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Get Pain Relief with Physical Therapy

If you’re experiencing pain, your first instinct may be to stay immobile. You believe that if you don’t move, it won’t hurt. Yet physical therapy in the form of exercise can be key to recovering from many types of pain and injuries. Movement can increase blood flow to the injured area to promote healing. Exercise can also boost muscle strength and flexibility, which in turn can protect you from further or future injury.

Here are approaches and tools for incorporating physical therapy movement into your pain recovery plan.

Core Strengthening: An effective way of creating musculoskeletal support and alleviating shoulder, neck, and leg pain is to strengthen your core muscles, specifically the abdominal, transverse abdominal, internal oblique, and multifidus muscles. One set of core exercises involves lying on your back with your arms at a 45-degree angle and your hands face down. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor, bend one knee at a time, or raise your bent knee toward your chest. From the same position, you can also do leg lifts one at a time. Another set of core-strengthening exercises can be performed face down. Move to a position on your hands and knees, and then lift and extend backward one leg at a time. Next, as you extend one leg, also extend the opposite arms, bird dog style. Finally, hold your body in a plank-like position, resting your weight on your toes and your bent forearms.

Equipment at the Gym: When you’re having back pain, even the idea of going to the gym can be excruciating. But there are three types of equipment that can help keep you on track with your cardio goals without stressing your back. First, an elliptical machine’s handlebar and pedal alignment can strengthen back muscles, while its resistance can be adjusted to lessen back discomfort. Next, a recumbent bicycle with variable resistance helps strengthen your leg and core muscles to support your back. Finally, by mimicking the motion of standing up, a leg press can improve leg strength and thus decrease back strain.

Exercise Ball: If you have shoulder pain, an exercise ball – also known as a Swiss ball – can put you on the path to wellness. Sit on the ball with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Breathe in, and then exhale, letting your shoulders relax as you raise your arms until they’re parallel to the floor, palms down. Take another breath, and as you exhale, press down on the ball and elongate your spine. Let the stretch move through your shoulders and neck. On the next exhale, turn your palms upward as you move your chest out and lift your chin up.

There are many core-strengthening exercises that you can perform using a larger Swiss ball. Try lying on your back with your calves on the ball, and then bring your knees toward your hips. Or, put the ball between your legs and twist it so that your left leg is in front, then reverse, so that your left leg is in back. For an all-day workout, opt for an exercise ball “chair” to use at the office.

Aqua Therapy: For many who have shoulder, neck, and joint pain, physical therapy in the water brings welcome relief. Simply walking back and forth in a shallow pool can lessen the pressure on joints and help relieve sciatic nerve compression. Holding onto the side of the pool and doing a full body float (think of Superman flying) provides support while stretching muscles from head to toe. In the deep end, using your legs to jog, bicycle, or cross-country ski can help with hip pain and improve range of motion. Alternating 30-seconds of high-intensity movement followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight intervals delivers cardio that might be too painful to perform on land.

Of course, not every person – or every type of pain – responds to the same physical therapy approaches, tools, and techniques. It’s critical to be evaluated by and consult with a medical professional prior to beginning a physical therapy regimen. Unless otherwise directed, though, incorporating movement into your healing process will result in a quicker recovery.

Inland Pain Medicine:

View Comments (9)

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  • Jessie Holloway says:

    I love how you explain how physical therapy can help get more blood flow to the injured area through movement. I've been having issues with back pain recently and I'm not sure what I can do to help it. I'll have to look into finding a physical therapist I can go see to get help and know what exercises I can do to help my situation.

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  • My Premier Pain says:

    physical therapy can be an effective option for pain relief for those suffering from leg pain. Physical therapists can work with patients to develop personalized treatment plans that may include exercises, stretches, and other techniques to reduce pain and improve mobility. If you're experiencing leg pain, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for your individual needs. You can visit mypremierpain.com/conditions-we-treat/leg-pain for more information on leg pain and how physical therapy may be able to help.

  • Blood flow restriction training in Huntsville says:

    Great article! It's fantastic to see the emphasis on physical therapy as a means of pain relief. As someone who has struggled with chronic pain, I can attest to the effectiveness of physical therapy in improving my quality of life. I appreciate the thorough explanations of various physical therapy techniques and the reminder that it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. The tips on finding a qualified physical therapist and being an active participant in the therapy process are also invaluable. Overall, this article serves as an important reminder that physical therapy should be a first-line treatment for pain relief, rather than relying solely on medication.

  • Mia Evans says:

    I like that you talked about having core-strengthening exercises that would help you to have improvements in your well-being. In that case, it is best to see Genesys physical therapy services to help you be educated about the workout routines you can try as well. It will be able to ensure that you can recover from injuries as well when you have those kinds of issues.

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  • Hailey Miller says:

    Thanks for pointing out that movement can increase blood flow to the injured area to promote healing. My husband got a left knee injury while playing basketball last month. We are hoping to find a trained physical therapist on Monday who can improve his condition so he can go back to work.

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