Chronic Pain Zapping Your Energy? PT Recharges You

Chronic Pain Zap Fighting Chronic Pain with Physical Therapy Treat Your Chronic Pain Safely! Any pain that lasts longer than three months is classified as “chronic.” When people have chronic pain for a long time, it can become a downward spiral. As a result of the pain, they become more inactive and sedentary, and more often than not, their health worsens. People with chronic pain may even turn to extreme options, such as surgery or addictive painkillers, to try to find relief from pain. If you have chronic pain but want a non-invasive, non-addictive relief option, it’s time to get in touch with our office and talk to a physical therapist. Our innovative care strategies at Chesterton Physical Therapy will help you find quick relief. How can physical therapy help me find relief? The course of therapy recommended by your physical therapist will be tailored to meet your specific needs and objectives. After an initial consultation and examination, your therapist will do their best to work with you on methods to begin to overcome your chronic aches and pains. This is going to start with education. Your therapist will explain how your pain developed and what can be done to relieve it. The goal will initially be to manage pain, so that you can eventually get back to enjoying your normal routine. Exercise, stretching, and flexibility are all part of physical therapy. Becoming stronger and more flexible over time will make it easier for you to move around with less pain. This is going to be a slow and gradual process – exercises will focus on the slow, steady and gradual improvement of your strength and flexibility. Manual therapy is a specialized type of massage that physical therapists are trained to perform. These techniques will be used to mobilize tight joints that contribute to pain, and to manipulate soft tissues for relief. This technique may be very therapeutic when dealing with pain. Finally, posture and body mechanics training will be a major part of your physical therapy. Learning how to use correct posture at home, at work, and at rest can help to relieve pain and prevent recurrence of pain. All these treatment modalities will help you return to normal life without invasive surgery or painkillers. What should I know about chronic pain? As stated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. There may have been an initial mishap — sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause of pain — arthritis, cancer, ear infection, but some people suffer with pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. Many chronic pain conditions affect older adults. Common chronic pain complaints include headache, low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system itself), psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system). A person may have two or more coexisting chronic pain conditions. Such conditions can include chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, interstitial cystitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and vulvodynia. It is not known whether these disorders share a common cause.” Chronic pain affects each person differently. In many cases, the pain continues long after the body is healed of injury or a surgical procedure.  The good news is that physical therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach to pain relief. Your physical therapist has many tools and techniques at their disposal to help relieve and overcome chronic pain. Chronic pain has a number of symptoms associated with it, apart from the fact that the pain lasted more than three months. Here are some of the symptoms associated with chronic aches and pains: Weight Gain and Additional Problems: People with chronic pain may put on too much weight, which can lead to a host of added problems, from diabetes to heart disease. Reduced Circulation: Remaining inactive due to chronic pain reduces your circulation, which means your cells are not receiving a healthy amount of blood and oxygen. This can cause tissues to degenerate and leads to feelings of constant fatigue. Reduced Fitness: Inactivity due to chronic pain can cause your muscles to weaken and shrink. This can have profound physical effects over time, such as impacting your sense of balance. Stiffness: Muscles and joints may feel stiffer when suffering from chronic pain. Activity Avoidance: People with chronic pain become fearful of normal activities. The fear of additional pain can cause people to withdraw from normal physical activities that they enjoy. Ready to get started? If you have suffered from chronic aches and pains, take the first step today to overcome your condition. Call our office to schedule a physical therapy appointment.

Do You Know What’s Causing Your Back Pain?

Do You Know What’s Causing Your Back Pain? Discover How Physical Therapy Can Help You Relieve Herniated Disc Pain Back pain is one of the most common complaints among Americans. Whether you experience occasional pain in your back or deal with recurrent chronic back pain, it can make it extremely difficult to complete your daily tasks. But have you ever wondered if your back pain was a sign of a more serious condition? The spine is made up of a complex series of bones called vertebrae. There are cushioning pads between each of the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers, making bending, walking, and moving around in general every day possible without pain. But if these little cushioning discs are injured, the soft center can actually rupture and cause severe pain. This type of injury is often referred to as a herniated or slipped disc, and while there is no cure for the condition, physical therapy can help manage chronic pain. Our innovative care strategies at Chesterton Physical Therapy will help you find quick relief. What does PT for herniated discs look like? When experiencing back pain, it can be tempting to simply visit your general physician in search of a quick solution. However, in many cases, all that a general physician can offer in the way of pain relief is a prescription for painkillers. Alternatively, an experienced physical therapist can offer a variety of treatment options that are designed to target the root cause of your reoccurring back pain. Some of the most common treatment options recommended by our physical therapist for herniated disc pain include: Ultrasound therapy or electrical muscle stimulation for fast pain relief and deep penetration of the targeted area Alternating treatment with ice and heat to reduce inflammation and soothe sore muscles. Therapeutic massage to help ease sore muscles Aerobic exercises like walking or using a stationary bicycle Stretching exercises that help to keep the muscles in the back flexible Why did I develop a herniated disc? The spinal column is formed by a group of bones. The cervical spine consists of seven bones, the lumbar spine has five, and the thoracic spine has twelve. Each disc has a gelatinous inner section and a strong outer ring. If the disc protrudes through the outer ring, it is known as a herniated disc. This can lead to numbness, discomfort and pain. The vertebrae and cushioning discs in the spinal column can become injured in a variety of different ways. However, when dealing with a herniated disc, injuries are most often the result of: Improper lifting resulting in sudden strain Work-related or overuse injuries where the spine has been twisted violently Excessive weight gain and obesity The natural aging process or degeneration The herniated disc can be caused by a variety of causes, including movements such as turning or twisting. Another offender is moving heavy objects. Weight can also cause herniated discs, as it causes the need for discs to bear more weight. According to Healthline, men are also at a higher risk of developing a herniated disc than women. How can I tell if I have a herniated disc? Herniated discs are one of the most common back pain complaints. They typically occur in people aged 35 to 55 years but can affect physical therapy patients of all ages. Herniated disc pain presents itself in a variety of ways depending on a person’s age, body type, and physical condition. In certain cases, a herniated disc may show no outward symptoms at all. Our trained physical therapists are dedicated to help you achieve a pain-free life. But for those dealing with recurring pain from a herniated disc, the following symptoms are also common: Neck spasms affecting the muscles in the neck and shoulder area. Neck pain that stays centered in the back and side areas of the neck. This type of pain can increase in severity when bending or turning the neck. Pain radiating out from the shoulder, arm, and sometimes traveling down to the hands and fingers. Pain in the shoulder blade area. Schedule your appointment today! If you have had recurrent back pain or pain near your neck or shoulder, it may be a sign of a herniated disc.  By using targeted treatments and physical therapy exercises, our physical therapist can help you manage your herniated disc pain and prevent the use of prescription drugs or more invasive treatment options for pain. Please contact us today for more information and to schedule an initial consultation!