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How physiotherapists can help Many people experience more pain during colder months – especially joint and muscle pains in the knee, hip and lower back. This is true, as the drop in barometric pressure due to temperature drops intensifies the pressure on nerves, which send pain signals to the brain.  Can something be done about this to alleviate intensifying pain during winter?  Yes, physical therapy can effectively assist in managing pain during colder months!  In this blog, we will give you some idea why Physical Therapy will help with pain management during fall and some tips on how to deal with it.  Why do people have chronic pain?  Chronic pain has many causes, such as illness, injury, and arthritis. Some people even suffer from chronic pain without evidence of past injury or disease. Chronic pain leads to decreased activity levels, job loss, financial difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Chronic pain is experienced differently with each individual. The most common complaints include:  Most injuries that cause chronic joint pain result from injuries to tissues, bones, muscles, or tendons. The pain might recur after treatment in cold weather, and that is why a physical therapist is needed. Physical therapists are movement experts who treat pain and the cause of pain in various ways, helping pain management or elimination.  What do Physical Therapists do to help Pain Management?  Physical therapists are experts not only in treating pain but also its source.  The physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to determine the best treatment. That includes:  Therapy included by Physical Therapist  Treatment and therapy involve technique like hands-on joint and soft tissue massage, functional movement therapy (FMT), active release therapy, joint mobilization therapy, and strength Training.  The physical therapist will improve your knowledge and understanding of your pain, why it occurs, what to do when you experience it, and how to manage it. The training and education will help to improve better movement and posture. A physical therapist will give exercises like low-impact aerobics training, which people typically tend to do less often during cold weather, to help restore movement, rebuild strength, and eliminate the pain. They will give you exercises for the target areas where you often hurt to make everyday living easier and pain-free.  

The plain truth about rehab if you dare to read it: It’s really hard! (For you, your therapist, and everyone who cares about you.) Hurt does not always mean harm. You will need to make actual changes. These changes may involve modifying your activities and/or taking steps to improve your general health. Your beliefs will be challenged. This process can be uncomfortable but you will learn a lot. You will make mistakes. Its totally normal, but learn from them. Your health provider is not perfect. We’re human. Your progress will not be linear. There will be ups & downs in the process. Failures will happen. You will get frustrated. You will have doubts. Trust the process, yourself & your therapist. There is no magical quick fix. Passive approaches to rehab are not the solution. Gimmicky products are not the solution. Be wary of anyone who promises instant results and cure-alls for everything & everyone. You need to be empowered to control your own journey. Structural changes on scans often won’t totally explain your pain. (Nor do you need to change them to change pain). Multi-disciplinary care approaches will almost always trump singular care approaches. Pain may not be the first thing to change. Rehab isn’t just about improving pain – it’s about improving quality of life and well-being. Your pain is always multifactorial. No, you’re not making anything up. Nobody has all the answers, but find professionals with more scientifically backed ones. It’s all about the small victories: treasure them. You’ll need to ask a lot of questions. You’ll need to write stuff down. You’ll need to set goals and prioritize what’s really important to you. You probably won’t improve all on your own. There’s never any guarantees, but there is always hope. Remember, change is always possible. In the end, it’ll be worth it.