You want your patients to feel more than pain relief when they leave your office.
You want them to feel like their life is finally returning to them. For one person this can mean improved mobility after a severe whiplash incident. For another it can mean getting some much-needed rest more than once or twice a week. When you work in the field of radiculopathy and chronic pain you offer people a long-term promise. Chronic pain is only getting worse, according to recent studies, and it helps to reconnect with why you went into physical therapy in the first place.
Where will chronic pain go from here? What are some of today’s most common concerns? Refresh yourself below.
Chronic pain has never been worse. While it’s a simple fact of life — particularly with accidents and age — there are still far too many incidents. It’s estimated over one billion people suffer from some form of chronic pain around the world. Physical therapists and neurologists estimated that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their life. This issue is so rampant it’s all but expected…despite the fact it doesn’t have to be.
Arthritis is rather common, due partially to the United States’ rapidly aging population and partially to the growing number of remote work. It’s estimated over 50 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis — this includes, but isn’t limited to, stiffness, aching, difficulty gripping, difficulty turning, and pinching pain. When asked about the four most common types of pains, respondents to a National Institute Of Health Statistics saw lower back pain as the most common. Neck pain, facial pain, and headaches followed close behind. That’s not even the end of it.
One way or another, chronic pain will enter a person’s life and impact their ability to live to the fullest of their ability. A recent study found one out of every four Americans will suffer from pain that lasts longer than 24 hours, with millions suffering from acute pain. Fibromyalgia affects nearly five million American adults (or 2% of the adult population), while sciatica is among the most common forms of nerve pain. As many as 40% of people will experience the latter at some point in their life. Radiculopathy and physical therapy isn’t just useful, but vital.
Lifestyle changes can help improve an individual’s quality of life. Regular exercise has been closely linked with reduced stiffness and soreness. Deep massages are also an increasingly common method to combat chronic back and neck pain. When it comes to accidents, though, it often takes a professional hand to reduce symptoms for good. Nearly 85% of workers’ compensation claims come from employees slipping on slick floors.
There are several solutions to chronic pain…but only if you reach out to your future clients. It’s common for many to be concerned their issue could only be worsened, particularly if they’ve been suffering for years and have a strict routine dealing with symptoms. Radiculopathy is designed to approach a wide variety of pain, from numbness to lancing agony. Physical therapy includes stretching, flexing, jogging, running, and certain lifestyle changes. Communicating all of this means sitting down with each individual and stressing what you want them to achieve.
Chronic pain weighs everyone down. Lift them up in the field of radiculopathy and make sure every client is sent off with hope.