Chronic and Persistent Pain Consultations
Our physiotherapists have a particular interest and extensive experience in working with injuries and conditions that have been present for longer periods of time.
Persistent pain may occur alongside conditions such as osteoarthritis, autoimmune conditions, neuropathic conditions, spinal conditions, cancer, workplace or motor vehicle injuries, or following surgery. Sometimes pain develops following a relatively straightforward injury but simply does not recover as expected and continues to affect mobility, work, exercise and everyday life.
Whatever the cause, our aim is to help you understand what may be contributing to your pain and develop a practical plan to improve your function and get you back towards the lifestyle you want.
Pain that has persisted for a long time can be influenced by many interacting factors and is often more complex than an acute injury. These factors can differ significantly between individuals.
Your physiotherapist will discuss the factors that are relevant to you and provide strategies that may include education, exercise rehabilitation, graded exposure, pacing, movement strategies and appropriate hands on treatment.
The goal is not simply to make you feel better during an appointment. We want you to develop the knowledge, confidence and physical capacity to manage your condition outside the clinic.
Please also see our blog section for information and practical resources relating to persistent pain and self management.
When someone suffers from a neuromusculoskeletal disorder, an exercise and movement re-education program may be sufficient to restore full pain free movement, function, and return to full activity. However, in some cases, soft-tissue and joint restrictions are present, resulting in these same interventions being painful or, worse, aggravating to the condition. In these instances, a Physiotherapist can provide hands-on techniques to improve mobility, reduce pain, and restore normal function of the soft tissues and joints.