“In the last few months, I have seen several patients who have endured intermittent episodes of pain for months to years. Often they are dealing with multiple health issues and can have several setbacks during treatment. Their condition is further complicated by the compensation patterns they have developed.
Compensation patterns occur when there is a lack of strength or motion. The patterns cause the body to use other joints or muscles in a way that is ineffective and causes overuse of the tissues involved. When the tissues are broken down due to overuse, the patient will typically report pain. Pain is the number one complaint when patients arrive at the clinic. The pain they are experiencing is often just a symptom of the underlying problem. If the underlying issue is not resolved then the pain will return.
A common misconception among patients is that when pain is no longer present, it is time to end treatment. Unfortunately, though the pain is gone, the compensation pattern is still very much there. More often than not patients have not attempted to perform all the activities that caused them pain before starting treatment. I take time to talk to them about resuming all previously painful activities and eliminating the compensation patterns before discontinuing treatment. While many patients continue treatment to make a full recovery, there are always some who decide to stop before the underlying issues are controlled. I often have patients return in 4-6 months after they finished treatment early and they are no different than the first time they arrived in the office. In contrast to the patients who complete their treatment programs rarely return for the same condition. If they do, it is because they have had an overall decline in their health. We are always happy to help get them back on track.
Treatment for patients with chronic pain conditions can vary widely. Some come in as many as three times a week while others only visit once or twice a month. There have also been several times where a patient has gone three to four months while performing their home exercise program and then returned to treatment for further progression of their exercises. The treatment of each patient is tailored for their diagnosis.
Working with patients like this is always fun and challenging. They push themselves and in turn, push me to be a better more creative therapist. Physical therapists want to see their patients succeed and live a full active life.
If you or someone you know is suffering from chronic pain, contact our office and see how we can help. 866-412-5554”
Content provided by Evan Reinert, PT, DPT
