“No band-aids,” is something you may hear us say around the office or to you. But, let’s figure out what that means and why it is VERY important to you and your rehabilitation journey. Band-aids as we know them help protect us and help us heal faster (re-injuring less)- so what’s the big deal? Band-aids are not bad, they just are not the solution to the problem, they cover it. Think pain management. Your body’s healing ability and, if any, the medication you are using are helping FIX the problem. Remember your body is capable of some pretty cool and amazing stuff; it just needs some help sometimes.
What Does Pain Management Look Like?
Now that we got the summary of a band-aid of the way, why do the physical therapists at P3 say it, or something close? It is because we don’t treat problems with hot packs, cold packs, massage, etc. Those can be called pain management interventions. We treat them with accurate diagnoses, constant reassessment, and specific exercises targeted at your problem. We MAY tell you to utilize these “feel good” interventions, but it is in order to get you moving more or easier. Fun fact, movement is medicine. No “feel good” method has been proven to treat and fix pain, only mask it temporarily and this is why many patients get stuck seeing providers for the long term.
How Pain Management Becomes A Pain Solution
Think of a paper cut, OUCH. When we put a band-aid on it, we feel like we can move our finger/hand more, and less likely to be infected since it’s covered. But that does not close the wound – it just helps it have a better chance at closing. Same kind of thought process applies to rehab. We MAY use those “feel good” methods, but it is to get you moving and/or less fearful of moving. This allows us to guide you back to your sport or activity safely and efficiently. In order to continue to complete a physical task with your body that it is in pain, you should expect to have some physical work needed to be done to get you back to feeling 100%.
Are You Ready For A Pain Solution?
Why is this important to know? The only way for structures to change is to challenge them. So making things only “feel good” and not putting some type of stimulus behind your rehab will not drive the outcome you want. If your goal is to run 3 miles without pain, you cannot just scrape your calf and PRESTO! It will take time, fixing the problem, and then crushing that race. If your health care provider is just giving you a hotpack and electrical stim pads – it may be time to find a new one! We are always ready to get you back in the game. If you are interested in a pain solution reach out to us by filling out a contact form. Disclaimer: actual band-aids are great at helping wounds stay clean and heal, so keep using them! 😉