Pain Management
Pain Management
Physical therapy is often one of the best choices you can make when you have long-term pain (also called chronic pain) or an injury. It can make you stronger and help you move and feel better.
You'll probably need a series of visits, and you should practice some of the exercises at home for the best results.
Physical therapists are experts not only in treating pain, but also its source. Yours will look for areas of weakness or stiffness that may be adding stress to the places that hurt. And they will treat those areas with certain exercises to ease pain and help you move better.
In a physical therapy session, you may do a mix of:
Low-impact aerobic therapy. These workouts will rev up your heart rate and still take it easy on your joints. For instance, you might walk fast or use a stationary bike to warm up, instead of running, before you do your strengthening exercises.
Strengthening therapy. You might use machines at your physical therapist’s office, resistance bands, or your own body weight (think lunges, squats, and pushups). You may work on your core muscles (belly, glutes, and back), as well as other parts of your body.
Pain relief therapy. These moves target areas where you have pain, so you're stronger and more flexible -- which should make it easier to live your life.
