PHYSICALTHERAPYMAYBETHESOLUTIONYOU’VEBEENLOOKINGFOR
Options Beyond Pain Medication
When to Talk to a Physical Therapist Pain that lasts less than 90 days is considered acute; anything over that is chronic. When a condition becomes chronic, it’s recommended that you speak to a physical therapist about the pain you’re experiencing instead of continuing painmedication. The CDC guidelines note that non-opioid therapies are “preferred” for chronic pain and state, “Clinicians should consider opioid therapy only if expected benefits for both pain and function are anticipated to outweigh risks to the patient.”
If you go to your doctor with pain, chances are they’ll prescribe you pain medication. While painmedication can help in certain situations, such as acute pain, cancer treatment, and end-of-life care, in others, it’s not always the only solution. Relying too heavily onmedication for chronic pain can lead to bigger problems. Tomanage long-lasting pain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, highly recommends seeing a physical therapist. The Benefits of Physical Therapy When you suffer from chronic pain and take painmedications to cope, you’re not solving the problem. The pills only mask the pain, but the issue remains. A physical therapist works to resolve the problems causing the pain andmanage pain by strengthening the affected part of the body. Instead of relying on prescription drugs, a physical therapist helps relieve pain through education, hands-on care, andmovement. Myths About Physical Therapy Youmay have heard that physical therapy is painful or that a center will only accept someone who has been injured, but that’s not true. Physical therapy works with a patient’s range of motion and limitations to heal and restore their body’s proper function. The PT’s goal is to relieve your pain, not create it. Patients include older people experiencing age-related wear and tear, athletes, and individuals hurt in accidents. Physical therapists specialize in restoringmobility and relieving pain as well as detecting and diagnosing problems before they become worse.
Suffering frompain doesn’t have to be part of your life, and there are other solutions than relying onmedication.
Take a Break!
Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch
INGREDIENTS •
1 large egg white
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1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
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1 teaspoon light agave syrup
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1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped
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1/2 teaspoon garammasala or curry powder
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated. 4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl
and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture.
5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
Solution on page 4
Recipe Inspired by epicurious.com
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