Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. With extreme pain, many doctors prescribe pain medication in order to help people get through their day. Unfortunately, this has led to the opioid epidemic sweeping across the nation. Fortunately, there are alternatives that have been clinically proven to work and one of them is physical therapy. These services can help the millions of Americans that suffer from extreme pain every day.
Joint Pain
If you have joint pain from an injury or general inflammation, physical therapy can help. When your joints hurt, it’s very difficult to have the motivation to move. However, keeping your range of motion strong will help to provide relief and prevent further pain or weakness in the surrounding areas. Those surrounding tissues should be kept as strong as possible in order to protect the joints. They can show you different ways to move to relieve pain and how helpful hot and cold therapy can be to the effective area.
Manual Therapy
Not all therapy offices specialize in manual therapy, but Core PT does. It takes skill to do effectively and is different than massage. It’s direct therapy given from the PT with their hands. They put pressure on muscles that are the cause of pain and are able to loosen joints in order to decrease pain levels. Manual therapy can help relieve many different forms of pain.
Education
Physical therapists don’t just fix you and send you on your way. They are interested in educating their patients in order to avoid future injuries as well as learn to perform daily activities in a way that doesn’t worsen the pain. Physical therapists take the time to have a conversation with you to understand the specifics of your pain as well as the prognosis.
Physical Activity
The best way to prevent further injury and aid in pain relief is to have a flexible and strong body. It’s vital to ensure that your body is undergoing both strengthening and stretching exercises. As we know, injury can still happen, but making the body move like it’s supposed to through targeted exercises can relieve and heal the pain for the long term. Exercising can help maintain bone strength, help you move easier and provide a better overall quality of life.
Physical therapy is often a superior choice to dangerous and addictive opioids. Opioids may dull the pain, but they do not provide true healing for the long term. Physical therapy can provide independence in hundreds of areas of a person’s life.
Manage your pain in a safe way by choosing physical therapy! If you are looking for a more hands-on approach to healing, contact Core Physical Therapy today.