I have met a lot of people who fear the pain of physical therapy or, even worse, surgery. So they avoid seeing a doctor, thinking that ignorance is bliss. (Given my last name, it’s not surprising that I disagree.)
The challenge with waiting is that the ways that your body tries to avoid pain, like limping and adjusting your posture, can actually make your pain worse in the long run, as our PT experts mention below. The longer you wait, the more likely you’ll have a bigger problem — and longer stint in physical therapy — than if you’d gone sooner.
Fear avoidance and the pain cycle
with advice from Coury and Buehler Physical Therapy
No one likes to feel pain – it’s a sign that something is wrong with your body. But many people often avoid exercise or physical therapy because they’re afraid it will be painful. This can cause a dangerous cycle that will actually lead to more pain, rather than less, especially when the pain is chronic or recurring.
As the experts at Coury & Buehler Physical Therapy explain it, “pain leads to fear avoidance behavior.” Your natural reaction to pain is to figure out what to not do in order to not feel the pain. So, for example, you limp to put less pressure on a sprained ankle. But the limping can affect your posture and other joints, leading to more pain.
To read the full entry, visit physiquality.com/blog!