Chronic pain affects millions of people all over the country. With around 50 million Americans living with chronic pain today, it is no surprise that people are looking for an answer. Chronic pain can cost you your quality of life by limiting the time you can be active every day, preventing you from focusing, and keeping you from being able to relax. People attempt to alleviate these symptoms in various ways, such as massage, medication, acupuncture, and exercise. If you are dealing with a chronic injury, seeing a physical therapist for chronic pain can help you alleviate that pain and develop a plan to prevent pain in the future. Here are a few of the different ways physical therapy can help you with chronic pain:
Massage
Massage can be implemented into a physical therapy program to help relieve tightness, increase muscular blood flow, release endorphins, and decrease pain. Muscles surrounding an injury tense up, adding to the discomfort. With the right technique, not only can the stiffness be reduced, but the pain as well.
Heat Or Ice
Heat is best for chronic pain once the swelling has gone down. Heat can reduce muscle and joint pain by loosening tight joints and knots in the muscles. Just like massage therapy, heat can increase circulation and blood flow to the injury to alleviate some of the pain and tension in that area. Ice is an effective tool too. Though ice is best used shortly after the pain begins, it can still be used for everyday pain management. By reducing inflammation, ice can bring relief to the inflamed area.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most effective tools when it comes to battling chronic pain. Getting active can improve strength and mobility levels. After an injury, you may be hesitant to mobilize, but this is the best way to teach your body what movements are safe, and what is still healing. When you can move with little to no pain, you reinforce the idea that the motion you are doing is safe. This allows you to strengthen your body and train your nervous system at the same time, allowing for an increased range of motion, and less pain. One of the benefits of PT is having a therapist that will instruct you on what exercises are safe, and the best techniques for stretching so you can continue to improve at home safely.
Acupuncture
Sometimes referred to as dry needling, this technique is employed by some physical therapists to decrease pain levels around muscle knots. Using small needles, various trigger points are targeted and punctured to bring relief to the area and release muscle tension.
Find Bronx Physical Therapy Clinics
Finding the right physical therapist for you is important. At Theradynamics, we specialize in providing the best health care possible with the latest in medical technology. Our QFNA technologies are designed to identify what your body needs. If you are suffering from chronic pain, contact us today. We offer services in the Bronx, New Jersey, Manhattan, and Queens.