Have you ever had pain in your back, knee, or some other muscle or joint in your body?
Have you ever turned down an invitation to a family event because pain has stopped you?
Does pain stop you dead in your daily tracks?
Do you struggle with daily life because of chronic pain?
Like most folks, you probably thought to yourself “I’ll just deal with the pain and maybe take a few Advil and I’ll be better in a few days or a week at the most.”
Then, before you know it, the pain has been there for weeks (or months) and it is starting to affect the way you live your life.
What seems like suddenly, you notice that you are having trouble getting out of a chair or bed, walking up and down the stairs is painful, you can’t walk without limping, or now you can’t lift a jug of milk out of the fridge without your arm feeling like it will fall off!
Finally, you may decide “well, I better get some help for this since it is keeping me from living life the way I want, and the pain has been here for months now.”
So, you decide to call your Doctor to get an appointment – only to find out you have to wait a few more weeks until you can see your MD.
However, When you finally have your appointment with the Doctor or Surgeon, you wait 15- 30 minutes (or more) past your appointment time only to be taken back to the treatment room.
Once you are back in the treatment room you notice that your actual appointment with the Doctor or Surgeon lasted only 5-10 minutes (or less) and all you have to show for your time is a handful of pills, a shot, or an order for an X-ray.
What Is Wrong With This Scenario?
Is there a better option that can address the root cause of the problem and get you back to doing what you could before pain or injury interrupted your life, as fast as possible? The answer to this question is absolutely, YES – there is a better way!
Research shows that the sooner you receive treatment that addresses the root cause of the pain, you are having that’s keeping you from living life, the quicker the pain goes away and the sooner you get your life back.
While pills and shots can be helpful in reducing pain, they are addressing the symptoms of the problem you are having, but they do not correct the reason why the problem is occurring.
It’s often not the Doctor or Surgeon’s fault that it takes so long to get an appointment as there are often more patients than there are Doctors to go around.
The quickest way to rid yourself of the pain that is holding you back from doing what you need, want and love to do is to call a Physical Therapist within 1-2 wks of the start of the pain or injury that caused the issues you are having.
The reason I say this is, because you can call Cardin & Miller Physical Therapy and normally get an appointment within 24-48 hours without having to wait to see your Doctor for a prescription for Physical Therapy (most insurances allow this, some such as Medicare require you to get a prescription from the Doctor first – our Physical Therapy office can help to speed this process up).
Physical Therapists at Cardin and Miller Physical Therapy are trained to find the root cause of the problem and correct the reasons that are causing it, which keeps you from getting hooked on painkillers, having shots or needing surgery.
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
We firmly believe that physical therapy remains one of the best choices that you can make when looking for a solution to long-term pain.
By seeking physical therapy at Cardin and Miller, instead of suffering chronic pain and discomfort, you can reduce or eliminate your pain – whether that be in your back, neck, shoulder, knee, foot, or hip. Physical Therapy is not risky, and helps to restore muscle and joint function without the need for surgical procedures.
At Cardin and Miller, our Physical Therapists don’t just treat your pain, they find its source. They look for areas of stiffness and weakness that feed directly into the pressure points. After all, just because your neck hurts doesn’t mean the pain is only coming from your neck. Tensions in your shoulder or your back could be a prime cause.
One of the ways that a physical therapist may tackle your muscle and joint pain is through strengthening exercises to work on your core muscles. This usually involves free weights and resistance bands, alongside specific exercises that target the actual cause of the problems you are having.
Another form of treatment is through flexibility exercises, as this allows movement in your muscles and joints. This way, you are more flexible, and therefore can move more freely without pain.
Perhaps the most widely known treatment comes from skilled, manual, hands-on techniques to relieve pain and increase mobility.
Don’t Painkllers Do The Same Thing?
Above all, physical therapy enhances your mobility. If you find it difficult to move, stand, or rest (regardless of age), physical therapy is your ticket to a better quality of life.
While painkillers bring short-term relief, drugs only mask the pain. Prescriptions don’t solve the problem. It’s really only a knee-jerk reaction for instant relief – but the pain will return. You won’t just wake up one day and find that the pain has gone away. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way.
Although drugs have their place, you should not come to rely and depend on them. Not only is this counter-productive towards solving the problem, but it’s not uncommon to become addicted to painkillers in the pursuit of pain relief. And that can cause a whole range of different problems.
A personalized physical therapy program, on the other hand, will help you regain levels of activity without a dependency on pills.
Does Physical Therapy Hurt?
Physical Therapy is not designed to cause hurt or harm. However, because we’ll be treating parts of your body that have gone through trauma (or an injury) and are buried by chronic pain, physical therapy can be challenging at times. It can feel hard, especially after your first few sessions. You may feel sore, but it will get easier and ultimately lead towards a pain free existence!
Don’t feel put off by this stuff, though. Your specified therapist will have a plan in place for your recovery.
Everyone is unique, and what works for some may not work for you. That’s why we take the time to get to know you and craft a customized recovery plan for your individual needs.
Each person will respond differently due to individual body types, habits, and lifestyles. Stick with our plan and the benefits will soon allow a more active lifestyle.
What Can I Do?
You don’t have to live with pain. You shouldn’t live in fear of family events, going out, commuting, working, or going about daily chores. Constant chronic pain can feel suffocating, and leave you on a path towards becoming dependent on shots, pills, or surgery. There is more to life than that.
You deserve better.
In order to find effective pain relief, a physical therapist at Cardin & Miller Physical Therapy is your answer. We are experts in providing effective pain relief, and would be delighted to help you. Cardin & Miller remain proud of the track record that our therapists hold, and the customer satisfaction that highlights our ability to regain people’s lives!
So, if you are sick and tired of being in pain and not being able to do everyday things the way you used to..
Then please do one of the following:
1) Call 717-245-0400 to schedule a One on One FREE SCREEN with one of our experts so that they can listen to the issues you are having and tell you how they can best help you.
Apply for a One-on-One FREE Screen
Click Here »
2) Call 717-245-0400 to schedule a Free Phone Consultation with one of our experts if you prefer to chat on the phone vs. face to face so we can listen to the issues you are having and tell you the next best step.
Talk to a Physical Therapist on the Phone
Click Here »
3) Email me at smiller@cardinmillerpt.com if you would rather connect that way first to ask me some questions and chat with me about your issues so I can make recommendations about what to do next.
Inquire About Cost and Availability
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Steve Miller, PT is the owner of Cardin and Miller Physical Therapy in Carlisle, Pa. His column will appear bi-weekly in the Thrive section of the Sentinel and Cumberlink (on-line).
Steve Miller
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