Living with Chronic Pain? Say Goodbye to the Painkillers, Once and For All.
Are you dependent on pain relievers or pain management drugs to help relieve your pain? Are you sick and tired of taking medication first thing in the morning, throughout the day, and right before bed? If so, it doesn’t have to be that way – physical therapy can be the solution you’ve been searching for!
Physical therapy can be very beneficial for both short-term pain (that which lasts just a few days or weeks) and long-term or chronic pain (that which lasts for more than three months).
According to Elite Physical Therapist, Juliana Meeker, DPT, “Physical therapy can provide you with long-lasting relief to your chronic pain. Physical Therapy can help you govern your pain without drugs, giving you a chance to break away from your reliance on opioids.”
The opioid epidemic is often in the news, and it may have started you thinking about the effect that pain pills are having on your life. It is time to look into some alternative solutions to your pain management!
Physical Therapy’s involvement in the Opioid Crisis.
As stated by the APTA website, “The White House has announced that APTA is among the organizations that have joined a public-private partnership to combat opioid usage and prescription drug abuse, and that the association will reach out to the public and its members to deliver the message that pain can be effectively managed through conservative, non drug approaches.
Physical therapists can help individuals manage pain, and greater use of physical therapy could make a real impact on the tragic levels of drug abuse in this country—abuse that often begins with a prescription for pain medication.”
The Difference between Pain Management Drugs and Physical Therapy.
Opioid medication does play a role in pain management, but it’s really best for situations where you feel severe pain immediately after the injury or immediately after surgery. Ideally, opioid medication should be used sparingly and only for a week or less.
Opioid medication was never designed to be the type of drug that you take for months, years, or a lifetime. Opiates can trigger extreme sensitivity in your pain receptors, which is why they may end up making your pain even worse over time.
“That’s why physical therapy is such a good alternative. It teaches you how to manage your pain with movement and modalities and allows you to bypass that chronic dependency. Physical therapy is designed to relieve the pain without drugs,” explains Juliana.
If it seems too good to be true, just keep reading. You’ll learn how physical therapy can stop the pain and help you leave the pills behind for good.
How can Physical Therapy Help Relieve my Pain?
Physical therapists are equipped to help you in two different ways: by teaching you to manage your pain, and then teaching you how to move again.
Your physical therapist restores your function by strengthening the weakened muscles, improving your ROM and improving your overall function. This allows your body to heal and gives you the strong support system you need to enjoy full function long-term.
In addition to getting stronger, you’ll also get pain relief from the newest evidence-based pain interventions.
According to Juliana, “We can work together with your doctor to help you feel better. Instead of opioid pain medications, which can be addictive and even deadly, your doctor may prescribe other alternatives and send you to one of our skilled physical therapists who can help you heal without the interference of opioid medications.”
Your physical therapist can also help you with stress management.
If you’re dealing with stress and anxiety because of your pain, physical therapy can improve your life by teaching you new mindfulness techniques like meditation, stress reduction exercises, and other alternative ways to deal with the situations that tend to lead to problems.
What Can I Expect from Physical Therapy Treatments?
Physical therapy can help you get a handle on your pain so that you don’t need opioids anymore.
Of course, you should only discontinue high doses of opioids under professional medical supervision (to prevent a potentially dangerous withdrawal).
In the meantime, however, our physical therapist can work with you on treating the biomechanical problems that caused your pain in the first place.
Here are just a few of the physical therapy modalities that can help you conquer your pain:
- Exercises can increase your pain-free range of motion, strengthen the muscles that support your body, and increase blood flow to reduce inflammation.
- Massage therapy can control painful muscle spasms, help the tissues expel inflammatory substances, and direct more blood and oxygen to an injury.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) uses electrical energy to block pain signals to nerves.
- Ice/Heat promotes relaxation and pain modulation
- Dry Needling treats muscle tissues and trigger points in attempt to reduce pain.
Discover Effective and Long-lasting Pain Relief with Physical Therapy.
Are you ready to get started with Elite Physical Therapy?
“Physical therapy isn’t just about your pain. It’s about your whole-body function, your mental wellness, and your long-term health,” says Juliana Meeker, DPT.
Your Elite Physical Therapist can help you improve every aspect of your wellness to overcome pain and enjoy a life without the fog of pain pills.
Get in touch with our caring physical therapists at Elite to get past pain medication now! Call us at 318.443.3311 or email us at [email protected] to get your personalized pain evaluation.
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