Take Charge Now

October is National Physical Therapy Month!  A much anticipated event to be sure.  This is the time we therapists are to focus on increasing public awareness of the role we can play in people’s lives.  Each year has had a theme.  In the past it has been, “Physical Therapy is for Every Body”, “Move Forward with PT,” and many others.
    This year’s theme #CHOOSE PT has its focus on Physical Therapy as an alternative to use of drugs. And that physical Therapy is a safe and effective alternative to opioids for long term pain management.  According to the CDC, 1,000 people a day are treated in emergency rooms for misuse of prescription opioids.  Further, the CDC reports, 3 out of 4 new heroin users report abusing prescription opioids before using heroin. 
    In March 2016, the CDC released guidelines urging nonopioid approaches for management of chronic pain and high on the list was the recommendation of  Physical Therapy first, a theme we PT’s have been urging for many years. There are some conditions of course where opioids are appropriate such as cancer care, end of life management and certain acute situations but generally the CDC recommends pairing opioid and nonopioid therapy with trying nonopioid therapy first.
    Choose Physical Therapy first to manage your pain without the risks and side effects of opioids.  Don’t just mask the pain. Treat it.
    Your Physical Therapist is expert at pain management through the use of physical agents such as Ultrasound, Cold Laser, Warm Water Aquatics, Dry Needling, different forms of electricity and ice. Our real skill in pain management however comes in the ability to assess the root of many painful conditions and to provide the treatment necessary to improve or restore function and movement. There is a growing body of evidence that the use of PT first in low back pain lowers the cost, decreases pain and increase function more effectively than other forms of treatment.
    If you are in pain, chronic or recent…
Take charge now. Improve your health and well-being. Call your Physical Therapist –You’ll be glad you did
Tom Coplin, PT
CENTRAL PHYSICAL THERAPY