Pain doesn’t just hurt. Over time, it can gradually start making your world smaller.
You stop going for that walk.
You give up your exercise class.
You avoid gardening.
You change how you work.
You may think twice about accepting invitations or doing things you previously wouldn’t have given a second thought. And sometimes, without really noticing it, you begin organising your life around what hurts.
At PhysioElite, getting someone out of pain is important, but successful rehabilitation is about much more than that. Ultimately, we want to help people get back to the activities that pain has taken away from them.
From Struggling to Walk to Getting Her Life Back
One of our patients first came to see us with severe foot pain. Her symptoms had reached the point where she was struggling to walk properly and had stopped doing many of her usual activities.
She left us this lovely review:
“When I first saw James I was unable to walk properly due to the pain in my foot. James understood my symptoms and advised a course of shockwave therapy. I am still undergoing treatment but the improvement so far has been amazing. I am getting my life back and doing all the things I had stopped due to the pain.”
Following a programme of radial shockwave therapy and rehabilitation, she reported around 80% overall improvement and had started returning to activities she hadn’t been able to do for some time, including her keep fit class and gardening.
But reducing her pain was only part of the process.
What Happens When Pain Stops You Moving?
When pain prevents us from being active for weeks or months, the body adapts. Strength and physical conditioning can decline. Joints may become stiffer and movements that were previously completely normal can begin to feel unfamiliar or difficult.
There can also be a loss of confidence.
Once you’ve experienced pain doing an activity, it’s perfectly understandable to become apprehensive about doing it again.
This is why rehabilitation doesn’t end when the pain starts improving.
The next stage is gradually rebuilding strength, movement and confidence so that the body can tolerate normal activity again. Trying to do too much too quickly can aggravate symptoms, while doing too little can prolong deconditioning. Finding the appropriate level and progressing from there is an important part of physiotherapy rehabilitation.
Getting Strength and Movement Back
Another patient recently came to PhysioElite with a painful rotator cuff shoulder injury following a change in lifestyle.
He told us:
“James did a very thorough assessment and was quickly able to identify the issue and implement a package of treatment and support. After a few sessions the pain went away and I have managed to get my strength and movement back. James is very informative and very professional. Highly recommended.”
By his final physiotherapy appointment, he reported more than 90% improvement, had regained his function and was ready to be discharged and that’s ultimately what we’re trying to achieve.
Good Physiotherapy Should Have an End Goal
The goal isn’t to keep you coming back for treatment. It’s to understand what’s causing the problem, treat it appropriately and help you regain the strength, movement and confidence you need to get back to everyday life.
For some patients, treatment may include radial shockwave therapy or another treatment alongside rehabilitation. For others, progressive loading, strengthening and exercise may be the most important elements of recovery.
There is no single treatment programme that’s right for everyone. That’s why a thorough assessment and correct diagnosis at the beginning of treatment matter.
Don’t Just Ask “How Much Does It Hurt?”
Pain scores can be useful, but there is another question we believe is equally important:
What has your pain stopped you doing?
Has it stopped you walking?
Exercising?
Working comfortably?
Playing sports?
Gardening?
Sleeping properly?
Or simply enjoying everyday life without constantly thinking about the painful part of your body?
Those answers tell us a great deal about the real impact of an injury and getting those things back is what successful rehabilitation is really about.
If pain has gradually started making your own world smaller, a physiotherapy assessment can help establish what’s causing your symptoms and what can be done to help you move forward.
