Physical Therapy or Prescriptions for Pain Management?

Physical Therapy is often debated among people who suffer from chronic pain, do you find it difficult to get through your day-to-day tasks due to chronic pain? Do you experience anxiety when you run out of your prescription medication, as it’s the only way you can manage your symptoms?

Though people often turn to medication for pain relief, it does not solve the underlying cause of the problem.Physical therapy has been demonstrated as a reliable solution, however.

If you’re looking for a natural, effective, and safe way to relieve pain and restore mobility, look no further than physical therapy. Physical therapy can help you stay active and engaged in the things you love without fear of injury. If you’re struggling with acute or chronic pain, give our office a call today to learn how physical therapy can help get you back on the path to a drug-free lifestyle.

Over The Counter Meds Won’t Take The Pain Away Forever

When we experience pain, popping a pill is often the go-to solution. While some medications are utilized in conjunction with physical therapy for inflammation management, these pills only offer temporary relief and do nothing to fix the root cause of your pain.

Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin all come with various side effects with long term use. For instance, taking these medications on a regular basis can cause internal bleeding, and in some cases even kidney damage

Neither Will Opioids

While prescription opioids such as oxycodone, morphine, and codeine may offer relief, they come with a number of risks. According to the National Institute of Health: “Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor. However, because they can also produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they carry the risk of being misused.” Opioid painkillers are risky, even when prescribed and used as intended. When abused, they can lead to addiction, overdoses, and death.

Opioids often result in harsh side effects, including but not limited to respiratory problems, depression, anxiety, and nausea. Oftentimes when we rely on pain medication, we’re only masking the pain instead of fixing it. Not to mention that this reliance can cause new issues.

Here’s How Physical Therapy Can Help Instead

While some people find it therapeutic, others dread the thought of exercising. If you would rather lounge around all day and watch TV, physical therapy may sound like your idea of a nightmare. However, gentle, targeted exercise is only one component of a physical therapy program and is actually one of the most successful treatments for chronic pain.

A physical therapy routine can seem daunting, but it is actually a great way to improve chronic musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.

Physical therapy is a natural, non-invasive treatment option for a variety of root causes of chronic pain, including:

• Neuropathic pain
• Disc degeneration disease
• Disc herniation
• Chronic headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis

A physical therapist has many tools at their disposal to help ease your pain. These include massage therapy, manual therapy, movement therapy, cold laser therapy, and microcurrent stimulation. One common method that physical therapists often utilize is the manipulation of joints and bones. The goal of all these treatments is to reduce pain and inflammation while speeding up the healing process.

What Does A Physical Therapist Do?

By visiting a physical therapist, you may be able to cut your healing time down significantly. This is because PTs examine and treat the whole body to locate the foundation of pain rather than just where it is felt. Afterward, they develop a tailored plan specifically created to diminish or get rid of the original source of discomfort.

Different Kinds of Treatment For Different Conditions

At its core, physical therapy involves two types of treatments: passive and active. Passive treatment entails practices such as massage therapy, ultrasound, heat therapy, electric stimulation and cold therapy; while active treatment focuses on exercises, motions, stretching and aquatic therapies. Importantly though, each patient’s experience is unique – your physical therapist will work with you to develop a bespoke plan that meets your specific needs… helping you leave the initial consultation feeling confident about finding relief from pain (and getting back on track).

Make An Appointment Today

If you’re in pain, there is an effective solution other than pain meds or surgery. Use our easy-to-use the search tool and find a physical therapist who can help you choose PT over Pain Medications! You can find PT specialists in our directory by clicking here