In Pain? 4 reasons why your pain may not be improving.

Body tissue completely heals in 6 to 12 weeks following an injury. Many patients experience pain for longer periods.

Science has proven that the intensity of pain you may feel is not always linked to the amount of damage.

We often see patients in severe amount of pain with no direct damage to their body. With this in mind, we explore some possible reasons why your pain might not be getting better, even after tissues have healed.

Fear - You’re afraid of the pain.

Pain is individual, and for some of us pain can affect our work or can be a symptom of a serious disease. What you believe about your pain can either amplify or reduce symptoms you experience. If you feel that every time you experience pain you are causing more damage, you will naturally pay more attention to this and your nervous system will amplify pain signals to the brain in an attempt to keep you safe.

If you understand the cause of your pain and know that while there maybe discomfort, you are not in danger of causing more damage, the pain felt will feel less severe. This is one of the benefits of seeing a Physiotherapist after your injury as they can help you to understand your pain, discuss options for treatment, and give you control over your recovery.

Guarded or over protection - You started moving differently after the injury.

Immediately after an injury, it’s natural to change the way you move to avoid painful movements. This is very normal and helpful. For example, limping after a sprained ankle. After a period of time these changes to the way you move can become unhelpful and actually begin to cause pain and discomfort.

Correcting these unhelpful movement patterns goes a long way to reducing pain after an injury. Unhelpful and helpful changes in movement can be identified by your Physiotherapist. You might not have even noticed these changes movement, and exercise encouraging normal movement can greatly reduce your pain.

Deconditoning - You have lost muscle strength since the injury.

Active rest following an injury can be helpful particular if your Physiotherapist detects tissue damage. It is called active rest, as if we stop moving altogether, we quickly lose muscle strength. This manifest as changes to the way move and lack the strength required to complete tasks we previously took for granted. Physiotherapists are able to advise you on the right types and amounts of exercise for you in the period following your injury resulting in pain reduction and the quickest return to the activities your enjoy.

The pain has affected your lifestyle.

Pain may affects your sleep, participation in work and to play sport. This can have a negative affect on your overall well being and mental health. If your pain is really getting you down, by speaking to your Physiotherapist we are able to formulate a plan to restore your mental and physical health and have you healthy and happy once again.

WA Health Group is located in Canning Vale, Western Australia and we take pride in offering patients the best possible solution to their health concern. This is why we have team members from a range of allied health professions, including Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Podiatry, Dietitian and Remedial Massage who possess the expertise to have you health and happy once again. Book online now!