Why Some Pain Can Be Expected With Physical Therapy

If you have recently started going to physical therapy and you've noticed it causes you pain, you may be thinking that can't be a good sign. However, physical therapy generally does come with some pain and the pain actually does have a purpose. If you're asking yourself if physical therapy can really be good for you when it hurts to do it, read the article below to understand the pain behind the therapy.

Physical therapy targets painful areas

Physical therapy targets the areas in your body that need strengthening due to weakness or injury. Therapy will help to strengthen the muscles around the affected area as well. This will help those nearby areas to offer support. Since the areas you will be focusing on in physical therapy are near your affected areas, pain can be expected. The pain you feel will be caused by both the irritation of the bothersome area and the increased usage of muscles.

The pain will decrease with time

The initial level of pain you feel once you first start physical therapy will taper off after your body gets used to working those muscles again and once the muscles begin to become stronger. Generally, it's the first few sessions you can expect to cause you the most discomfort.

Physical therapy can also offer some instant relief methods

When you go to physical therapy, it won't be all about exercising and leaving you in pain. The physical therapist will also have methods available to help relieve some of the pain and irritation. They may be able to give you a massage. Also, heat and cold packs are often used to help with inflammation.

Ultrasound is often used to relax tissue, increase blood flow and promote fast healing. Ultrasound works by creating waves through the vibration of crystals located in the tip of the ultrasound wand. These waves vibrate tissue in a way which causes deep heating without you feeling the heat on your skin. A TENS unit is another method for relieving pain. The TENS unit can relieve pain by sending small electrical pulses to your nerves.

Although you may experience pain in the beginning stages of your physical therapy, it is still an important part of the healing process. Once your body gets used to the exercises, it will hurt less. Eventually, you will see that the physical therapy (available from clinics like Coastal Orthopaedic) has helped you with regards to the injury or ailment you are being treated for.