The Benefits of Physical Therapy
How Maintaining Your Mobility Might Improve Your Quality of Life
Ever sustained an injury? You’ve probably been told to “walk it off” at some point. Although those who use this expression don’t always treat you with the compassion that you deserve, they may not have been too far off the mark when it comes to chronic discomfort. Here’s how physical therapy has the potential to help you manage your lasting pain.
Pain and Movement
Staying mobile has many benefits that could contribute to its reported pain reduction effects. In 2015, the American Pain Society noted that although individuals who experienced chronic pain exhibited distinct structural brain matter changes, those who practiced yoga showed the opposite effects. Instead of losing gray matter, they gain it in regions associated with managing pain.
According to the Journal of Pain and Relief other motion-based practices, like Tai Chi and Qigong, may also have important impacts on chronic discomfort. In addition to reducing practitioners’ levels of hormones related to stress, these activities can mitigate muscular tension and pain sensitivity in areas like the spinal cord.
Physical Therapy’s Potential Pain Mitigation Applications
Professionally guided physical therapy may also help with a range of different conditions.
For instance, manual therapies like Mulligan’s mobilization with movement, or MWM, have been shown to aid those who face challenging musculoskeletal conditions. MWM involves patients moving affected areas under their own power with the assistance of a medical professional. The therapist can also evaluate their patients’ ability to perform specific movements without aid for added diagnostic benefit.
Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate Brigham and Women’s Hospital maintains that physical therapy interventions improve lives in other ways. For instance, those who have costochondritis, an inflammatory ailment characterized by localized rib and sternum pain, may benefit from physical therapy that educates them about modifying their activities to reduce physical stress factors. Other potential candidates for interventions include sufferers who face everything from osteoarthritis knee pain to various forms of ongoing back discomfort.
Taking Advantage of Physical Therapy Pain Management
Physical therapy isn’t a cure-all or universal solution. Neither, however, are many commonly over-prescribed pharmaceutical options and pain relief drugs. For many patients, especially those whose conditions might place them in danger of future harm due to improper movements, physical therapy is a helpful tool for pain management. It could also be a safer alternative for individuals who run the risk of addiction or those who can’t take certain medicines due to their other health conditions.
Physical therapy functions best when patients apply its techniques correctly. Some of the motions and activities involved in these treatments may be unfamiliar to you, so it’s wisest to work with a trained professional who can help you avoid further injuries. To learn more about managing your chronic or acute pain effectively, contact a Texas pain management specialist at Advanced Pain Care today.
