Chronic pain and other types of pain can put a dent in your lifestyle. If you’re suffering from symptoms of pain, contact Carlson ProCare today to learn how a physical therapist can help you get on the path to a pain-free life. Don’t make the mistake of relying on pain medications long-term, as meds only mask the symptoms of pain. Physical therapy is a natural and non-invasive treatment that works on getting to the root of the problem, for lasting pain relief.
Don’t Just Mask the Problem
Taking painkillers to rid yourself of pain can be a huge help in the short-term, but in the long-term they are not a great solution and come with many risks and side-effects. Over-the-counter meds like aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen have side effects. Taking a lot of aspirin can cause your stomach to bleed and can cause kidney damage. Acetaminophen can result in liver and kidney damage. Ibuprofen can cause gastrointestinal distress, stomach ulcers, and kidney damage, and can inhibit healing of bones and tissues. Prescription opioids like codeine, oxycodone, and morphine can lead to addiction, chronic constipation, and respiratory distress. Other possible side effects of pain medications include respiratory depression, constipation, anxiety, and nausea. Taking pain medications just masks the symptoms of your problem, and may cause other problems at the same time. Get to the root of the problem: physical therapy can help you figure out why you are in pain and get you on the road to long-term healing and wellness.
The Natural Way: Physical Therapy and Exercise
Many people don’t like exercise, or the idea of exercise, but in reality exercise is one of the absolute best and most effective treatments out there for chronic pain. A physical therapist can help you start on an exercise journey safely, and with less pain. By participating in a physical therapy routine you will see just how effective exercise can be for all types of neuro-musculo-skeletal pain.
Physical therapy is a natural treatment for a variety of root causes of chronic pain, including:
- Chronic neck or back pain
- Chronic headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Osteoarthritis
- Neuropathic pain
- Disc degeneration disease
- Disc herniation
A physical therapist has a wide variety of treatment options to offer for pain. Physical therapy includes highly skilled manual therapy techniques, patient education on lifestyle recommendations, ergonomics, biomechanical movement assessment, neuromuscular reeducation, therapeutic activities and exercise, balance and gait training, return-to-sport training, electrical stimulation and ultrasound, and many other tools like cupping, kinesiology taping, instrument assisted soft-tissue massage, and dry needling. All of these treatments and modalities help reduce pain, reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and improve daily function.
From Diagnosis to Treatment: The Role of a Physical Therapist
Consulting with a physical therapist can reduce your recovery time. That’s because a physical therapist will treat your entire body by identifying the root cause of pain. A physical therapist will perform a comprehensive assessment to determine where your pain is coming from. They will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan that is designed to target the root cause of pain.
Physical therapy entails both active and passive treatment. Active physical therapy treatment may include highly skilled manual therapy, exercises, movement training, stretching, and balance and gait training. Passive therapy treatment may include modalities such as ultrasound, heat therapy, cold therapy and electrical stimulation. You can feel confident that a physical therapist will develop a treatment plan that is just for you and your needs.
If you are experiencing symptoms of pain, there may be an effective solution other than pain medication or surgery. Contact Carlson ProCare to learn how one of our licensed and skilled physical therapists can help you start a pain-free lifestyle today. Our goal is to get you back in the game, on the road to recovery, and to help you live life to its fullest.
