Do you have chronic pain that never seems to go away and makes your day-to-day life miserable? Do you have a chronic condition or illness that makes it difficult for you to live a comfortable life? If this is the case, you are not alone in your quest for relief.
Discomfort does not always go away on its own. Under certain underlying conditions, pain can last for days, weeks, or even months.
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts three months or longer. If you’ve been dealing with pain that you can’t seem to get rid of, don’t hesitate to contact our Wilmington physical therapy office today. At Lumina Wellness & Physical Therapy, we may have the answer you’ve been looking for!
Our cutting-edge care strategies at Lumina Wellness Physical Therapy will provide you with fast relief. We’ll devise a treatment plan to address your chronic pain in the most effective way possible, without the use of unnecessary drugs.
Chronic pain, defined
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts for 3-6 months or longer. People can experience chronic pain for a variety of reasons. Seeking medical attention is the most responsible way to treat it.
Acute pain is defined as pain that goes away on its own after a few hours, days, or weeks. A mild ankle sprain, for example, is considered acute because the pain usually goes away within a few days.
Acute and chronic pain can harm your quality of life. It limits your mobility, increases your reliance on prescription drugs, or even causes anxiety and depression. All of this, however, can be avoided with the help of physical therapy.
Common causes of chronic pain
Chronic injury, diabetes, anxiety, and feeling depressed can work together and cause your neurological system to be on high alert constantly.
Chronic pain can show its ugly head in the form of back pain, joint pain, nerve pain, or headaches. Many chronic pain conditions arise from a neurophysiological context.
It often happens because of one of the following causes:
Disease
Certain diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, shingles, neuropathy as a result of diabetes, can lead to chronic pain.
These kinds of diseases may cause pain that can be alleviated or even eliminated through physical therapy.
Surgical Procedures
Surgical treatment can be necessary to correct a structural problem, however, after surgery, you may find yourself having to compensate for the discomfort you feel in your movements.
Often, surgical operations are inevitable. Although they might be important to relieve some problems you face, the duration of rehabilitation may be just as painful.
Weeks, months, or even years of compensatory movement often cause additional pain after surgery if the movement is not corrected. Physical therapy offers post-surgical rehabilitation services that can help speed up recovery time, relieve pain, and reduce the risk of chronic pain in the future.
Pre-rehab, or “pre-hab,” as it has been called, is also a rehabilitation choice that has been shown to improve the outcome of surgery.
Prehab includes seeing a physical therapist before you ever have a surgical operation. It can boost the recovery outcome and accelerate the recovery process as a whole.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries are very common and can occur in any part of the body that is used repeatedly in your everyday life.
For example, the way you stand, move, work, and exercise will take a toll on your body. If you are not using proper strategies, this results in overuse accidents.
This can result in damage to your joints and muscles, thus causing chronic pain. For example, if you perform heavy lifting at work many times a day, with improper techniques, this can lead to chronic back pain.
Physical therapy can help you learn how to maneuver your body correctly in your daily life to prevent overuse of injuries.
Workplace Injuries
Any accident or injury that you have can lead to chronic pain, whether in the car, the workplace or even in your own home.
According to the 2016 OSHA figures, about 2.9 out of every 100 workers are injured in the workplace.
Also, a report published in the Pain newspaper showed that 21% of people involved in motor vehicle incidents experienced widespread chronic pain in the weeks following their accident.
Chronic pain does not go away on its own, but it can with the help of a Lumina Wellness Physical Therapy physical therapist!
What can a physical therapist do for my chronic pain?
Physical therapy can mean the difference between continuing to live through pain or maintaining control over your life!
If your condition limits your ability to function, our Wilmington, NC physical therapists will determine the best course of treatment for you. One of the primary goals of physical therapy is pain management and treating the underlying cause of the problem, rather than masking symptoms with drugs.
Our physical tests at Lumina Wellness Physical Therapy are used to assess weak and vulnerable parts of the body, focusing on positions with limited range of motion and identifying any imbalances in gait or balance. All of these tests assist our therapists in determining the underlying causes of your chronic pain.
After the assessment, a physical therapist will create a recovery plan that is specific to your needs. Your treatment plan will include both in-clinic and at-home therapy to ensure that you remain safe while receiving treatment.
Advanced, calming manual therapy methods will also be used to help restore soft tissue and joint mobility. Your physical therapist will also prescribe pain-relieving procedures and gentle targeted exercises to improve strength.
With our dedicated and caring team, there is no reason to be afraid of physical therapy! So, what’s holding you back from pursuing recovery when you have so much to gain?
Ready to live a pain-free life?
Our Wilmington, NC physical therapists are highly trained movement professionals, capable of identifying physical issues and addressing the underlying physiological causes of these issues.
Are you ready to reclaim your life? If so, make an appointment with Lumina Wellness Physical Therapy right away. We can assist you in overcoming chronic pain so that you can resume living your life comfortably!