Since chronic pain is such a prevalent medical condition—100 million people in the US suffer from chronic pain—the importance of physical therapy in treating it can’t be denied.
Annually, it costs the economy at least $600 billion in healthcare services and loss of productivity. The scale of damage, at this stage, is not only detrimental to the wellbeing of the workforce but also a strain on the healthcare industry.
It seems like there’s no end to the bad days when your pain is at its peak, but physical therapy can make the worst days better. It helps train your muscles so that you’re able to manage the pain and learn to live with it without disrupting your routine life.
Since chronic pain causes inflammation of the muscles and movement dysfunction, physical therapy treats the problem at its core. Ultimately, it re-educates the nervous system to become less sensitive to pain signals.
What Happens In A PT Evaluation for Chronic Pain
If you’re suffering from the condition described above, consult a therapist ASAP. When you walk in for your first appointment for physical therapy, your therapist will conduct an initial evaluation. They will ask about the history of this condition, the intensity of your symptoms and what remedies help you cope.
There may be eating habits and/or physical activities that may be fuelling the problem and your therapist will also look into that. The therapist may also inquire about a brief summary of the treatments you’ve tried. Once your medical history has been taken, your therapist may perform some tests to have baseline measures of your condition. These include:
- Calculation of range of motion
- Evaluation of posture
- Measurement of movement in various directions
Once the evaluation is out of the way, your therapist will get down to treatment. Here are some measures that can help rehabilitate your condition:
Patient Education
Your physical therapist (PT) can’t be with you round the clock to ensure you’re following your therapy routine and doing it correctly. Physical therapy is all about making the right lifestyle choices to better manage your chronic condition. Educating the patient is essential to empower them enough to sustain themselves. Learning pain management is the first step of the journey to recovery and your PT will teach you some movements and forms to practice daily.
Ultrasound
You need to induce cellular mobility by providing heat to the affected tissues. Ultrasound helps you do just that. Studies published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science have revealed that adding ultrasound scans to your treatment procedure improves the chances of recovery.
Massage
Applying pressure on the affected muscles including the back, neck, legs, jaws and/or shoulders helps improve circulation for better tissue healing. The goal is to relax muscle tension and enhance the range of motion in the joints.
Postural Therapy
Your posture plays a significant role in triggering chronic pain in various parts of the body. An imbalanced posture can do more harm to your joints than you can imagine. Your PT may help correct your slouch and straighten your spine, as part of the therapy.
Your pain is not your concern alone—we, at ProMove PT, are here to share the burden with you!
ProMove PT Pain Specialists is a private physical therapy clinic based in Bethesda that offers physical therapy for orofacial pains. The clinic focuses on the most successful treatment methods for best therapy care, under the esteemed supervision of Dr. Michelle Finnegan, to help patients return to their normal routine. Call (301) 388-8822 for more information or send us an email at finnegan@promovept.com.