Patient Information & Education  

Try Physical Therapy First
08-27-2007
In light of the proposed sterner warning labels for over-the-counter pain relievers and arthritis medicines, patients may wish to consider the physical therapy intervention for pain relief from certain conditions. Pain medication may help you get through periods of severe pain, but it won’t always help you eliminate the underlying cause of some kinds of pain. For many individuals, it is the underlying causes such as poor posture and alignment, weak and inflexible muscles or tight joint structures that actually exacerbate the painful condition. A physical therapist will perform a complete musculoskeletal examination and design an individual treatment program to reduce pain and improve function.

There are many types of pain and inflammation that can be reduced by physical therapy intervention. For example, chronic pain in the back, shoulder knee or pain associated with certain degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis can be reduced with the appropriate combination of medication and exercise. The physical therapist in collaboration with the patient and the patient’s physician can help the patient manage his or her health over the long term.

For pain of a mechanical origin, such as back shoulder or knee pain, physical therapist intervention may include therapeutic exercise, manual therapy and functional training. The goal of the physical therapist is to reduce pain, improve the ability to perform daily activities and help the patient return to doing things that he or she likes to do. It is also true that patients may unknowingly contribute to their own pain, such as exercising improperly or with poor posture, and a physical therapist can identify and help correct those behaviors. Through the use of home programs designed to fit the patient’s needs, the physical therapist can efficiently progress the patient’s rehabilitation and teach the patient how to prevent a reoccurrence of the original condition.

An article cited in the Wall Street Journal, January 12, 2007, placed physical therapy in front of other medical procedures for low back pain. In conjunction with their family physician, patients with uncomplicated back pain were seen by a physical therapist first, usually with improvement, less cost and frustration to the patient. In many cases, expensive radiologist tests and other expensive procedures were not wasted. The article cited good outcomes for the patients with back pain, improved patient satisfaction and less of a burden on the medical system due to reduced costs.

Pain changes how you look at life, but seeing a physical therapist can put your world back into perspective. For more information about seeing a physical therapist, call Western New York Physical & Occupational Therapy (684-0400), with 9 conveniently located offices around WNY, or visit www.wnyptot.com.