Pain is complex. Managing and treating chronic pain is not the responsibility of any single health profession or any single kind of intervention, pharmacological, psychological, or activity-based rehabilitation.
Acute pain usually comes on suddenly and has a specific cause, surgery, a broken bone, a sprained ankle, a cut or a burn.
It generally goes away once your body has healed, and does not last longer than six months.
Chronic pain is pain that continues for longer than six months, and can persist even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed. Pain signals can remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months or years.
That has a substantial impact on daily life, work, social activity, and much else.
Assessment and management of pain is a fundamental aspect of physiotherapy practice.
There is strong evidence that chronic pain is most effectively managed using non-pharmacological strategies, activity, exercise and mental health supports.
Despite that evidence, access to these therapies remains a significant barrier for many Canadians living with chronic pain.
The Canadian Pain Task Force, created by the federal government in 2019, continues to provide recommendations on how to better respond to the needs of Canadians living with chronic pain. Increasing funded access to physiotherapists as part of a comprehensive pain management team is part of that response.
Yes. Physiotherapy can be an effective way to help manage chronic pain, through exercise, education and treatment modalities.
Water immersion allows patients to perform movements they may be unable to perform on land. Exercise can be done with greater ease and less pain, because of the buoyancy the water creates.
Standing chest-deep in water, your body weight can be reduced by up to 80 percent.
Someone weighing 200 pounds on land may weigh as little as 40 pounds in the water, which is what makes it possible to safely perform exercise therapy that land would not allow.
Assessment, a graded activity and exercise programme, education, and treatment modalities, on land, in the water, or both.
Explore Physiotherapy →For an assessment and a detailed plan of care, call LiquidGym at 613-820-8228 to book an appointment with one of our therapists.
