5 PHYSICAL THERAPY MODALITIES FOR PAIN TREATMENT
In Physical therapy we deal a lot with pain. Pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Pain is cited as the most common reason Americans access the health care system. Pain is a leading cause of disability and it is a major contributor to health care costs. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 76.2 million, one in every four Americans, have suffered from pain that lasts longer than 24 hours and millions more suffer from acute pain. Chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability. That’s a lot of statistics, but I wanted to make it clear how prevalent a problem pain is with our patients and community. And with a far-reaching problem, there needs to be far-reaching solutions that address the myriad sources of pain, from chronic illness to injury. Physical therapy is a viable solution for most people because the goal is always a return to function in addition to pain management or pain cessation.
