Physical Therapy vs. Prescription Medication for Pain Management

If you suffer from chronic pain, getting relief from your pain is your top priority. Many people struggling with chronic pain lean on prescription medication for pain relief, but this usually only masks the symptoms of what is causing the pain. Thankfully, there is a modality that has been proven to work time and time again—physical therapy.

Physical therapy is a natural and effective way to relieve pain and restore mobility. If you are struggling with acute or chronic pain, learn how physical therapy from Impact Med Wesley Chapel can help you get back to living a pain-free and drug-free lifestyle!

Where Does Pain Come From?

When you are in pain, nerve signals are being sent from the brain telling you that something hurts. When you feel pain, your body sends natural opioids to help manage it, but if the pain is severe or chronic, your brain likely can’t produce enough opioids to keep up with the levels of pain that you are experiencing.

That’s where medication use often comes in. Prescription medication mimics your body’s natural opioids to help relieve your pain, but they don’t assist the body in healing. That is where physical therapy can be beneficial.

Pain Medication is a Short-Term Fix

While painkillers might seem like a good solution in the short term, they aren’t. They only bring relief for the short term and do nothing to treat the issue that is causing your pain.

Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen all have various side effects, which can cause damage to your body if taken over a long period. Not to mention prescription opioids like oxycodone, morphine, and codeine are often misused and can lead to dependence, addiction, and overdoses.

Relying on pain medication only masks your pain and symptoms in the short term but can also create debilitating and long-lasting side effects.

Physical Therapy for Pain Management

Physical therapists can treat patients that are suffering from all kinds of chronic neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. Physical therapy is a non-invasive modality that treats the root causes of chronic pain including:

Neuropathic pain
Disc degeneration disease
Disc herniation
Chronic headaches
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Scoliosis
Carpal tunnel syndrome
COPD
Cystic Fibrosis
Rotator cuff injuries
Cerebral palsy
TMJ
And many more!

Your physical therapist may vary your treatment plan with different techniques and modalities to ease your pain such as manual therapy, manual therapy, cold laser therapy, ultrasound, electric stimulation, movement therapy, stretching, and more!

Physical therapists often manipulate the joints and bones of the body to reduce pain and inflammation in the body which in turn speeds up the healing process.

Learn More> Hands-On Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Treats the Root Cause of Chronic Pain

Physical therapy is so successful because it treats the cause of the pain, and alleviates the pain completely, instead of just masking the issue. Yes, it is easier to pop a pill for pain relief, but their relief is short-lived, and may only last for a few hours.

Fortunately, physical therapy offers lasting relief. At your initial appointment, your physical therapist at Impact Med Wesley Chapel will perform a thorough evaluation to determine where the pain is coming from and to create the best treatment plan for you. Get ready for long-term lasting relief!

Manage Your Pain with Impact Med Wesley Chapel

Instead of turning to over-the-counter or prescription pain medication, call our team at Impact Med Wesley Chapel and give physical therapy a try! We can create a unique treatment plan to combat your chronic or acute pain at its source so you can experience long-lasting and profound relief.

What are you waiting for? Try physical therapy for pain management! Call Impact Med Wesley Chapel to schedule a consultation today—813-953-1002!