When a person experiences pain in their body, their natural reaction is to limit movement for fear of it making the pain worse.  Physical therapists, however, believe the opposite is true.  These experts in natural pain management say that the less you move, the more pain you will actually experience.

When pain manifests, physical therapy can be very effective at providing relief to the body and serving as a great alternative to surgery or other drastic treatments. Pain can easily travel to different parts of the body and gradually becomes worst if not treated at its onset.  If left untreated, it can create more damage than it would have otherwise, make it difficult to function properly, and possibly result in the need for more severe treatment. If treated right away, however, the issue can be addressed, usually without lingering effects, and the patient will not need to  undergo any further treatments.

Physical therapy is a natural treatment for body impairments that utilizes physical modalities. The methods used by physical therapists for pain relief guarantee safe and effective results and include natural procedures such as exercises, massages, stimulation, and heat and cold therapies.  These techniques enable patients to move their body despite the pain while it goes through the healing process. Physical therapy deals with the pain naturally by targeting the affected area and stimulating the natural healing process of the body. The exercises, massages, stimulation, and heat and cold therapies encourage the body to produce more of its natural pain-relieving chemicals to help eliminate the pain.

There are two types of physical therapy: active and passive.  Active physical therapy involves the patient moving during the therapy.  It usually includes a combination of several exercise, such as stretching, aerobic conditioning, pilates exercises, and strengthening exercises.  Passive physical therapy, on the other hand, does not require any movement from the patient. In fact, it is often important for them to not move in order for the therapy to work properly. Some of the procedures used in passive physical therapy are ultrasound, heat and cold therapy, massage and electrical stimulation.

Given the different types of physical therapy options that are available, it is important to work with a physical therapist who is willing and able to customize a physical therapy regimen that is tailored to your specific condition and needs.  A good physical therapy program will be able to relieve the pain and accelerate the healing process, so the person can move his or her body safely and more effectively than before.

-Dr Sid
Esprit Wellness
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