“Sick and Tired”of Feeling Sick and Tired? Physical Therapy Can Help

by Becky Keller, MPT

Chronic Pain affects millions of people worldwide and has a significant impact on daily life, work, social interactions and overall well-being. Unlike an acute injury, chronic pain can last for months or even years. Chronic pain can be a result of various conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, neuropathy, or even following a surgery. It can also be triggered by an illness, intense emotional stress or accident. 

Chronic pain is more than a local sensation of discomfort, but becomes a complicated combination of physical, psychological, emotional and social factors. Ultimately a multidisciplinary approach works best to treat chronic pain, and physical therapy can be an important piece of the puzzle. 

Treating chronic pain in physical therapy begins with a consultation with a specially trained therapist to assess symptoms and review an often complex medical history. Following that consultation, a specific plan will be developed to address issues of mobility, pain management, strength and restoring function. 

There are many tools physical therapists use to treat chronic pain depending on the needs of each individual. Some of these include: education, movement, modalities, mind-body techniques and manual therapy. 

Education: Therapists will provide understanding of how pain works in the brain and body to help individuals reduce fear and anxiety as these often worsen pain sensations. Physical therapists are movement experts and will also provide posture and body mechanics education. They will help patients learn how to perform daily activities safely, achieve proper posture and avoid movements that worsen symptoms. 

Movement: Movement is critical in order to perform daily functions, or as one patient recently said to me, “Motion is lotion”. The importance of working with a chronic pain specialist is understanding proper dosing of stretching, strengthening, aerobic activities and ensuring activities are appropriate for each person during each step of their rehabilitation. People dealing with chronic pain have often been referred to therapy in the past only to stop after 1-2 sessions because they left their sessions in more pain. It is necessary to develop unique exercise programs for each person with chronic pain and not follow along a cookie-cutter routine. 

Modalities: Physical therapy can often use modalities such as ultrasound, trigger point dry needling, heat or cold to address symptoms. These are often positive alternatives to prescription pain medication for patients.

Mind-body techniques: When someone has been in pain for a longer period of time, their body tends to remain stuck in the “Fight or flight” mode. This can contribute to multiple issues including muscle pain, sleep disturbance, digestive upset, headaches, depression, anxiety, fatigue, etc. Physical therapy can help teach patients relaxation, deep breathing and mindfulness techniques to help reduce the sympathetic nervous system output that is causing the “Fight or flight response” and improve the parasympathetic nervous system activity, getting people into more of a “rest and digest” state. This promotes better healing. 

Manual therapy: Finally a big component of chronic pain treatment revolves around specific hands-on care. This may include joint or soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy or manual lymphatic drainage techniques. These can help improve movement, reduce swelling and decrease sensations of pain throughout the body. 

So, if you or a loved one are dealing with chronic pain, please consider physical therapy as an important tool to help get symptoms under control and empower you to take back control of your life.

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