Chronic Pain
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Easier Chronic Pain Control
Are you struggling with persistent pain that's restricting your movements? Our physical therapy can offer relief, even if previous treatments haven't worked.
Pain isn't straightforward and can last long after an injury or illness, taking a toll on both body and mind. If it stretches beyond three months, it's labeled as 'chronic pain.' At Stride Physical Therapy in Freehold, NJ, we know how tough this can be. Rest assured, we've helped many patients overcome chronic pain.
Understanding the Origins of My Chronic Pain:
Chronic pain usually comes from a problem with how your nerves work. Ongoing injuries, sickness, stress, and depression are all linked together, making your nerves constantly overreact. This can show up as pain in your back, joints, nerves, or cause headaches. The main reasons for this include:
Accidents
Accidents, be they in cars, at work, or home, can cause lasting pain. OSHA found in 2016 that for every 100 workers, about 3 get injured on the job. Plus, a study in the journal Pain shows that after a car crash, 21% suffer ongoing pain. This pain won’t just disappear, but a physical therapist in Freehold, NJ, can help reduce it.
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FAQs
Overuse Injuries:
Overuse injuries are common from repetitive movements in daily activities. Incorrect posture, walking, working, or exercising can harm joints and muscles, leading to persistent pain. For instance, frequent heavy lifting at work without the right technique can cause ongoing back pain. Physical therapy teaches correct body movements to prevent such injuries.
Disease:
Chronic pain stems from conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, shingles, and diabetic neuropathy. Physical therapy can help ease this pain.
Surgery:
Surgery can be essential but recovery is tough, often leading to added pain from how we move differently to avoid the discomfort. Physical therapy aids in faster, less painful recovery and helps prevent long-term pain by correcting these movements.
Chronic vs. Acute Pain: Know the Key Differences?
Acute pain is short-term pain that fades by itself within hours to weeks. For instance, the discomfort from a slight ankle twist typically eases away in a few days.
Chronic pain is a persistent pain that lasts 3-6 months or more. People have different reasons for feeling pain, and it's the top cause for visiting doctors. It can reduce your quality of life by affecting your movement, leading to reliance on medications, or causing mental health issues. Stride Physical Therapy can help you avoid these problems.
Can I find relief for my chronic pain?
Physical therapy primarily aims to alleviate pain by treating its source, rather than just covering up symptoms with drugs.
In Freehold, NJ, our skilled physical therapists can expertly assess and treat your movement issues. They'll check your body for weaknesses, limited mobility, and any walking or standing irregularities, pinpointing the root causes of your pain.
After assessing your condition, our physical therapist will devise a personalized treatment plan. You'll experience comforting hands-on therapy to enhance muscle and joint mobility, technologies to reduce pain, and specific exercises to boost your strength. The plan includes in-office sessions and a home routine to keep you fit and moving. Ready to say goodbye to chronic pain?
Get in touch with Stride Physical Therapy in Freehold, NJ, and schedule your visit now.
Health Blog
A Physical Therapist’s Perspective on Chronic Back Pain
At Stride Physical Therapy, we see a lot of chronic low back pain and it’s something we know how to handle. Understanding what causes this pain and how you can prevent it is important to us, so we always make sure our patients and their families are well-informed. Remember, having chronic back pain doesn’t mean you have to accept it as a normal part of getting older. You can still experience less pain and enjoy improved mobility, regardless of how long your back has been bothering you. Book an appointment with Stride Physical Therapy to get a personalized consultation. Keep reading to uncover five key insights our physical therapy team has learned about chronic back pain.
1. Most People Will Experience Back Pain at Least Once
Research shows that the majority of people (up to 80%) will have at least one episode of back pain in their lifetime. While not everyone will suffer from long-lasting pain, many cases resolve within a few weeks without special medical care. However, underlying issues like inflexibility or poor body mechanics can persist, increasing the likelihood of recurring pain and injury. Consulting with a physical therapist early can help uncover and address these hidden factors, reducing the risk of conditions like muscle strains, joint misalignments, degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, and nerve impingement.
2. Most Risk Factors for Chronic Back Pain Are Preventable
Many back pain risk factors are preventable. This means reducing your risk of chronic pain and alleviating symptoms is largely within your control. Common preventable risk factors include:
Sedentary lifestyle
Excessive weight
Smoking
Poor posture
Physically demanding jobs that require frequent sitting, bending, twisting, heavy lifting, or exposure to vibration
Stress, anxiety, and depression
At Stride Physical Therapy, we take a holistic approach to treatment, addressing both physical and psychological factors to help you achieve long-term relief.
3. Exercise Often Improves Chronic Back Pain
Moving around with chronic back pain can be challenging, but participating in daily movement is crucial for pain management. Exercise keeps muscles and tissues strong, boosts circulation, reduces chronic inflammation, enhances mood, relieves stress, and helps maintain a healthy body weight. Activities like walking, cycling, and specific exercises to improve tissue healing, strength, flexibility, and endurance are proven effective. A physical therapist can help you develop a safe, effective, and enjoyable exercise program tailored to your needs and goals.
4. Surgery and Long-Term Medications Aren’t Always Necessary
Contrary to popular belief, conditions like herniated discs don’t always require surgery. Invasive procedures like spinal fusions are usually not the first option for chronic back pain. Research indicates that only about half of first-time back surgeries alleviate symptoms, and repeat surgeries have even lower success rates. Surgery also carries risks such as prolonged recovery time and post-operative complications.
Physical therapy is recognized as a first-line treatment for chronic back pain, often reducing the dependency on opioid medications. This makes physical therapy a safer, more cost-effective option.
5. Chronic Back Pain Can Improve Even Without Knowing the Exact Cause
Many cases of back pain are "idiopathic," meaning the exact cause is unknown. Imaging studies like MRIs often don’t correlate with a person’s symptoms. A physical therapist is trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat spinal conditions. Even if the exact cause is unclear, physical therapy can still provide relief by addressing symptoms and contributing factors like poor posture, decreased hip and shoulder range of motion, and weak core muscles.
Ready to Make Chronic Back Pain a Thing of the Past?
If you're ready to reclaim your active life and start living with less pain, contact Stride Physical Therapy today. Our team is dedicated to helping you achieve long-term relief and improved function.
