Pain Management

Pain is the major complaint of most patients. Finding ways to minimize the devastating effects of pain (psychological, socioeconomic, and physiological) is the major challenge for those who care for people suffering from pain. To deal with the problem effectively, one must understand that pain is a multidimensional phenomenon: ie, the experience of pain is modulated by a wide range of factors such as the sensitivity of the particular tissue involved, the person’s mental state, the attitudes of the culture toward pain, and the person’s previous experience of pain. Patients who suffer from chronic or acute pain are often extremely irritable and depressed. Consequently, the physical therapist must be aware of its psychological as well as neurophysiologic aspects. Various modalities are utilized by physical therapists to either decrease the pain or increase a patient’s tolerance to pain.