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Physical Therapy: The Right Touch For Your Musculoskeletal Pain

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Pain can come in many forms; it can be the result of an injury, surgery, or an illness; it can be intense pain or a subtle ache; it may be acute or longstanding, localized or widespread. However it manifests, the bottom line for anyone in pain is: the sooner the recovery, the better the quality of life.

Pain is often an indicator of an imbalance somewhere in the musculoskeletal system. Our body’s magnificent framework is made up of bones, muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments that work together to provide stability, put us in motion, and support the proper functioning of all our vital organs and their systems. When there is an imbalance the body overcompensates, eventually causing fatigue, inflammation, and dysfunction in the area.

Physical therapy offers undeniable value when treating musculoskeletal pain. With extensive training in manual skills and a comprehensive understanding of body mechanics, physical therapists can treat a wide range of musculoskeletal pain problems. For example, there are physical therapists who help patients recover from sports injuries or strokes, others who work primarily with patients suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction, and those who specialize in Craniosacral Therapy, which may provide symptomatic relief from chronic neck and back pain, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJS), and traumatic brain injuries, among many other conditions. While some physical therapists specialize in working with children and infants, others work primarily with adult or geriatric patients.

“Physical therapy is a dynamic profession with an established theoretical and scientific base and widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function.” – American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

Fundamental benefits of PT

Encourages physical activity

PT requires movement! The inclination may be to take time off from exercise when in pain. However, physical therapists are able to “prescribe” exercise programs appropriate for a patient’s specific medical condition. With the right program and under the right guidance, the body continues to move, which promotes heart health, bone health, mental health, and more. In other words, staying active is critical for healing and for lowering the risk of other illnesses in the future.

Promotes natural healing

PT, like other alternative therapies, promotes the body’s natural healing process and does not come with the cost and risky side effects of powerful pain medications and invasive measures like surgery and injections. Because of the massive opioid crisis, in 2016 and again in 2022, the Centers for Disease Control changed its clinician guidelines to recommend physical therapy and other nonpharmacological therapies as a first line of treatment for chronic, non-cancerous pain conditions. While there is an appropriate time to consider opioids for acute pain management, physical therapy should be the first line of treatment for musculoskeletal pain, and, depending on your condition, may very well be the only treatment you need.

Restores function

PT teaches individuals about body mechanics for sitting, standing, and lifting. Patients are educated about their body’s limitations and given an individualized program that will gradually improve their range of motion, muscle strength, and stability for a faster and more complete recovery so they can reengage in life.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Teamwork is defined as “the combined actions of a group of people working together effectively to achieve a goal.” Working with a physical therapist will provide instruction, encouragement, and consistency in your healing process.

In sum

Fundamental health relies on a healthy musculoskeletal system so that other critical systems, like the neurological, circulatory, and hormonal systems, can function properly too. Physical therapists are expertly trained to locate and rehabilitate deficiencies in the musculoskeletal system for a more complete recovery.

If you have a pain problem, your physician should take a thorough medical history, including asking questions about the special characteristics of your pain, including its duration and the particular sensations you are experiencing. This will not only help to accurately identify the cause or causes of your pain problem but will also eliminate other possibilities. If physical therapy is in order, your doctor can help you find a physical therapist with the right set of skills to meet your medical needs.

To schedule an appointment with a Kaplan Center physician to see if physical therapy is appropriate for you, please call 703-532-4892. Physical Therapy orders from non-Kaplan physicians can be used for treatment here.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

This article was originally published in October 2018. It was reviewed and updated in October 2023.

Drug Free Migraine Treatments

5 Ways to Treat a Migraine without Drugs

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As migraine sufferers will attest, a migraine headache can be caused by any number of factors, meaning that there is no one-size-fits-all remedy. Therefore, keeping an open mind and exploring some alternative treatments could actually be the key to becoming migraine-free. Fortunately, people seeking migraine relief have a wide range of treatments available to them, outside the realm of conventional medicine, that are clinically-proven to help reduce migraine frequency and severity.

Here are 5 drug free migraine treatments that can help keep your migraine at bay:

1. Craniosacral Therapy — By using a gentle, “light-touch” to help release both emotional and physical imbalances that have been stored in the body’s membranes and connective tissue, craniosacral therapy allows the body to respond and relax. Practitioners trained in craniosacral therapy are able to feel and monitor changes in the body by placing their hands in the areas that are the source of dysfunction, following the body’s cues as it works to release the tensions that are causing pain. Over time this non-invasive touch helps decrease the symptoms of headache and migraine.

2. Acupuncture — According to a review of 22 clinical trials studying more than 4,000 migraine sufferers, acupuncture was found to be as effective as medication – and sometimes even more effective than medication – for preventing migraines.

Questions? Give Us a Call!

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3. Nutritional Supplements — People who suffer with frequent migraines often look to vitamins and/or supplements in place of prescription medication. Riboflavin (vitamin B2), magnesium, and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) have all demonstrated protective effects against migraines.

