Often people with chronic pain don't respond to normal physical therapy approaches - and struggle to improve fitness and activity.
There are several reasons why:
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- Traditional "hands-on" approaches like massage, and manipulation tend to give only give short-term help or no help in chronic pain. We now know a hands-off approach focusing on safe, simple to learn home based exercise is much more effective in chronic pain.
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- For people suffering with long-term pain there are many other barriers to improving activity levels and fitness that need to be considered. A common example is fear of causing further damage if pain occurs during exercise. In chronic pain - exercise induced pain is normal and very rarely unsafe.
To help people with chronic pain our exercise physiologists combine "hands-off" exercise and posture strategies, with education and advice to overcome specific barriers in chronic pain patients have prevented progress with fitness and activity in the past.
This unique and proven approach allows chronic pain sufferers to learn how to safely and independently, improve activity levels and fitness.
A program with our exercise physiology team typically covers the following areas:
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- Prescribing self-managed exercise programs that are home based.
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- Grading exercise at a tailored pace to minimize pain flare-ups.
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- Teaching specific strategies such as pacing activities and flare-up management.
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- Health education, lifestyle and behaviour modification
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- Chronic disease management and prevention
