We think it’s safe to say that no one likes to be in pain. It’s uncomfortable, can be distracting, and even prevent you from doing normal daily activities. Most people think of pain to be a bad thing, but pain is actually a warning sign to tell you that something isn’t right. While not all pain requires immediate professional attention, some types of pain are indicators that we need to seek medical attention immediately. Not all pain is treated the same either. So, what might have worked well for your Aunt Barb may not work well for you. Each of our bodies is different and responds differently to pain. We need to have a good understanding of what pain is, how we should react, and when we should seek professional medical attention.

What pain tells us about the body

If we didn’t experience pain, we wouldn’t know that an organ, system or tissue is being stressed beyond what it can handle. Pain is like someone waving a red warning flag to get your attention. If we ignore that warning sign, and the pain goes without care, then we can actually be doing more harm to our bodies. It’s important to know how to prioritize the pain we are experiencing, and when to seek immediate medical attention

For example, if you stub your toe, you feel pain. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, and you may feel some throbbing sensations, but it most likely will subside in a relatively short amount of time. If you twist your ankle on the curb and fall to your knees in pain, you might have done some significant damage to your ankle. Especially if your ankle swells and turns blue and purple!

What kind of pain can be ignored?

Just because you feel pain, doesn’t mean that you need to seek immediate medical attention – like stubbing your toe. However, there are many cases where we see patients that experience pain when they are doing a particular activity like going for a run, reaching above, or heavy lifting. While the grandkids are cute, they are little humans growing quickly! Bending down to pick up little Johnny may cause pain in the back or even in the knees. This pain is important to note and can often be managed.

The first thing to do is to modify, or if needed stop the activity that is causing you pain. If the pain goes away and stays away, then you can try to resume the activity without further damage. So long as that the pain does not return when you resume the aggravating activity, you may be able to resume the activity without any additional harm.  This kind of pain most likely doesn’t require additional attention if it stays away with resuming the activity. In the case of picking up your grandkids, it might mean you pick up little Johnny a little differently. Or better yet, have them climb up into your lap instead of picking them up off the floor.  If you’ve tried modifying the activity, but still experience pain, it might mean that little Johnny isn’t so little anymore, and it’s simply not safe for either one of you to lift him anymore. At that point, seeking professional medical attention is recommended.

What kind of pain should not be ignored?

Any pain that continually gets more intense or spreads over larger parts of your body is recommended for you to seek professional medical attention. When you experience pain that you would describe as fierce burning, shooting, stabbing, or heaviness, you should probably not ignore those warning signs!  This is particularly true if they occur in the chest or abdomen.  Any pain that continues to significantly negatively impact your tolerance to functional activities, or you find yourself making decisions about doing (or not doing) things you typically enjoy because of your pain, this may indicate that you may need to seek professional help.

In the case of little Johnny, if you have stopped picking up little Johnny but continue to feel the same pain you did previously, then you should seek professional attention as your pathology that caused the pain is likely not resolved.

How Physical Therapy Helps Treat Pain

Through physical therapy, and our specialty, Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (shortened to OMPT), we can isolate the specific tissue that is causing your pain. Once we’ve identified the reason that you’re experiencing pain, and where the pain is occurring, we will create a treatment plan specifically for you. Our treatment plans include exercises and treatments done at our clinic, but also exercises that our patients can do on their own at home or work. The ultimate goal when treating patients is to create an environment that our body can heal itself through manual therapy and therapeutic exercises that will also result in pain reduction. 

For more information about us and how we can help, call us at (517) 657-7790.