Chronic Pain Physiotherapy Grande Prairie

Chronic Pain Physiotherapy Grande Prairie

Chronic Pain Physiotherapy Grande Prairie

Chronic pain is the most common reason for seeking medical care. It is also the most common reason why people choose our physical therapy practice for help. If you are considering physical therapy for pain, this information can help.

Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Pain

Acute pain is pain lasting for 12 weeks or less. Acute pain is common with tissue damage that may occur with a ligament sprain, a muscle or tendon strain, inflammation within a joint, or a tear of a muscle, tendon, or meniscus.

Subacute pain is pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months. Subacute pain is common with more complex conditions where there is prolonged healing (joint replacements and the pain associated with the recovery after surgery).

Chronic pain is pain lasting for more than 6 months. While the body’s musculoskeletal tissues may heal from an initial injury or degenerative change, pain may persist for months past the tissue healing process. Nearly 50 million American adults have significant chronic pain or severe pain, according to a new study prepared by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). 

IMPORTANT: Within 6 months, almost all tissue damage completely heals. But rare cases of diabetes may limit the healing process; however, in almost all cases, tissue healing will occur within 6 months.

What is Pain? 

Pain is an Output, not an Input.

Pain is the combination of numerous factors that result in a conscious experience that demands your attention. In other words, pain is NOT damaged tissue stimulating pain nerves, which send pain signals through pain nerves up to your brain. There’s much more to it. The good news is that there are lots of ways to positively impact your pain.

Physical therapists who are trained to help patients with chronic pain can help you understand these factors and improve, even get rid of, your pain.

Here are some of the factors that contribute to your perception of pain:

The Principles of Chronic Pain Treatment

New ideas studied by pain scientists suggest that there are four basic components to the successful treatment of pain.

  1. Pain educationPain neuroscience education (PNE) or therapeutic neuroscience education (TNE) helps patients understand that pain is an output from the brain; it’s complex and not just in your head.
  2. Exercise Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that paced & graded exercise can have an extremely positive impact on pain.
  3. Sleep Health Addressing sleep issues can also decrease pain
  4. Goal Setting It took months, even years, for your body and brain to experience the chronic pain. Setting specific, reasonable, and progressive goals is part of a successful chronic pain treatment program.

We’ve Only Scratched the Surface of All theTreatments Our Therapists Can Provide!

If you have chronic pain, we encourage you to set up an appointment with one of our physical therapists. We will take a thorough health history, perform a physical exam, create a custom program for you and help put you back on the road to recovery.
Chronic Pain Physiotherapy Grande Prairie | Junction

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Schedule your appointment with Junction Point Physical Therapy Clinic today.