used by a chiropractor. Adjustments, traction, and manual manipulation are all forms of chiropractic therapy that are used to activate tense or strained muscles, improve the passage of nerve impulses, and correctly position the joints.
Patients who have experienced chronic pain and diseases respond well to chiropractic therapy when it takes a three-pronged strategy. It’s important to consider how your neuromusculoskeletal system may be causing or increasing your chronic pain if you experience it. The neuromusculoskeletal system is the focus of chiropractic therapy. When the neuromusculoskeletal system is out of balance, chiropractic therapy can be highly helpful for relieving pain and other issues.
What will happen when you will visit a chiropractor?
First of all, the cooperation among the individual receiving treatment and the chiropractor is a key for a successful chiropractic therapy. Chiropractic therapy is a patient-centered branch of medicine that relies on cooperation among the individual receiving treatment and the chiropractor. A chiropractor has an interest in assisting you in discovering an integrated route to complete health that makes use of the most recent developments in the identification and treatment of disorders affecting the soft tissues, muscles, joints, spine, and neurological system.
A chiropractor and you will talk about your discomfort during your consultation. You’ll also talk about your way of life, routines at work and play, medical history, current ailments, and injury history. The utilisation of imaging and diagnostic instruments by your chiropractor may be decided upon as the best method for determining the origin of your discomfort.
Then, utilizing cutting-edge technology, your chiropractor will create a treatment regimen that might involve physical modifications, manual treatments, therapeutic exercises, and specialized therapies. Remember that it can take a few visits before you start to feel better. Nevertheless, many people claim that even after a single chiropractic visit, they have reduced in comparison to previous visit, slight good range of motion and increase in flexibility. Even if you feel “better” after just one appointment, it is critical to continue seeing your chiropractor since pressure is
frequently removed slowly to produce a comfortable experience that does not put you at danger of subsequent damage.
It’s time to look into alternative choices if you’re in pain and suffering but have been informed by medical specialists that the only thing they can do is treat your signs and symptoms. Start your path on the way to a comprehensive treatment to acknowledge the reason of your body’s irregularities and disorders completely.
Also Read
Know all about Osteopathy Treatment