Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is pain that lasts more than several months (variously defined as 3 to 6 months, but certainly longer than “normal healing”). It’s a very common problem. Recent clinical studies suggest the following:

• About 25.3 million U.S. adults (11.2 percent) had pain every day for the previous 3 months.
• Nearly 40 million adults (17.6 percent) had severe pain.
• Individuals with severe pain had worse health, used more health care, and had more disability than those with less severe pain.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC PAIN

Patients that are experiencing chronic pain often have some or all of the following:

• Fear of performing daily activities
• Tightness and stiffness
• Increased use of pain pills
• New or worsening conditions
• Circulation problems

HOW SUMMIT HAND THERAPY CAN HELP

Emotions, depression, anxiety, nervous system hypersensitivity, tissue damage, and pain caused in the brain are all components of chronic pain that have been successfully addressed by:

• Patient education – therapists help chronic pain patients understand that chronic pain is complex involving more than damaged muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joint tissues.
• Hands-on treatment – soft tissue and spinal manipulative techniques are often effective to help decrease pain and increase mobility.
• Graded exercise programs – improving your strength and endurance can make it easier to move around during the day. Consider daily activities like getting out of a chair or a car, climbing stairs, or walking long distances. These are daily activities that graded exercise programs, provided by a hand therapist, can help with.
• Posture and body mechanics instructions – understanding how to properly lift, sit, bend, reach, and perform specific daily activities can help. Moreover, progressively recovering normal movements through stretching and strengthening can assist in the return to normal daily activities.