Every living being experiences pain, an unpleasant sensation signaling that something may be wrong. Pain can be described in various words, including aching, pinching, tingling, pricking, and stabbing.
Physiotherapists, Orillia, ON, are experts in utilizing a wide range of treatments and techniques to bring pain relief to patients. They are aware of the troubles and limitations caused by pain. They help patients to manage their pain and educate them with strategies for improving their quality of life.
Different Types of Pain
The five most common types of pain are acute pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain, and radicular pain.
Acute Pain – Pain that lasts from minutes or hours to three months is referred to as acute pain. This type of pain can result from a temporary illness. The pain goes away after the injury heals or the patient recovers from illness.
Chronic Pain – Pain that lasts for more than six months and continues over many months or years is described as chronic pain. Soft tissue injuries take several months to heal completely and thus result in chronic pain. The most common causes of chronic pain are arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Neuropathic Pain – Neuropathic pain occurs due to a damaged nervous system, and it feels like shooting, burning, or stabbing pain. It is usually a chronic condition that affects normal movement and makes it difficult to perform daily tasks with ease. This type of pain also impacts the sensitivity to touch.
Nociceptive Pain – This is a type of pain caused by an external injury that damages the body tissue, thus leading to sharp and throbbing pain. The pain is commonly experienced in the musculoskeletal system, including the joints, muscles, skin, tendons, and bone. It impacts daily life leading to limited movements.
Radicular Pain – Radicular pain occurs due to inflamed or compressed nerve roots, for example, sciatica. Sciatica is caused due to the irritation of the sciatic nerve that leads to numbness and pain radiating from the lower back to the back of the leg and the foot.
How Physiotherapists Treat Pain?
Physiotherapists play an essential role in helping their patients manage pain as they are experts who understand the limitations and dysfunctions caused by pain. They evaluate the patients’ conditions through various diagnostic methods and design a treatment plan to address the symptoms and improve the quality of life.
The following are the treatments preferred by physiotherapists, Orillia, ON, to help manage pain and promote recovery.
1) Therapeutic Exercises
Maintaining an exercise routine helps manage pain by increasing endurance, muscle strength, joint stability, and flexibility. Physiotherapists help patients by developing an exercise program based on their needs.
They recommend strengthening exercises like squats, pushups, and resistance band workouts to strengthen the core muscles and other body parts. They also suggest pain-relieving activities that are primarily focused on the area experiencing pain.
2) Heat/Cold Therapy
Heat therapy, carried out using heat packs or heated pads, increases blood circulation and relaxes the tensed muscles. Cold therapy, carried out using ice packs, reduces inflammation and swelling.
3) Electrical Stimulation
Physiotherapists, Orillia, ON, use electrical stimulation techniques to treat acute and chronic pain caused by a wide variety of conditions and injuries. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is the most preferred method of electrotherapy.
The TENS machine is a battery-powered device that sends electric impulses through the electrodes attached to the patients’ body. These electrical impulses stimulate the nerve cells to block pain signals transferred to the brain, thus changing the perception of pain. This method also increases the number of endorphins (the human body’s natural painkillers).
4) Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a method of inserting thin needles into particular points of the body to stimulate the flow of energy and relieve pain. This method effectively treats many conditions, including back pain, neck pain, and headaches. It also relieves stiffness, reduces inflammation, decreases muscle spasms, and promotes healing.
5) Manual Therapy
Chronic pain sufferers experience stiffened joints due to limited movements and activities. Physiotherapists prefer manual therapy, a hands-on approach to manipulate or mobilize the joints in order to decrease pain and increase joint mobility.
6) Massage Therapy
An injured area that experiences pain needs some relaxation, and that’s what massage therapy does. Physiotherapists apply varying degrees of pressure to manipulate the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This method relieves muscle tension, promotes relaxation, and decreases pain.
Final Thoughts
Pain is a frustrating problem that limits normal movement and impacts everyday activities. One may feel like resting for a long time when one suffers from pain. But that’s not the right way to treat pain. Physiotherapy effectively treats any type of pain you experience. Visit your physiotherapist to learn the best pain management options to relieve pain and promote recovery.