How can PT help when your chronic pain becomes too much?

February 14, 2022

When chronic pain becomes too much, physical therapy can help you cope with your condition and prevent further injury. There are various forms of chronic pain, including back pain, neck pain, headaches, fibromyalgia and arthritis. The type of physical therapy for chronic pain that you need depends on the cause of your pain, the severity of your symptoms and your personal preferences.

Some physical therapy techniques that can assist those with chronic pain

When chronic pain becomes too much, your physical therapist can help in many ways.

Manual therapy techniques — These hands-on techniques can help relieve muscle tension, improve range of motion and flexibility, reduce stress on joints, and decrease inflammation.

Therapeutic exercises — Exercises can be an essential part of physical therapy for chronic pain because they work on strengthening your muscles, improving circulation, and reducing stress on your joints. As a bonus, an exercise routine can also help you sleep better at night by releasing endorphins in the body and calming your mind.

A few exercise types that your physical therapy sessions might include are:

Exercises to improve your strength.
Body weight exercises like lunges, squats or pushups.
Resistance band or hand-held weight exercises. These can increase strength. They can also specifically target your core muscles (such as your back, abdomen and glutes) and other parts of your body.
Stretching exercises to help mobility and reduce pain. Also, stretching helps to relax muscles and stiff joints.

When chronic pain becomes too much, exercises like these can help you build strength and become more flexible in areas where you have pain.

Low-impact aerobics — You can do some low-impact aerobic exercises to get your heart rate up and your joints to take a break from the effort. For instance, if you plan on doing an activity that uses your legs and core, you can warm up by riding a stationary bike first.

Advice your physical therapist might give for when chronic pain becomes too much between your sessions

You can’t always be in a physical therapy session. Often, your pain may get worse when you aren’t in a PT session, but your physical therapist can still help. Here is some advice your physical therapist may give you to help address pain flare-ups between your sessions:

Staying in bed for too long will not alleviate your pain. Stay active.
Understand your condition completely, so you will be better prepared to handle it.
You can reduce joint stress and relieve symptoms by improving your posture to allow your body to work at maximum efficiency.
Try to keep up with your normal activities as much as possible.

Franklin Rehab stands ready to address your chronic pain conditions

Are you looking for physical therapy that can help you when chronic pain becomes too much? Franklin Rehabilitation has physical therapists who can treat your chronic pain. To determine the cause of your shoulder pain, we can perform a free screening. Moreover, our therapists can design a customized physical therapy plan for you that focuses on reducing your pain and preventing it from returning.