Admin / March 16, 2023

Physiotherapy for Pain Management | Does It Really Work?

“Alexa, please take my back pain away.”

Well, Alexa may not fulfill your request but according to research, physiotherapy can. Physiotherapy considers pain not a subjective but an objective experience. Physiotherapists use a combination of exercises and manual therapies to work on the specific pain transmission method that’s causing you all the trouble. Thus, it is often recommended to opt for physiotherapy for pain management instead of surgeries or medications. 

Complaints of pain vary from one person to another. Most are diverse and non-specific. Two different people may respond totally differently to the same exact injury. The same mild pain may seem unbearable all of a sudden at another instance to the same person. Physiotherapists use a gamut of treatments for various types of pain. They prepare treatment programs specific to your complaints. Unlike painkillers, physiotherapy aims to stop pain gradually and for the long term. 

Let’s first understand what pain exactly is. It will then be easier to determine the relationship between the two. 

How do you feel pain? 

Let’s explain this in simpler words. 

• The origin of the pain is tissue damage. 
• Once damaged, it activates the pain receptors in your skin. 
• The receptors send signals up the peripheral nerve to the spinal cord. 
• Chemical messengers within the spinal cord transmit these signals to the brain. 

And you end up feeling pain in the affected area. 

What is chronic pain? 

It is normal to feel pain due to constant wear and tear of muscles. The pain is chronic when it persists beyond normal duration. Damaged tissues usually heal within a few weeks. You should consider the pain chronic if the pain remains even after that. 

How does physiotherapy work on chronic pain?

Physiotherapy works on the principle that all systems in the body affect each other. All blood vessels and nerves, whether attached to musculoskeletal structures or organs, travel through fascia tissue and muscles. 

Physiotherapy facilitates normal movement, blood flow and the nervous system. The treatments accelerate the natural healing process of the body. 

For instance, let’s say you are experiencing pain due to damaged tissue. 

Chronic pain occurs because the tissue isn’t able to heal like it was supposed to. 

So, physiotherapists prescribe movement, stretching and strengthening exercises to boost the healing process. 

Similarly, in the case of a pinched nerve, the physiotherapist detects what has compressed the nerve. They focus on reducing the strain and restoring optimal fluid movement. 

Physiotherapy for Pain Management | How Effective Is It? 

Everyone feels pain at some point in life. Popping painkillers may provide you with temporary relief. But, it isn’t a viable option if you are looking for long-term relief. Most importantly, pain meds can also cause side effects like weight problems and other medical conditions. 

Physiotherapy, on the other hand, addresses your perception of pain. They assess the limitations occurring due to that pain to prepare an effective treatment program for your quick recovery. 

Common Physiotherapy Treatments for Pain Management 

The physiotherapist evaluates your pain to derive the following information about it: 

• Affected area 
• Characteristics 
• Intensity 
• Pattern 
• Past treatments and their  effectiveness 
• Factors  affecting the pain 

They prepare an effective treatment plan based on the above-mentioned result findings. 

Here are some common physiotherapy treatments: 

• Manual therapy
• Soft tissue techniques 
• Stretching and strengthening exercises 
• Joint techniques 
• Mobilization techniques 
• Soft tissue massage 
• Manipulation 
• IMS treatment 

You will find all these physiotherapy treatments under one roof at Townline Physiotherapy. Your good health and well-being are our first priority. Hence, we implement advanced modalities and treatments to help you recover.