Feel Less Pain

Pain Management from a Physiotherapist's Perspective

- Goh Zhi Xun

In a physiotherapist’s daily course of work, some of the common complaints they often hear include “I've had this niggling pain on and off for ages”, “I am fine when I stop exercising, but as soon as I start exercising again, the pain returns”, and “I've seen multiple practitioners and had some sort of relief, but the pain always seems to come back”. If any of these sounds familiar, you are not alone.

Chronic pain is one of the most frustrating and persistent issues people face. It often requires a combination of approaches to manage effectively. So, how can physiotherapy help in tackling these types of pain? Let us explore the complex relationship between pain and healing, and how physiotherapists can offer targeted, long-term relief.

WHAT IS PAIN?

To understand how physiotherapists address pain, it is important to first understand what pain is and how it manifests. At its core, pain is an output by the brain that serves as a warning signal to protect the body from tissue damage. This is particularly true in the case of acute injuries, where pain alerts us to potential harm or to prevent further harm. It is more complicated in chronic pain scenarios. In some cases, pain signals persist even when there is no visible injury. To navigate this, it helps to understand the different categories of pain, namely: nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, and nociplastic pain.

Nociceptive Pain

This is the most common type of pain and typically results from tissue damage, like cuts, bruises or fractures. For example, when you break a bone, the pain you feel is a direct response to the damage done to the bone and surrounding tissues. This type of pain generally follows a predictable pattern, starting as an acute sensation right after the injury and gradually reducing as the tissue heals.

Neuropathic Pain