Pain is the number one reason people come to our clinic for treatment in physical therapy. Many times the first question a new patient asks us is, “Why do I hurt?” The answer to this question can be a variety of things or causes, and it is our job to help the patient realize, understand, and ultimately correct the problems to alleviate their pain.
Physical pain can be caused by acute injury, trauma or post-operative pain. In these circumstances, our job as a physical therapist is made a little easier because we can relate the patient’s pain to a direct cause. Pain can also be caused or magnified by emotional or psychological stress which may cause tension headaches or muscle pain.
Things get a little trickier with someone who experiences chronic pain, or someone who just wakes up one day with soreness or stiffness. In this case, a person’s pain can be caused by mechanical stress overloading joints, muscle, and connective tissue. As a consequence of this stress, areas of the body may respond by becoming tight or restricted hence perpetuating the patient’s discomfort.
When you hurt, you want relief. There are a variety of pain modulating modalities that we use in the practice of physical therapy. These modalities include electrical stimulation, ultrasound, soft tissue mobilization, movement re-education, ice, or taping and wrapping for support. We use all these techniques in our everyday treatment of patients and the key is to find what works best for you. The best solution to dealing with pain is getting to the cause of the problem. There are many palliative treatments available to patients in pain, but ultimately, the best answer is to eliminate the cause of the problem and not merely use modalities or drugs to mask the pain. As physical therapists, we are human movement specialists. We are specifically trained to observe, measure and then treat movement dysfunction. When the movement dysfunction is properly treated, the patient’s pain is usually abolished.
If you have a question about the treatment of your pain or physical problem, call the physical therapists at Body Mechanics today for a consultation.