Chronic Pain

Pain is an individualized feeling described by many as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience. It can be described as a shooting, burning, aching, or throbbing sensation. Each person deals with pain differently; based on previous pain experiences, mood cognition, gender, or culture and belief systems. Some people can tolerate painful experiences, while others feel pain that interrupts their lives. This is a result of what are called pain thresholds and levels of pain tolerance. Pain can last for a short time (acute pain) or last for years at a time (chronic pain). Did you know that 116 million people in the United States deal with chronic pain? Pain lasting for hours, days, or months can interfere with independence in mobility, meaningful activities, and roles over time.

Pain can result from several reactions within the body. Damage to nerves inside your body can lead to what is called neuropathic pain. This results in pain in the area of nerve damage as well as surrounding areas. If receptors in the body are more sensitive to pain, people can experience what is called hyperalgesia, or an increased amount of pain. A medical disorder or previous trauma can result in what is called allodynia, or pain for something that should not cause a pain sensation. When you experience pain, the body often changes in response. For example, pain may result in dilation (enlargement) of pupils or widening of eyelids, increased breathing rate, changes in heart rate or blood pressure, sweating, or changes in body temperature. When this happens, your body is attempting to alert you to pain and regulate your body through physiological responses. These different responses from the body explain the varying presentations of symptoms and sensations while experiencing pain.    

• Gout
• Cervical Neuralgia 
• Fibular Nerve Pain
• Lower Back Pain
• Shoulder Pain from frozen shoulder and arthritis
• Muscle Imbalance
• Hip Pain
• Knee pain
• Carpal Tunnel
• Cubital Tunnel
• TFCC Injuries
• Chronic Nerve Pain 
• and MORE! 

• Comprehensive Activity and Performance Analysis – Comprehensive medical history interview and occupational therapy’s unique and expert training in activity analysis allows your occupational therapist to find the root of the pain to ensure the right area is being addressed! 

• Kinesiology Tape (therapeutic tape that supports joints and muscles without restricting body movements and uses the skin to assist with healing) CLICK HERE for more information on KT Tape.

• Basic Modalities (cold and heat)
  • Heat Modality-increases blood flow, relaxes muscles, and relieves joint pain through a warm shower or bath, a warm towel, or a heating pad to relieve pain from sprains, arthritis, muscle tightness, headaches, etc.
  • Cold Modality– decreases nerve activity that can be the cause of pain, decreases irritation, swelling and bruising, and lowers skin temperature through gel eye masks, ice packs, or a cold therapy machine to relieve pain from sprains, tendonitis, runner’s knee, etc.

• Neuromuscular Re-education (used to restore normal body movement patterns and re-train our nervous systems to communicate with muscles appropriately, how much force or strength is required to create movements, or maintaining balance and postural during daily activities)

• Muscle Tension Reduction Training (a form of mindfulness that aids in coping with the emotional aspects of the pain and muscle relaxation to relieve tension; use of guided imagery and use of imagination to reorganize thoughts to assist with pain)

• Home Exercise Program (personalized to each patient, assists with muscle weakness, poor posture, or poor movement patterns that may be contributing to feelings of pain)

• Activity tolerance (gradual increase in activity levels over time)

• Education regarding sleep hygiene (establishment of a nighttime routine, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, how the bedroom environment should look and feel, avoidance of daytime napping, etc.)

• Body Mechanics and Posture Training (practice safe and effective use of the body in natural environments to address pain)

• Energy Conservation and Joint Protection (teaching patients when to rest as a preventative strategy for pain, gradually increasing activity and decreasing rest over time, protection of joints done for patients with rheumatoid arthritis)

• Make recommendations for adaptive equipment to reduce pain during mobility or during daily activities