Should I just deal with the pain?

This week's question -

I have an injury and my doctor told me there is nothing I can do about it. I should just deal with the pain and not do things that hurt.

My answer -

This quesiton/answer is something that I am very passionate about and a good part of the reason I developed Perfect Ten Physical Therapy. In my opinion, there are very few orthopedic injuries/pain issues where there is truly "nothing to do about it" and while there are cases where activities may need to be modified after an injury/condition, I think it is probably the case in less than 1% of people. It also depends a lot on how much that activity means to someone and how hard they are willing to work in rehab to get to a point where they are able to do that activity.

Even if there is a case where a joint is structurally damaged, there are still pain interventions that can be done including treating surrounding joints, treating the nervous system, etc.

If it is something more like "growing pains," there can be a lot that can be done to the specific area that can help to decrease the pain and healing time. "Growing pains" typically come from areas growing at rates that are out of sync with other areas of the body, and just like a student who is "out of sync" with the class, a little one on one attention and extra "instruction" can go a long way.

Overall, the point is that accepting the idea that "there is nothing to be done" and I "have to live in pain" is doing a disservice to yourself. You are worth more and I encourage you to keep looking until you find a practitioner that is willing to work with you, or willing to admit when THEY cannot do any more for you but will help you find someone who can.

Have a question you want answered? Email us at info@perfecttenpt.com