Although side-effects are generally milder than those from prescription medications, supplementing is not risk free. Make sure to buy from a reliable source and talk to your doctor about dosages and possible interactions with other medications.

4. Trigger Point Therapy — Sometimes headache pain can be caused or worsened by trigger points or a strain/sprain located in the neck. If this is the case, trigger point injections can be very effective in relaxing tight areas in the neck and back, thereby reducing the incidence and severity of migraines.

5. Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy — Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT), also known as Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), is a non-invasive, manual therapy that relieves tense muscles, tendons, and ligaments to allow the body to work more efficiently. A number of studies have shown that the hands-on techniques used in OMT, including massage, soft tissue and muscle stretching, and joint mobilization, are particularly effective for preventing migraines.

When it comes to migraines, symptoms vary from individual-to-individual, so prevention and treatment options may have mixed levels of success depending on an individual’s medical condition, history, and specific needs. Thinking outside-the-box when considering treatment options is the best approach when searching for relief from migraine symptoms.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

This article originally appeared in Dr. Kaplan’s column on MindBodyGreen.com. It was reviewed and updated on 4/4/2023.

 

Craniosacral therapy for headache

Craniosacral Therapy for Chronic Headache Relief

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Chronic headaches affect millions of people each year and are one of the most common complaints expressed by our patients at The Kaplan Center. An individual can experience headaches for any number of reasons, including stress, stationary positioning in front of a computer, and muscle tightness causing a decreased range of motion in the neck and head. Other contributing factors could include improper alignment of the jaw, hormonal factors, a car accident, a change in vision, or some other disease process.

Craniosacral therapy is an osteopathic technique that can be a very valuable tool for treatment.

The craniosacral system, which extends from the cranium to the sacrum and coccyx, houses the central nervous system (CNS). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is formed in the brain and flows within the dural membrane (one of the 3 protective layers of the CNS), covering our bones, joints, and the sutures that interconnect those bones, in a rhythmic rise-and-fall of fluid volume and pressure. Acting as a “shock absorber,” the CSF delivers nutrients and washes away waste products from the metabolic processes. Tension in the membranes can disrupt the cranial rhythm.  Through gentle palpation, a trained craniosacral therapist can use this rhythm as both an evaluative and therapeutic tool. Our bodies have many different rhythms and are constantly in motion. In the same way that we refer to a “resting heart rate” or our “resting respiratory rate,” our cranial rhythmic impulse (flow of the cerebrospinal fluid) usually manifests between 6-12 cycles per minute.

Craniosacral therapy is a very effective, light-touch therapy that supports the body’s own healing resources.

Therapists are trained to feel and monitor changes in the body by placing their hands in the areas that are the source of dysfunction. They follow the body’s cues as the body works to release the tensions that are causing pain. Nerve endings in our skin send messages to the brain that stimulate a response either to pain or pleasure. A therapist’s gentle, non-invasive touch in a painful area allows the body to respond and relax, whereas too firm a touch activates neuromuscular tension and stress patterns, preventing the ability to affect this very deep core system. Using the gentle method, therapists are therefore able to feel changes in different anatomical structures in the body, bones, soft tissue, membranes, and fluids.

Questions? Give Us a Call!

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During a treatment session, it is possible to feel a variety of sensations, such as heat, cold, pulsing and/or vibration, but patients don’t necessarily have to feel any of these in order for the technique to be effective. Almost always, a deep sense of relaxation is felt. Focusing on what you are feeling within your body during treatment is extremely helpful. Symptoms can momentarily increase and then resolve just as quickly. Patients might experience remembering an unpleasant or traumatic event in their life, or they might feel sensations in another part of their body that is not being touched. All of these are indications that tension within the body is returning to a state of homeostasis, a term reflecting balance within the system.

The effects of the treatment are not necessarily felt right away and typically several treatments may be needed to effect significant change. The patient could feel very relaxed, fatigued, looser in their body’s movements, or they could notice improved ease of breathing or even be slightly disoriented – all of which indicate that the body is experiencing a new normal and needs time to adjust to it. The goal of craniosacral therapy is that this gradual re-adjustment will help decrease some of the symptoms of headaches.

A self-help technique using a Still Point Inducer (SPI) can be tried at home. The SPI can be made by tying two tennis balls tightly in a sock so they cannot shift around. These are then placed on the back of the head with a rolled-up towel for support under the neck or by lying on the floor with the SPI under the head in line with the ears. Just ten minutes is enough to help with headache pain and the method can be repeated several times during the day.

If you suffer from recurring headaches or migraines, craniosacral therapy can be a safe and effective alternative to prescription medication. Its gentle touch can help release the emotional and physical imbalances that have been stored in the body’s membranes and connective tissue, enabling the central nervous system to perform optimally.

– Patricia Alomar, M.S., P.T.

 

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2