Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is largely concerned with dealing with problems affecting movement and function. Movement and function can be limited by pain, weakness, lack of coordination, stiffness, instability, by lack of appropriate strategies, or by one's understanding of or concerns about the problem. The role of the physiotherapist is to identify such problems and provide appropriate treatment so as to enable a return to optimal function including a return to normal everyday activities including domestic duties, work, and recreation or sport. This will involve an assessment, and if appropriate, treatment sessions, including the introduction of exercises and other pain self management strategies.

One of the roles the physiotherapist plays at this centre is to determine if any additional physical treatments are likely to provide some lasting benefit. This is achieved by emphasising an active approach using targeted exercises and self treatment strategies. Reliance on passive approaches, such as, massage, manipulation, TENS, heat etc will generally on their own not sustain lasting improvement in functio, and when short courses of passive strategies are used they must be combined with active approaches in order to be effective.

The goal of physiotherapy is to acheive optimal function with self-management and reducing reliance on health providers. Many patients also experience some reduction in their pain as well.

Because chronic pain will usually cause patients to perform below their physical potential, and many will have physically deteriorated, pain physiotherapy consists of:

• Education on the nature of chronic pain. This can help patients understand why the pain persists, help to accept the condition rather than pursuing unhelpful treatments, and learn to be more confident about performing activity now, while achieving sustainable upgrades in activity over time.
  
  
• Teaching targeted exercises to address specific problems that have developed as a consequence of chronic pain. These management techniques can help to increase mobility, balance and other limitations to performing normal everyday tasks. These exercises can sometimes also help to decrease pain levels.
  
  
• Supervising a gradual increase in activity to achieve a sustainableimprovement in physical function. Due to the complex nature of chronic pain, the physiotherapist usually works in tandem with other health professionals, including the pain physician and pain specialising psychologist.
  
  
• A group pain management programme is often the most effective way to provide patients with many of these treatments for chronic pain.