6 Things You Need To Know About Pain

20 Oct 6 Things You Need To Know About Pain

Pain is the most common reason people will seek help from a physical therapist or other health care professional. Finding an effective way to manage pain is important, especially for those who suffer from chronic pain that lasts for months.  Unfortunately, people spend more every year treating pain then they do treating cancer or heart disease. Understanding it is just the first step toward finding a solution. Here are six facts about pain that you need to know.

It’s your brain’s fault.

We used to believe pain originated in body tissue that was damaged. Now we know that pain does not exist until the brain determines it does. Have you ever heard of a phantom limb? A Phantom limb refers to the sensation an amputee feels in a limb that is no longer there! Researchers suggest this occurs is because the brain doesn’t recognize that the limb is gone, so an amputee can still feel pain in a limb even though it’s not there!

“Tis but a scratch.”

The degree of pain felt does not equal the severity of the injury. People experience pain in individual ways. Some may experience major injuries with little to no pain. Others may experience minor injuries with excruciating pain. Because pain is a subjective sensation, it can be difficult to measure a person’s pain response or determine someone’s pain threshold.

Stress is a pain.

Your social environment can determine how bad you perceive pain to be. Psychological factors such as depression and anxiety can make pain worse. Because it originates in the brain and not in the tissue, any situation the brain deems as unsafe can generate pain messages. That means it’s possible that your knee pain isn’t from sitting in the car, but from the stress of the traffic jam.

Mind over matter.

Understanding pain through education may reduce the need to care for it. One study done with military personnel had some of them take a 45 minute education session about pain. The study showed that those who were given the education session were less likely than their comrades to seek care for lower back pain. Of course learning about pain is not all it takes to relieve it, but understanding your pain is the first step to treating it.

It’s not all in your head.  

Pain is a complex problem involving both the mind and the body. Some people feel tempted to  “grin and bear it” perhaps out of fear of looking weak or fear of expensive treatments. Putting up with chronic pain can  impair your  ability to function and your quality of life! It can also lead to depression, fatigue, loss of sleep, anxiety, inability to work, and impaired relationships.

You don’t have to live with pain.

Every year millions of Americans seek relief from pain and many are prescribed highly addictive pain medications. When it comes to managing your pain you have a choice. You can choose to treat your pain with the help of a physical therapist. Physical therapists treat pain with movement and exercise. There’s no prescription needed and no dangerous side effects to worry about!

So, after reading these facts about pain, are you interested in physical therapy for pain? We can help you develop a treatment plan to address your pain. Because every patient’s situation is different, your treatment plan will be tailored to you and your goals. Call us at  (662) 282-4949 to schedule an appointment and learn more!