Chronic pain pertains to any unpleasant sensation that lasts for more than three months or beyond the normal healing time. Seniors with chronic pain often have an ongoing disease and may experience symptoms like stiffness, decreased circulation, and increased medication use. However, chronic pain can be addressed by medical services like physical therapy.
As a reputable home care agency in Oklahoma, we will discuss how physical therapy can help manage chronic pain in older adults:
- Patient Education
Physical therapy has many health benefits for seniors, including education. Physical therapists can improve their understanding of chronic pain, why it occurs, and what they can do about it. They may also recommend non-medical services to help deal with chronic pain, such as live-in care and companion services. - Manual Therapy
Manual therapy consists of hands-on techniques that manipulate or mobilize soft tissues and tight joint structures. This helps increase the range of motion and enhance the quality of the tissues to reduce pain. - Strengthening Exercises
Physical therapists can recommend strengthening and flexibility exercises to lessen discomfort. These exercises are gradually increased according to the senior’s abilities. Over time, they can help reduce stress on the body and decrease pain. - Body Mechanics Instruction
Physical therapists can also improve posture and movement through posture awareness and body mechanics instruction. This enables seniors to perform daily tasks or recreational activities while reducing their pain and enhancing their ability to function.
Devine Home Health Care Solutions is a trusted provider of high-quality, comprehensive home health care in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We offer physical therapy to help our clients retain or regain their physical abilities and promote mobility. Feel free to give us a call to arrange our physical therapy services.