Pain does not discriminate and can strike anyone at anytime. No matter how severe your pain is, focusing on proper pain management is extremely important. Unfortunately, there are all sorts of incorrect ways to manage chronic pain. Hopefully, this guide will help you better handle your current pain and improve your quality of life.
To that end, here are some common mistakes people make when trying to alleviate their pain:
- Ignoring your pain — No matter how severe your pain is, you should never ignore it. Pain is the body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Even if your pain does goes away, that doesn’t mean you can ignore the message. If the pain does come back, it will likely be even more intense. Plus, the pain may be a symptom of a serious medical issue that can only be diagnosed by a professional.
- Not working with physical therapy centers — Back in 2011, only 11.7 million adults took advantage of outpatient physical therapy services. Today, millions more have discovered that physical therapy can provide low-cost pain management services. These pain centers can help get you back on your feet and back to living a pain-free life.
- Only using pain pills — This pain management mistake can lead to serious health concerns and even addiction. Using pain pills might work temporarily to alleviate back pain, joint pain, and similar problems, but they are only masking the pain — the underlying physical issues are still present. Using painkillers until you can get medical attention is okay, but don’t overdo it.
- Not working out — Your best shot at preventing pain is taking care of your body. You don’t have to excessively work out every day, but getting regular physical activity can help strengthen your body and even help mitigate the pain you’re experiencing.
- Overexerting too soon after an injury — Another mistake people make when it comes to pain is getting too physically active too early. After an injury, you need to take your recovery slowly and make sure you don’t overexert yourself too much. Listen to your physician and pain management experts and give your body time to heal.
If you want to learn more about how to effectively handle your pain management and work with an experienced physical therapist, then contact Jerome Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Clinic for your pain management team.
