Approximately 50 million adults in the United States experience chronic pain. As medical professionals turn away from prescribing drugs to combat consistent pain, physical therapy has been a viable option for pain management. Through a combination of hands-on techniques such as manual therapy, massages, and acupuncture, patients have seen improvements in mobility.
The aim of Southwest Chiropractic in El Paso is to provide thorough education and resources for our patients and natural solutions for pain relief. Contact us online or call (915) 581-9619 to book an appointment for our West El Paso location or (915) 860-2233 for our East location.
What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is a condition where pain exists for longer than 12 weeks, negatively affecting an individual’s quality of life and ability to complete daily tasks. Unlike minor pains, like a cut or a bruise, chronic pain can exist even after an injury has fully healed—and in some cases, without cause. This condition can live in any part of the body, making it difficult to walk, work, or maintain a social life. It is found that individuals living with untreated chronic pain can develop anxiety, depression, and difficulty sleeping over time.
Causes of Chronic Pain
There is no one cause of chronic pain. Though, some cases of this condition can be directed back to a root cause. For instance, people suffering from ongoing illnesses such as arthritis or cancer or someone who has experienced an injury can develop chronic pain from these experiences. However, as mentioned previously, it’s not uncommon for people to have chronic pain without a clear cause.
Treatment Options
Individuals with chronic pain used to be treated with medications such as opioid prescriptions. However, following the opioid epidemic, medical professionals have chosen new methods and techniques to treat chronic pain to limit dependency and addiction.
As a first line of defense, chronic pain is treated through physical therapy, exercise, massage, over-the-counter pain medication, and acupuncture.
How Physical Therapy Can Provide Relief
At Southwest Chiropractic, we treat chronic pain with a personalized treatment plan that fits your specific needs. Everyone experiences pain differently, so it’s important to have an individualized plan that caters to you. A plan can include several techniques, such as spinal adjustments, therapies, and prescribed exercises to improve mobility and function.
Physical therapy treatments can include dry needling to address muscle knots and trigger points, massages to improve blood flow, as well as manual therapy to learn how to move without pain while engaging in movement or sitting.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
The goal is always to educate patients to help them learn how to prevent and manage their pain. This includes learning how to identify triggers and understanding why pain occurs the way it does through one-on-one appointments. With this knowledge, a chiropractor can help strength-related muscle groups to help patients work on their endurance and range of motion.
Manage Chronic Pain with Southwest Chiropractic!
At Southwest Chiropractic, we believe living with chronic pain doesn’t have to be your reality. Treatment options are available to you with the benefit and ease of same-day appointments. Contact us online or call (915) 581-9619 for our West El Paso location or (915) 860-2233 for our East location to learn more.
