One of the most common responses to pain is to look for a way to decrease it. For many Americans, the way they decrease their shoulder and elbow pain is to take some sort of medication. However, this tactic can lead to some serious issues.
Over-the-counter medications are generally safe, but they can lead to short- and long-term side effects when taken too often. Prescription medications are even more problematic. For one thing, many people may get addicted to them. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 18 million Americans abused some form of prescription meds in the past year. A physical therapist can help you find effective treatment for shoulder pain and elbow pain. In turn, this can help you avoid the negative consequences of taking pain medications.
How can physical therapists help reduce your shoulder and elbow pain?
The shoulder and elbow are connected by muscles and nerves. This means that pain in one of these joints is often felt in the other as well. Physical therapists can help you figure out what’s causing your shoulder and elbow pain by doing a comprehensive evaluation of both structures.
Once they determine the cause of your pain, they can build you a treatment plan designed to reduce it. Such a plan can include therapy techniques like:
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — This technique allows your physical therapist to apply pressure and friction to tense and sore soft tissue. The pressure and friction are applied using specially designed metal tools. IASTM therapy can help address pain. One study reveals that one session of IASTM reduced a patient’s pain score by 40%.
- Therapeutic exercises — Your physical therapist can also show you exercises that can decrease your pain. Such exercises are called therapeutic exercises, and they include stretches to reduce muscle tension as well as exercises intended to boost muscle strength. Therapeutic exercises can also help reduce pain. A study of tennis elbow sufferers shows that therapeutic exercises helped reduce pain during activity by 22.7%.
Find shoulder and elbow pain relief at Whatcom Physical Therapy
Ready to use physical therapy to treat your shoulder and elbow pain without meds? Our specialists at Whatcom Physical Therapy are primed to help you find the therapeutic care you need. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint the source of your pain. Additionally, our physical therapists are adept at building individualized therapy plans designed to decrease pain and prevent it from coming back.
Is your pain stopping you from leaving the house? That doesn’t mean you can’t get effective therapy for it. Our team offers virtual therapy sessions that allow you to work with a physical therapist over a secure online video feed right in your home.
Contact our team today for more information about the treatments we offer for shoulder and elbow issues or to schedule an initial appointment.
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