H&D Physical Therapy is a top Physical Therapy in Lenox Hills. Our office, staffed with excellent and hardworking physical therapists, is here to help serve the community through an individualized approach to treating our patients. Our team wants to help you or a loved one get back on their feet so they can continue to live a pain-free, healthy, and active lifestyle as they once did.

What is pain? What is chronic pain? 

When people experience pain, it is usually a sign that something wrong needs to be fixed or checked out. However, there are two different types of pain that one can feel or occur in or out of the body. The two types of pain can be defined as acute pain and chronic pain, and there is a big difference between the two that many people might not know about. 

Acute pain is a sharp pain that has a quick onset and usually has a specific cause. This type of pain can last up to 6 months but usually doesn’t last any longer if there is no underlying cause. Over time, this pain will go away if treated correctly. Different types of acute pain can include: 

Physical Therapy in Lenox Hills
  • Broken bones
  • Surgery
  • Childbirth/labor
  • Dental work 
  • Burns 
  • Cuts 

The other type of pain is called chronic pain. This type of pain is very different from acute pain in that it can last longer than six months and even years. Chronic pain can continue even after the injury has healed, or the illness has been cured. Many people can even experience this type of pain without even having an illness or injury. This type of pain can be linked to: 

  • Cancer 
  • Nerve pain 
  • Headache 
  • Arthritis 
  • Back pain  

If you are experiencing chronic pain, you should book an appointment or consultation with H&D physical therapy, a top Physical Therapy in Lenox Hills.

What are the symptoms of chronic pain? 

Not only can chronic pain cause an extreme amount of pain in one’s body, but it can also cause many other issues. There is a lot of stress on the body when one is experiencing chronic pain. This can cause a lack of energy, a shift in appetite, tense muscles, and limited movement. Along with the physical side effects of chronic pain, there are emotional side effects as well. This can include depression, anger, anxiety, and a fear of re-injury. 

What are the common causes of chronic pain?

One well-known common cause of chronic pain is old age. As we get older, so do our bones which can cause pressure and stress on the joints and nerves, causing chronic pain. Another well-known common cause of chronic pain is nerve damage or an injury that was not treated properly or healed incorrectly. 

Back pain, for example, is a commonplace where people experience chronic pain. This can be caused by a variety of reasons such as: 

  • Poor posture 
  • Improper lifting of heavy objects
  • Being overweight 
    • This puts a lot of stress on the legs and knees 
  • Sleeping on a bad mattress 
  • Injury 
  • As stated earlier, old age 

Although chronic pain can be found in many people, doctors can often have a hard time determining where it is coming from, what is causing it, and how to treat it effectively.

  If you feel you are experiencing chronic pain, visit a Physical Therapist in Lenox Hills, as they might be able to help you no longer have pain or relieve it.

How to treat chronic pain? 

When treating chronic pain, doctors will first try and identify where the chronic pain is coming from in the body in order to effectively treat it. However, if they are unable to locate exactly where the pain is coming from, doctors will treat the pain first instead. 

There are also a variety of medicines you can take to help you treat your chronic pain that your doctor can prescribe. These include: 

  • Anticonvulsants 
  • Antidepressants 
  • Corticosteroids 
  • Opioids (These can become extremely addictive and should be used correctly) 
  • Topical products (These can be applied to the skin) 
  • Sedatives (these can be used to help with anxiety and insomnia) 

There are also other ways besides medicine that can treat chronic pain. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help a patient experiencing chronic pain learn to cope with pain and look at it differently. Occupational therapy can help patients learn to do everyday tasks and activities differently to lessen the chance of them getting hurt or worsening the pain. Finally, physical therapy can help the patients exercise and strengthen the body. 

Physical Therapy in Lenox Hills can help treat and relieve the chronic pain in your body you may be experiencing. 

Physical Therapy in Lenox Hills

H&D Physical Therapy is here to help you get back to your active, healthy, and pain-free lifestyle. We are a Physical Therapy in Lenox Hills dedicated to working with our patients and ensuring they leave feeling great.