Suffering From Pain? Put Down the Pills. Call a Physical Therapist.
If you’re suffering from pain, either recurring or acute, before you call your doctor or reach for a bottle of pills, consider calling a physical therapist. When it comes to treating pain, physical therapy is oftentimes safer, more effective, and successful in delivering the sustainable relief you deserve. To make it easier to realize the differences between using physical therapy for treating pain versus pills and drugs, we’ll go through four main reasons:

Reason #1 – Physical Therapy Gets to the Root of Your Pain
Physical therapists are dedicated to uncovering the cause, or root, of your pain and developing a personalized plan to treat it. Once identified, your physical therapist will demonstrate or illustrate exactly what is going on with your body. For example, there are times that pain in your knee is actually caused by foot. Or pain in your arm is rooted in your back. It’s this extra step that truly separates physical therapy from drug treatment. On the other hand, pills often times simply cover up the pain for a temporary amount of time, only to have it return.

Reason #2 – Physical Therapy Treatment Has No Negative Side Effects
Apart from a little soreness from stretching and exercises, with physical therapy, you never have to worry about a long list of scary side effects. Because pills and drugs treat everyone different, sometimes they can cause drowsiness, influence your appetite or make you feel sick. In some instances, they can even become addictive.

Reason #3 – Physical Therapy Gives You Personalized Attention
With a physical therapy plan, there is no such thing one-plan-fits-all. Your physical therapist takes the time to get to know you, and understand your body, capabilities, goals, and pain. He or she will watch your progress and make an informed decision about when it’s the right time to take that next step or extra rep. He or she will also realize when you’re able to stop treatment or simply perform exercises at home, saving you time and money. With drugs and pills, there is no telling what the perfect dosage is for each person, or when he or she should stop.

Reason #4 – Physical Therapy Focuses on Sustainable Relief
Because physical therapy is all about progress and building upon success, your program will do more than cover up the pain – it will strengthen your body to resist and prevent the pain from returning. You’ll also be given exercises, stretches and other ideas you can perform at home to support that pain prevention. On the other hand, painkillers only numb the pain, creating an awful cycle of returning pain and discomfort.

The Choice is in Your Hands
You don’t have to live with pain any longer. If you’re suffering today, before you take another pill, we encourage you to call a physical therapist. At our Premier office, we can often see you as soon as the next day. Our trained professionals have dedicated their lives to understanding and treating pain, and they have helped hundreds of patients reach their goal of a pain-free lifestyle. Could you be next? Give us a call at 573-335-7868 and our experienced team can help.