Can physical therapy actually cause pain?
I һаνе minor neck pain, x ray shows ѕοmе wear аחԁ tear аחԁ a modest arthritis. I wеחt tο a qualified physical therapist wһο һеƖреԁ mу friend wіtһ tһе same shape up. Hе іѕ аƖѕο חοt compulsory bу mу doctor. Bυt, one οf tһе exercises һе recommends, causes mу neck tο һυrt. Hе ѕауѕ “push through tһе pain” bυt I rесkοח I ѕһουƖԁ listen tο mу body аחԁ ѕtοр wһеח іt gets sore. I аm free tο ɡο іt anyway I want during mу daily tasks. Cаח anyone relate tο tһіѕ experience? SһουƖԁ wе listen tο ουr body аחԁ apply ѕοmе balance οr ԁοеѕ tһіѕ dude know best. Thanks.
push through the pain, huh? pain is a warning that there is something incorrect. it is stupid to try to snub it. what you are doing will not help, it will make you worse. they simply have no thought what they’re doing. the cause is not the area of degeneration in your mid-neck, it is above, at atlas level, from a misaligned and fixated atlas vertebra pressing on nerves in your spinal cord. this is the cause of the degenerative changes in your neck, and unless and until it is corrected, you will get worse. that is nature. if you want to really get better, from this, and the other problems caused by your nerve interference pattern, see an hio method chiropractor.
I would disagree with the therapist (but with some modifications on what he/she said) on this case. Rather, I use the “traffic light guide” in these cases. An exercise that makes you feel better or less stiff the more you do it, green light, keep going. If it hurts when you complete it, but once you stop doing it, the pain settles down, yellow light, proceed with caution. What you might find is that with continued repetition (either immediately or with time) it gets easier and easier. Now the yellow light turns green. However, should the repetitions cause it to hurt more and more each time, should it begin to spread into the arm, and/or should it remain worse even after you stop, this is a red light and a sign you should discontinue the exercise.
There are certainly times it’s acceptable and even required to cause discomfort during the exercise. A “dysfunction” syndrome where the tissue has become adaptively shortened will cause pain each time you stretch it, it will hurt. However, stretching it is how you get the tissue to remodel itself. In a “derangement” syndrome, where the motion of the segment is obstructed, this might also hurt when doing the exercise, but it should get better with several repetitions (if the right direction is picked). (and based on your medical diagnosis, I would say dysfunction or derangement is possible)> But, in both cases, upon stopping the exercise, your pain should settle down to baseline. If not, then any the diagnosis is incorrect, and/or the incorrect direction/break down amplitude of movement was picked.
I reckon if you can apply the same concept to your exercise, you will do well. If you run into any “red lights,” stop the exercise and tell the therapist…it’s all part of continued evaluation and he/she should know where to turn next.