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Physical Therapy: The Natural Alternative to Drugs

Does the prospect of taking painkilling drugs for the rest of your life fill you with concern? If it doesn’t, then it should — especially if the drugs in question are opioids. Many chronic pain sufferers who can’t get the relief they need from NSAIDs or steroids feel that they have no choice but to turn to the more powerful opioid drugs. Unfortunately, opioids can present some major problems, from mind-addling intoxication to addiction and the possibility of a fatal overdose. That’s why you should consider the natural pain-relieving power of physical therapy as a safer, more beneficial alternative. Here are three ways that our physical therapist can use this form of care to keep your pain at bay.

A herniated disc refers to an issue with one of the rubbery cushions that are in between the vertebrae. A spinal disc has a soft jellylike interior with a tougher exterior.

Long-term opioid consumption is not a good strategy for managing chronic pain. In addition to the risk of addiction, opioids simply alleviate the symptoms (pain) of a larger problem. For very real, measurable improvement over chronic pain, physical therapy has been proven to be a much better option than opioids or other pharmaceutical painkillers. If you are considering opioids for pain relief but would like to explore other options first, contact our office to talk with a physical therapist.

A Message of Hope for Chronic Back Pain Sufferers

Do you feel as if your chronic back pain has locked you out of your own life? This nagging, excruciating symptom can stem from a variety of underlying causes, in some cases growing progressively worse from day to day until you can hardly move at all. Even with these awful limitations, however, you may be understandably wary of subjecting your back to the risks of major surgery. The good news is that you may not need to go to such extremes, thanks to physical therapy. A skilled physical therapist can often identify the source of your pain, developing a personalized treatment program that doesn’t involve drugs or surgery in any way.

Imagine waking up, fully rested after 8 hours of sleep. As you gently wake, you move to sit up… only to be hit with an ache in your back. The aches in your shoulders and neck quickly follow as you move, but as you go to stand up, they are eclipsed by the dull ache in your hips and legs. How can you feel so terrible after a full night’s sleep? Your mattress may be to blame. Don’t believe us? Contact our office for a free consultation with our physical therapist and find out how your mattress impacts your morning aches and pains.

If you work with a physical therapist to help manage a chronic pain condition, you will probably receive some nutritional advice as part of the process. Physical therapists are not nutritionists, but providing nutritional advice to patients is well within the scope of a physical therapist’s duties. For some chronic conditions, dietary changes can make the biggest difference in reducing or eliminating pain. If you’d like more information on how nutrition and physical therapy go hand-in-hand, give our office a call.

Hip and knee pain are some of the most common types of pain people deal with – they are some of the top pains listed on the Centers for Disease Control surveys of adults reporting joint pain. So if you are struggling with hip and knee pain, you are definitely not alone. Whether your knee hurts, your hip hurts, or you are struggling with pain in both joints, you are well aware of the fact that such pain can make it much harder to live the life you prefer. Fortunately, physical therapy can do a lot to alleviate that pain.

Do you have chronic pain? If so, you’re in the company of at least 20% of the United States population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At our physical therapy clinic, we work with people every day who are dealing with the physical and mental effects of chronic pain caused by conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. So, if your joints are achy and stiff, we invite you to consider working with a physical therapist in the New Year.

Don’t Just Get That Regular Exercise — Do Your Post-Workout Stretches, Too!

There’s no doubt about it: American aren’t getting enough physical activity. Healthy adults should be making a point of getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. If you already know that you need to be more active, you may be preparing a regular exercise regimen of your own. That’s a great start, but don’t forget to finish correctly. A few minutes of gentle “cool-down” exercises such as stretches can make the difference in how well your body responds to your new routine. Here are three reasons not to skip this critical coda to your workout.