There are many factors to consider when deciding upon the best treatment options; in this article, I hope to make it more transparent for you. Studies reveal that around 90 per cent of back pain can resolve on its own[1]. While this number is impressive on the surface, still it is reported that about two-thirds of patients who don’t seek treatment will experience recurrent back pain within a year.
If you have had an injury or feel the onset of pain, the earlier you see the physiotherapist for your treatment, the better results you can expect in the long run. As per physiotherapy guidelines, pain that lasts for more than three months is categorised as complex, at which point the treatment also becomes more difficult.
Research reveals that patients tend to achieve improved outcomes when they are being treated in the acute pain stage (less than 5-6 weeks) in comparison to the chronic stage (more than 3-4 months)[2]. This is when you should seek the assistance of a professional physiotherapist to help you with early pain management. The top 6 benefits of physiotherapy are:
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Improving your pain quickly without fear of further injury
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Ensuring the fastest recovery
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Allowing you to stay physically fit
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Avoiding the expensive costs of prescription medications
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Reducing the overall risk of surgery
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Avoiding additional problems due to pain
Why you should opt for early physiotherapy for pain relief
When you see a physiotherapist early, you can achieve the best outcomes during the acute phase of injury or pain. Below are a few reasons why there is a great benefit to seeing a physiotherapist early.
1. Improving your pain quickly without fear of further injury
When you are in acute pain, you tend to avoid activities for fear of more pain or damage. Your physiotherapist will assess your condition thoroughly, and based on this assessment, come up with a personalised treatment plan.
2. Ensuring the fastest recovery
When you seek professional assistance within two weeks of the onset of pain or injury, there will be less input required from both you and your physiotherapist. Along with effective pain relief, your physiotherapist will also help you understand what you should and shouldn’t do for optimal recovery. At the same time, your physio will also offer suggestions on effective strategies to help progress your recovery – specific to your condition.
3. Maintaining your physical fitness
During acute pain, it is normal to want to avoid your usual activities as they are likely to cause you pain, or at least there is fear that they will. However, as physiotherapists, we like to prescribe what we call “relative rest”. This means trying to maintain the greatest amount of exercise possible whilst keeping your pain under control. It might mean that the high-intensity gym class has to wait a week or two, but there is no reason that you can’t go for a nice walk instead to keep active. What we don’t want is additional pains and problems cropping up from a lack of movement!
All of our strategies around maintaining movement and fitness will be tailored to you, considering your age, usual exercise behaviour, current pain or problem, and any other relevant factors specific to you.
4. Reducing the need for prescription medications
Prompt and effective treatment will naturally reduce the intensity and duration of your pain and injury. One of the significant benefits of this will be a reduced requirement for prescription medications. These medications can be helpful when necessary but have their own set of risks and complications that are best avoided if possible.
5. Reducing the risk of surgery
Surgery can be a powerful tool when used correctly and when necessary. Unfortunately, patients tend to believe that surgery will be this instant fix to their terrible pain. I sympathise with this feeling as I know how troubling pain can be. Unfortunately, surgery doesn’t always provide us with the perfect “silver bullet” outcome that we would hope for. There is a long process of recovery, rehabilitation and gradual strengthening, with no 100% guarantee! The benefit of seeing a physio early is that they can help you gain a complete understanding of your pain - and in most cases, can help treat it without the need for surgery.
6. Avoiding additional complications
If pain continues to affect your daily life, you can unintentionally change how you move and behave. This could be a subtle limp to take pressure off your leg or sitting in a weird position at the desk to relieve your back pain. Either way, these subconscious patterns of movement can sometimes actually cause more harm than good.
As a result, you may suffer from stiffness in other parts of the body, pain in other areas or just general issues with movement. To avoid this, you need to be aware of these changes and, secondly, have some strategies to help you avoid them! This is where a physiotherapist can help!
Early intervention from a physiotherapist is better than no or delayed physiotherapy. The results are more beneficial, and the overall costs are lower. Finding a physiotherapist near you is simple, with BookPhysio.com.
