Chronic pain develops after a period of time when pain fails to go away, usually chronic pain is described as pain that does not go away for three months. This is estimated to affect 28 million adults within the UK.
For many chronic pain can have a detrimental effect on their everyday life; it impacts sleep, work, leisure activites, home life and family life.
Physiotherapists play an important role in the management of chronic pain as our profession allows us to understand the limitations that lead from this pain. By working closely with a physiotherapist, we can understand the pain and find the right treatment to improve the quality of life.
Achievable goals are usually set with the patient that also suits their lifestyle as well as takes into consideration the condition of the patient and well being in order to progress on the road to recovery.
What can a physiotherapist do?
Physiotherapists can offer a range of treatments to help the patient start their journey to recovery, these are:
Educate the patient by increasing the knowledge and understanding of chronic pain to help manage the condition.
Prescribing exercises that are pain free or pain reducing in order to get the patient to become or help to become mobile again. Exercise programmes can be created with a graded approach to exercise based on the individual needs.
Manual therapy
Soft tissue treatments such as massage or trigger point therapy to reduce pain.
Acupuncture
Hot & cold therapy treatment
With a combination of these treatments patients can begin to control their chronic pain and resume everyday life.
Struggling with chronic pain? Why not get in touch with us to see how we can help you!