People with chronic pain conditions often find that their whole lives – time spent with family, work, school, and recreation – are affected by the pain they experience. Chronic pain is exhausting and can cause emotional strain, and this is especially true in cases of idiopathic chronic pain, which doesn’t have a clear origin.
Even when directly treating the cause of chronic pain or curing the condition is not feasible, there are many methods that can be used to provide relief. Physical therapy has long been shown to have strong beneficial outcomes for people with chronic pain. And alleviating pain can mean getting energy back, better mental health, and overall quality of life improvement in many more ways.
At JAG Physical Therapy, our staff is adept at treating chronic pain not just because of their clinical skill, but especially because of their unwavering empathy and dedication to healing. Read further to learn more about how we approach chronic pain through a host of PT treatment methods, or book your appointment today.
What is Chronic Pain?
At the most basic level, chronic pain is medically defined as pain lasting for three to six months or more. Chronic pain is a symptom, not a condition, and it can be the result of any number of medical events.
Chronic pain might come from actual damage somewhere in the body – inflamed or otherwise hurt tissue – or it can be neuropathic, resulting from a nervous system malfunction and not indicating tissue damage. Ultimately, people’s prognosis for chronic pain depends on the quality of medical and social support they receive, including high-quality physical rehabilitation.
How are People Evaluated for Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain, as noted, can come from a wide range of conditions, it depends on subjective experience (since everyone’s tolerance for different kinds of pain varies), and it can sometimes be idiopathic. Therefore, physicians use multiple criteria to check the status of people experiencing chronic pain.
A doctor will ask a patient who reports chronic pain to describe the discomfort they are feeling – the location and specific sensations of pain often can narrow down its origin. Since chronic pain could be the result of many conditions, an accurate medical history and account of past health events such as surgeries, injuries, and serious illnesses should be taken. Lastly, the physician will test the overall effects of chronic pain on their patient’s physical ability – their range of motion, muscle strength, posture, balance, flexibility, and endurance.
How is Physical Therapy Used to Treat Pain?
JAG PT combines multiple specialized modalities drawn from physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthopedic rehabilitation, and other disciplines to help individuals with chronic pain achieve relief, increase their quality of life, and do more of the things they love. We offer everyone a customized plan targeting their symptoms and aimed at their personal goals, whether that may be having the physical stamina to enjoy more time spent with family, resuming work, returning to playing sports, or anything else.
Our treatment methods that are effective for chronic pain relief are many and varied. We utilize exercise instruction, like low-impact aerobic training, guidance on strengthening and pain relief exercises, and stretching to help individuals improve their abilities in areas affected by pain, gradually lessen the effects, and build a routine to continue at home every day.
Our manual therapy specialization employs the healing power of human hands, including techniques like medical massage, to reduce inflammation, release tension, and manage chronic pain. We also use expert application of heat and cold, TENS and ultrasound, aquatic therapy, and much more to help people with chronic pain heal and thrive.
JAG Physical Therapy is the tri-state area’s leader in treating chronic pain with PT, and we have many convenient locations throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Schedule your appointment today or contact us to learn more about how we can help relieve your chronic pain.
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