“I was one who did not believe in Physical Therapy”, says Dean, who after suffering from a motorcycle accident in 2016 and 12 surgeries, tried pain medication but changed his opinion about Physical Therapy.

“Physical Therapy really works… If someone offered me pain medication today, I would not take it… It’s a crutch… Just do the Physical Therapy”, he said.

For millions of other Americans, pain is something they deal with every day. Whether it’s from a recent acute injury or surgery or a chronic condition, many turn to pain medications just to lead a normal life. This can lead to side effects or addiction. For Dean, it led to hallucinations.

Pain is a multifactorial symptom that is connected to psychological, neurological, sociological, and physiological factors. Physical Therapy can reduce pain more effectively than pain medication, without all the side effects that medication comes with. But how does it work better than medication?

The more we understand pain, the more effectively we can treat it. Because the cause of the pain may be coming from different factors, we have to make sure we can address as many as we can. Pain medication can only treat the neurological cause. It affects the neural pathways and changes how the brain senses pain. But what if the pain is due to a physiological/musculoskeletal problem? Faulty movement or positions can perseverate pain symptoms. There are sociological and psychological factors as well. Stress, fatigue, a bad diet, and your environment can increase the sensation of pain.

Using pain medication to cope with constant pain just to get through the day is no way to live. Not addressing all the causes of pain can lead to a vicious cycle where it never really goes away.

Exposure to chronic pain can change the central nervous system. It changes how your brain works. It is important to understand this process so that the treatment of pain can be effective and permanent.

Physical Therapy is about quality of life, making sure people can do the things they love to do without pain medications or surgery. Physical Therapists are specially trained to address all the factors that contribute to pain and they can refer out to other doctors when further treatment is warranted.

If you are suffering from chronic pain or are taking pain medications just to get through the day, contact PAR 5 Physical Therapy. We can help you break that cycle and improve your quality of life.

This video is produced by Net Health in support of APTA's #ChoosePT campaign, raising awareness about the risks of long-term opioid use and safe approaches to pain management.