Chronic Pain Treatments
Chronic pain is a condition that affects a large number of people in Malaysia. It can be caused by many factors like injury, diseases, and old age.
Chronic pain is a widespread issue, affecting many people in Malaysia. The condition can last for weeks, months or even years. It can occur in any part of the body, including the muscles, bones, joints, and skin. It also affects people in different ways and can be debilitating to the individual’s life. Chronic pain often leads to a lack of activity, which can lead to depression, anxiety and trouble sleeping.
What’s the difference between chronic pain and other pain?
Chronic pain is different from acute or short-term pain in that it is persistent and can last for months or years. It continues long after you recover from an injury or illness. And the pain can be there all the time or it may come and go. Sometimes it can even begin without any obvious cause.
Where do people have chronic pain?
Chronic pain can have a variety of forms and appear across your body. Common types of chronic pain include:
- Past injuries or surgeries
- Arthritis, or joint pain
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches, including migraines
- Muscle pain all over (such as with fibromyalgia)
- Neurogenic pain, from damage to the nerves or other parts of the nervous system
What to expect from our physical therapy?
When you first visit our physical therapy clinic for chronic pain, you will have your first session, which will be an initial evaluation. During the session, you can discuss your condition with your physiotherapist.
Your physiotherapist will ask questions about what you are feeling and how your pain behaves to provide the best possible pain management plan for you.
Your physiotherapist might also do a review of your overall medical history and will perform various tests and measures to get a sense of any impairments that may be contributing to your pain, including:
- Range of motion
- Posture
- Strength
- Balance
- Endurance
Some of these tests can help you to decrease pain and some that can help you increase it. You should tell your physiotherapist how you are feeling and what changes in sensations you notice. Your physiotherapist will be able to adjust your treatment plan according to these changes.
Once your evaluation is complete, your physiotherapist should work with you to develop realistic and attainable goals for your rehabilitation. The goal of rehabilitation may include pain relief, extended range of motion, increased strength and improved functional mobility. It is also important that your goals are personal and should give you a road map to follow during your rehabilitation program. Finally, your treatment can begin.
Physical therapy for chronic pain
When you attend physical therapy for chronic pain, you may experience various treatments that may be used to reduce pain, improve your mobility, and help you fully function. Common treatments used by our physiotherapists for chronic pain patients include:
- Exercise
- Massage
- Ice
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Each of these treatments is designed to achieve a specific goal. It is important that you discuss with your physiotherapist before you decide on which treatment will work best for you.