Chronic pain affects about 20% of the US population. That means about 50 million people are living with ongoing pain affecting their quality of life, job performance, financial stability, and so much more.
The opioid epidemic revealed how ill-equipped most medical professionals are in the face of pain. A pain reliever may address the symptoms, but it won’t make the pain go away. So in the years following the rise in opioid addictions, many people have turned to alternative medicine to find some form of pain relief.
Physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbalism — all of these alternatives uniquely influence pain. So keep reading to answer the question, “Can physical therapy help chronic pain?” as well as a few ways you can use it to find the root cause of your pain and start to heal.
What is Physical Therapy?
Often, doctors refer to physical therapy when a patient is recovering from surgery or dealing with chronic pain. So to the question, can physical therapy help chronic pain? The answer is a resounding YES!
What to Expect During Treatment
Why Physical Therapy is Unique
Picture someone with a broken foot. They will probably use crutches for the first few weeks to help them move around the house while the initial healing begins. But after their foot pain subsides, they may walk with a limp because of their boot’s size or the weakness of the muscles on their injured side.
A physical therapist understands body mechanics and sees how the body compensates. They’ll assess how you’re moving and identify ways to strengthen the muscles that have become imbalanced since your pain began.
Disrupt Pain Patterns
A Mix of Active and Passive
Each person’s treatment will differ depending on their unique pain patterns and movement ability. In most cases, the patient will need a combination of exercises to strengthen muscles and disrupt the pain patterns and passive therapy to decrease pain and improve mobility.
Exercises might include a mix of:
- Low-impact aerobic exercise
- Strengthening exercises
- Targeted exercises
- Stretches for recovery
Passive therapies might include a mix of:
- Dry needling
- Heat and ice
- Massage
- Pain Neuroscience Education
- Ultrasound
- Laser therapy
After the pain is lessened, you can start introducing more intense strengthening and stretching exercises that will stop the pain and keep it from returning in the future.
Treating Pain with Physical Therapy
In the meantime, use your Kailo Pain Patch to ease chronic pain so that you can you live your life. Kailo is designed to relieve pain in seconds, a recent clinical study showed that a majority of patients stop using medication when using Kailo for pain relief.
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo.
