Managing Your Pain Without Surgery
- Posted on: Feb 26 2019
No one wants to deal with pain, especially not long-term chronic pain. But sometimes it may seem like the options—drugs or surgery—simply aren’t any better. Who wants to take medications for the rest of their life, especially if those medications have horrible side effects? Surgery can also be risky. Fortunately, there are some pain management techniques that do not require either.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help you stretch and relax your muscles, reducing pain and giving you greater mobility. Physical therapy is generally directed by a professional, at least at first, so that you what exercises to do and how often to do them. This is necessary because if you don’t perform the exercises just right, you may hurt yourself further. Some physical therapy may require weights or other additional equipment or may be done in the water.
Massage
Massaging injured muscles can also help relieve the pain and improve your range of motion. There are various types of massage that can help with different pain. Deep tissue massage may be needed for severe pain, while more gentle options may help others. According to studies, massage can actually help decrease your pain for months.
Alternating Hot and Cold Treatment
Another type of treatment you may make use of is to alternate hot and cold options. This involved using a heating pad to help with inflammation and then an ice pack to reduce swelling. Sometimes you alternate heat and cold, while other times, one or the other may be more beneficial. It all depends on the type of pain you’re dealing with.
Acupuncture
Another option is to try acupuncture. This traditional Chinese treatment can actually be very helpful when dealing with chronic pain. While the idea of having small needles stuck in your body may sound like it would cause more pain than it would cure, acupuncture is surprisingly effective.
A Combination of Treatments
Often, what really works for a patient is a combination of different treatments. Physical therapy when combined with cold treatment, for example, may be the key to managing your pain. For others, it may be massage and hot treatment. It often depends on your specific type of pain, where that pain is located, and its underlying cause.
Need help managing pain without surgery or medication? Contact Maximum Orthopedics today.
Posted in: Blog, Work Injuries