When do you consult a physiotherapist? How does physiotherapy make you better? When would you say that physical therapy worked for you?
If your answers to all of these involve pain and relief of pain; then you aren’t wrong, but you also aren’t looking at the bigger picture!
Of course, getting rid of pain and being pain-free is one of the biggest outcomes of good physiotherapy. It is primarily why physical therapists see a lot of people with chronic pain; people who want to gain control over their pain and get back to their routines. People work patiently with their therapists for this one happy outcome!
Cut to the POV of a physical therapist- the changes we see in our clients are so much more than just pain relief… Therapists see people moving much better, coping with stressors much better, and literally becoming more confident people!!
Table of Contents
Top 5 Outcomes of Physiotherapy:
Here are the top 5 outcomes you can expect from physiotherapy, which are as significant as pain relief!
Optimized movement mechanics-
Exercises reduce pain by improving muscle stretch and flexibility. It specifically targets the injured muscle/tendon/ligament as well as other muscles working in coordination with the injured one. This improves the quality of all movements, makes them smoother and so much easier!
An amazing example is shoulder impingement exercises- a beautiful set of treatments that reduce pain and optimize movements of the shoulder, shoulder blade, and arm! Along with pain relief, you also get better at reaching the top shelf, reaching your back pocket, throwing a ball and you get to have a great chest workout routine!
Rehab also takes care of other physical abilities that the injury may have affected. For instance, ankle sprain physiotherapy exercises involve training for balance, coordination, and agility as well.
Improved mechanics of the body also means that you will be burning less energy on the same activities! The benefits of strength and conditioning are yours for a lifetime, only if you choose movement over pain, time and again!
Increased ability to self-manage
The saddest thing chronic pain does is to make you feel a loss of control. People report a significant impact on their confidence levels in managing simple activities through the pain.
A huge gain offered by physiotherapy is the confidence in handling a flare-up, reduced fear of causing damage, and feeling empowered to deal with the situation! People report feeling more in control. Physical therapy equips you with the best tools to self-manage pain! Education about certain movements that promote pain relief works wonders. You get to learn how your joint behaves and the best way to protect it.
Educating the client about the injury, its recovery and the necessary do’s and don’ts is the most important part of physiotherapy. This indirectly reflects upon the pain status as well.
Some other symptoms are as frustrating as pain, and cause a feeling of loss of control- the extreme dizziness felt by people with vertigo is one of them. Ironically, being unable to predict/control when vertigo occurs; is a big influencer bringing on the attack!
Benign postural vertigo exercises equip these people with simple strategies to self-manage! Patients report significant confidence in how they handle these dizziness episodes after rehab.
Reduced medication intake
The Indian analgesic market currently amounts to a staggering revenue of 1.12 billion US dollars. The key players include over-the-counter analgesics. A quick fix for most of the common aches; painkillers very easily become a habit! Getting rid of pain takes precedence even in the face of nasty side effects.
A happy ‘side effect’ of physiotherapy is a drastic reduction in intake of painkillers! Exercise provides the most effective pain relief- an under-explored pill indeed! Aerobic activity naturally releases your body’s opioids- a mix more potent than the strongest painkillers!
Improved sleep quality
A top internet search of a huge chunk of people is ‘How do you get better sleep?’. An ultimate expression of pain relief is getting a good night’s sleep! Sleep has a close-knit relationship with pain- it is both a cause and an effect of chronic pain. Choosing movement over pain breaks this bidirectional relationship!
People experience better quality of sleep as an indirect result of physical therapy. Chronic pain is a huge stressor for your body and so it is no wonder that targeted rehab produces good sleep! Daily physical activity can help you sleep better.
Regular moderate-intensity aerobic activities have been shown to improve sleep quality in middle-aged and older people. Disturbed, non-refreshing sleep is a common complaint in this age group and hence physical activity programs must be encouraged.
Management of disturbed sleep (which may/may not be associated with chronic pain) generally involves toxic therapies like opioids. Exercise is a much preferable natural alternative. Movement therapies like Yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi are great solutions for both pain and sleep issues!
Sense of well-being
The most significant yet understated outcome of any therapy is an improved sense of well-being! It is of course expressed in terms of being pain-free, but just the absence of pain would be a very small part of this benefit!
The right treatment makes a person feel reassured, calm, heard, and accepted! Moving through the pain and eventually without pain gives confidence in the body’s ability to handle tough situations. Physical therapy empowers clients with tools to manage another flare-up.
Physical activity is an amazing way to improve your mood! You may have definitely got rejuvenated after your favorite workout, felt refreshed after a great game with your buddies and experienced a sense of calm after a great Yoga session! That’s exercise getting your “happy hormones” to do their job!!
Conclusion
Current research in physical therapy is looking at ways to quantify these effects, as they are much better predictors of successful treatment.
It is said that measuring only the intensity of pain is like commenting only about how loud the music is… A closer look at the nuances of pain behavior, what causes it to recur, and what sustains it is needed
Sustainable rehab takes a look at all this and much more. It empowers and enables one to deal with pain efficiently. It makes the body resilient, and emphasizes its strengths over weakness hence resulting in better coping!
Clients considering physical therapy should look out for and demand these outcomes along with reducing pain. Expect yourselves to move seamlessly, without fear of pain or fear of damaging your body further. Choose movement over and over and your body will thank you for it!
Opt for physiotherapy, not just for getting rid of pain; but for many more long-lasting holistic benefits!
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