Tossing the football around with your friends. Playing tag with your kids. Getting through an entire workday. These are just some of the activities that can be monumentally difficult when you’re in pain.
Unfortunately, there are far too many Americans who deal with pain almost every day. This type of long-term pain is called chronic pain, and it’s reported that 69.6 million Americans have some form of chronic pain. Physical therapy can be a beneficial treatment option for people living with acute or chronic pain. There are three common types of pain that it can be especially helpful for.
Physical therapy can be helpful for these three types of pain
Physical therapists are prepared to tackle any form of musculoskeletal pain, but there are some types that they see and treat far more often than others. These three types of pain are:
- Lower back pain — At any given time, it’s estimated that about 31 million U.S. adults are suffering from lower back pain. Physical therapists can use multiple therapy techniques to reduce it. They’ll also aim to help improve your range of motion and back function. One medical study reports that a physical therapy plan helped almost 63% of patients reduce their lower back pain.
- Pain before and after surgery — Patients with hip, knee and shoulder issues sometimes need surgery to fix them. However, a physical therapist can help patients manage their pain both before and after surgery. Researchers from one study reveal that a patient with hip pain after a hip replacement had a 100% reduction in hip pain after four therapy sessions.
- Arthritis pain — Studies have shown that physical therapy can significantly reduce arthritis pain. Physical therapy has also been shown to improve physical function among osteoarthritis sufferers. One group of researchers reports that a physical therapy plan for knee osteoarthritis led to a 52% improvement in pain scores in just four weeks.
What physical therapy methods are effective for pain reduction?
One reason that physical therapy can be so effective for reducing discomfort is the many techniques it includes. Your physical therapist can choose the most effective techniques for the type of pain you have. Some of the techniques they may include in your therapy plan are:
- Aquatic therapy
- Manual therapy
- Therapeutic exercises
- Ergonomics training
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
- Anodyne® therapy
Peak Performance offers treatment for your pain
Are you tired from suffering from chronic pain? Our Peak Performance physical therapists are ready and willing to help you find the pain relief you need. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint the root cause of your pain. Additionally, our physical therapists excel at creating individualized therapy plans designed to reduce pain and improve your ability to do normal activities. You can even get therapy from our specialists at home thanks to our virtual therapy appointments.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help with your pain or to schedule an initial appointment.
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