Many people experience more pain during colder months – especially joint and muscle pains in the knees, hips, and lower back. This is true, as the drop in barometric pressure due to temperature drops intensifies the pressure on nerves, which send pain signals to the brain.

Can something be done about this to alleviate intensifying pain during fall?

Yes, physical therapy can effectively assist in managing pain during colder months!

In this blog, we will give you some idea why Physical Therapy will help with pain management during fall and some tips on how to deal with it.

 

Why do people have chronic pain?

It is estimated that 116 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain has many causes, such as illness, injury, and arthritis. Some people even suffer from chronic pain without evidence of past injury or disease. Chronic pain leads to decreased activity levels, job loss, financial difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Chronic pain is experienced differently with each individual. The most common complaints include:

• It hurts everywhere.
• I experience pain but cannot remember an injury.
• The pain spread from place to place.
• I cannot do my normal activities.
• I feel sore and stiff after being in one position for a time

Most injuries that cause chronic joint pain result from injuries to tissues, bones, muscles, or tendons. The pain might recur after treatment in cold weather, and that is why a physical therapist is needed. Physical therapists are movement experts who treat pain and the cause of pain in various ways, helping pain management or elimination.

What do Physical Therapists do to help Pain Management?

Physical therapists are experts not only in treating pain but also its source.

The physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to determine the best treatment. That includes:

• Ask questions about previous illnesses, treatments or diseases.
• Determine the pain’s location, intensity, symptoms, and occurrence.
• Evaluate your daily activities.
• Perform tests and movements with you to determine your posture, flexibility, muscle strength, joint mobility, and movement.
• Observe how you use your body in everyday activities.
• Design a program to improve flexibility and move more efficiently with less discomfort.

Therapy included by Physical Therapist

Pain relief through physical therapy is based on the knowledge that all forces in the body affect each other. Treatment and therapy involve techniques like aquatic therapy, hands-on joint and soft tissue massage, functional movement therapy, active release therapy, joint mobilization therapy, and whatever is needed for personal healing and pain management.

The physical therapist will improve your knowledge and understanding of your pain, why it occurs, what to do when you experience it, and how to manage it. The training and education will help to improve better movement and posture. A physical therapist will give exercises like low-impact aerobics training, which people typically tend to do less often during fall, to help restore movement, rebuild strength, and eliminate the pain. They will give you exercises for the target areas where you often hurt to make everyday living easier and pain-free.

Studies have shown that physical therapy can be as effective as surgery for relieving chronic pain. It is, therefore, vital to seek the help of experienced physical therapists when you start experiencing seasonal pains in fall.

RGV Physical Therapy

Contact experienced therapists in RGV at one of our local clinics in McAllen, Mission, Weslaco, and Rio Grande City to get access to the best physical therapy equipment and treatment before we hit winter to help you manage your pain.