Many people hold the belief that physical therapy is the domain solely of injury rehabilitation. Managing pain is too often viewed through a narrow lense of prescription medication usage, opioids specifically. While prescription medication may provide temporary symptom reduction, it is not designed to eliminate the pain’s source. With physical therapy and other services offered at Newport Medical and Wellness Center, pain may be managed or even eliminated more effectively. These services are comprised of safe and effective pain management strategies such as personalized exercise, massage, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), hot and cold therapy and weight loss.
Exercise
Staying active with chronic pain can be an extremely challenging task for many. When it’s difficult to get through the day’s basics, how do you get your body to cooperate when it feels like extra activity makes your discomfort worse?
This is a perfect example of where a physical therapist can help. A well-planned and executed personalized exercise and strength training plan can significantly reduce and sometimes eliminate the source of pain.
Massage
Massage therapy can help many conditions. Arthritis, fibromyalgia, low-back pain, tension headache, post-operative pain and more are all known to respond well to massage.
Therapeutic massage works to relieve pain in multiple ways. Relaxation is a natural response during massage. This response can decrease stress and increase levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Physical manipulation also relaxes tissues and nerves as well as improves circulation.
TENS
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, uses electrical stimulation of nerves to manage pain for many conditions. Through the stimulated nerves, signals are sent to the brain disrupting normal perception of pain. TENS can effectively treat many forms of acute and chronic pain.
Hot and Cold Therapy
Physical therapists utilize alternating hot and cold therapies for pain management. Heat increases blood flow and oxygen to the targeted area. The increased circulation encourages the healing process. Cold therapy (cryotherapy) can greatly reduce inflammation and muscle spasms that lead to pain.
Weight Loss
Traditionally, excess body weight has been connected to pain in weight-bearing body parts such as hips, knees and the lower back. New studies have linked obesity to higher levels of overall pain, possibly due to inflammation levels that accompany extra pounds on the body.
A well-managed weight loss plan can help alleviate pain that is a result of both overtaxed weight-bearing joints and muscles and systemic inflammation.
Non-drug approaches to pain management are fast becoming the preferred method of treating many painful conditions. When looking to manage pain naturally, there are a number of very effective therapies to explore and utilize. Schedule an appointment with Newport Medical and Wellness Center at 949-631-9009 to learn more about their natural pain management programs.
