Physical Therapy for Chronic Pain: What to Expect Physical Therapy for Pain Management Physical therapy is often one of the best choices you can make when you have long-term pain (also called chronic pain) or an injury. It can make you stronger and help you move and feel better. You may think the last thing you want to do when you're in pain is get moving, but physical therapy can be an essential part of pain management. Chronic pain may leave you wanting to curl up in bed with a heating pad and a bottle of medication to help ease your aches. Although doing exercise may sound like sheer torture, it may actually be one of the best pain management options for your chronic pain. "Physical therapy can be highly effective for all types of chronic musculoskeletal and neuropathic types of pain, " says Tom Watson, PT, DPT, clinical director of Peak Performance Physical Therapy in Bend, Ore. Physical Therapy for Pain Management Physical therapy is used to alleviate sources of chronic pain, including: Osteoarthritis Fibromyalgia Chronic headaches Rheumatoid arthritis Neuropathic pain (pain caused by injury to tissues or nerves) Physical therapy tackles the physical side of the inflammation, stiffness, and soreness with exercise, manipulation, but it also works to help the body heal itself by encouraging the production of the body's natural pain-relieving chemicals. This two-pronged approach is what helps make physical therapy so effective as a chronic pain treatment. Your therapist will make sure that you're warmed up and you don’t stretch too far. Your physical therapist may prescribe exercises for you to do at home. Meet our Physiotherapy Specialist Dr Gaurav Paiwal Today for all your chronic pain. #painphysiotherpy #paindoctor #chronicpainrelief #avoidingpainsurgery #tecartherapy #lasertherapy #totalpainrelief