Constant pain is something few people are able to deal with without some kind of help. All we want to do is curl up in bed with Netflix and pain medication.
Hitting the gym or going to a session with a personal trainer is usually the last thing on your mind. The problem with relying on pain medication to mask pain is that it quickly becomes addictive. Treating the root of your pain is always better than simply masking it long term.
The movement and training you dread could be just what your body needs to make you permanently feel better.
Opioids act as a mask to temporarily cover up the fact that you are feeling pain, they don’t and never will fix the pain. Moving around and training with a physical therapist could help you heal, rather than mask pain.
Importance of movement in pain management
Your cells are living things. They grow, live, die, and replace themselves constantly within your body. There are amazing processes happening all of the time behind the scenes to keep you healthy.
Cellular repair and replacement happen in the body every single minute of every single day. You don’t control this process at all. It happens automatically.
On the other hand, though, your body does dictate the rate at which this happens.
Placing stress on our organic tissue (otherwise known as “working out”) causes them to replicate themselves at the rate they feel they need to to keep up. This is how bodybuilders become bigger and more powerful with every lift. The tissues of the body are being replaced and regenerated according to the amount of stress we put on them every day.
Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even bones are replaced with new, stronger versions of themselves depending on their need to do so.
What does it all mean?
All of this information about cells goes to show that a lack of movement is no way to help the pain subside. Opioids can help reduce pain and are useful in many situations but are meant to be temporary.
The best way to reduce pain is to heal it from the source. Working physical therapy into our routines can help us wean ourselves off pain medications completely over time.
Different types of physical therapy practices
You don’t have to go to a “physical therapist” to effectively heal your pain. Aside from visiting a physical therapy provider, you can perform your own physical therapy with a simple trip to the gym or a walk around your neighborhood.
The key is staying active so that your body is prompted to do its job: replacing your cells.
Your tissues, muscles, and bones will only regenerate to the extent that they need to. If your body is not moving around at all, the pain will follow due to weakness in these systems. That can be a slippery slope. Do yourself a favor and try to get a little bit of movement worked into your daily routine. You’ll feel better after just a few visits to the gym.
Even if “physical therapy” to you is working one more walk per week into your routine. Just get out and get moving however you can.
Your body will thank you, and you will thank your body!
Do you feel like physical therapy isn’t enough?
If you are feeling a pain that you don’t think will be solved by a trip to the gym, a lifestyle change, or a walk in the park, we can help.
Pain management doctors in Atlanta are here to help you choose a combination of treatments that will remove the pain from your life so that you can live happy again. Get in touch with us. Consultations are free.