How Physical Therapy Can Help Alleviate Pain

Jul 10, 2023

Health & Wellness, Physical Therapy

Have you been struggling with pain? Do you want to find lasting relief? At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services, our physical therapists are highly trained in helping people with acute and chronic pain. We use the most advanced strategies to help you manage your pain and get back to the activities you have been avoiding due to the pain!

Pain affects people in different ways. We now know that pain is influenced by multiple factors, including physical, mental/emotional, and cultural differences. Symptoms can persist for weeks to years and become chronic and even debilitating for some.

Pain is one of the major factors responsible for limits in life or work activities. In addition, pain is one of the main reasons people seek medical care and is associated with decreased quality of life, drug/medication dependence, and poor mental health.

Our team at Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services understands the complexity of pain management and how to guide you to relief effectively. If you are suffering from pain and want to learn how to help, don’t hesitate to request an appointment today!

What is pain?

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. As physical therapists, we commonly deal with musculoskeletal pain, which is defined as pain that affects bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, or muscles. If musculoskeletal pain interferes with your usual activities, it is essential to have a physical therapist assess your situation sooner than later.

Pain is often divided into two main categories, acute and chronic.

Acute pain: This type of pain begins suddenly and is typically sharp in quality. Acute pain might be caused by many events or circumstances, including:

Surgical pain
Traumatic pain (i.e., broken bone and/or sprain/strains)

One of the primary roles of pain is to warn of disease or a threat to the body. The pure physiological aspect of pain is a warning and/or a clue about what the body is experiencing. The emotional and cultural influences affect pain intensity and quality/description.

Too often, we are influenced by just the intensity of the pain. But the duration of the pain is a more reliable indicator of the condition. For example, pain spikes and goes away immediately is the body’s way of saying, “pay attention to this.”

Too often, people wait far too long to seek help, hoping it will go away. But the normal healing cycle is typically completed in weeks, so pain that has persisted for months needs to be addressed. Whereas pain that increases and stays increased, especially for days or weeks, indicates injury and/or disease.

Chronic Pain: This type of pain lasts beyond the expected recovery period and/or occurs with a chronic health condition (i.e., fibromyalgia, arthritis, etc.). Although people often feel their pain is constant, most experience cyclical pain. Meaning the pain has hills and valleys.

One of the classic signs of chronic pain is the period of improvement becoming shorter, whereas the periods of severe pain become longer. Other factors often contribute to chronic pain, including:

Beliefs about the body and beliefs about pain play an influential role in behavioral and emotional responses to musculoskeletal pain. In other words, what a person believes and how they respond to pain can influence how long they have pain and how disabled they will be.

People with depression and anxiety experience the most significant pain severity and pain-related disability. In addition, mental health impairments also lead to longer durations of pain and a poorer overall quality of life.

Sleep also plays a significant role in the development of chronic pain. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know if pain affects sleep or if lack of sleep affects pain. In all likelihood, it is a combination of both factors influencing the other.

What to expect at your physical therapy sessions

At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services, our team of physical therapists understands how important it is to address the totality of the individual. Although pain is a physical phenomenon, it is also influenced by mental/emotional, social, and cultural factors, and neglecting any particular aspect may affect the severity and duration of pain.

Your initial evaluation will consist of a thorough history and physical examination to determine all the factors contributing to your condition and experience of pain. We will devise a plan incorporating the physical, psychological, emotional, and social or occupational factors for optimal healing and pain relief.

Our team will use proven techniques, including targeted manual therapy, exercises (including aerobic exercises), and any modality that can help alleviate pain. In addition, our team is trained to use psychological techniques in conjunction with our therapeutic exercises to ensure the resolution and management of pain.

No matter the nature of your condition, our Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services team can help!

Request an appointment today!

At Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services, our physical therapists understand the multitude of factors that contribute to the experience of pain and, more importantly, the resolution of pain. Call today to learn how we can help you feel good again!

(661) 284-1984 Location. Please select an option below for us to best direct your call.

How Physical Therapy Can Help Alleviate Pain