Physical therapy can be an alternative to opioid pain medication

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four people with prescription opioids struggles with addiction.
To curb this epidemic of opioid addition, the CDC released new guidelines for the prescription of opioids for chronic pain, urging health care providers to reduce the use of opioids in favor of non-pharmacologic therapies, including physical therapy.
Physical therapists are movement experts who treat pain through movement instead of simply masking the sensation of pain. 
Physical therapists partner with the patient, their families and other health care professionals to set realistic recovery expectations toward the goal of managing pain.
Physical therapists also play a valuable role in the patient education process.  Research has shown that a single education session with a physical therapist can lead to improved function, range of motion and decreased pain.
Physical therapy often results in the reduction or elimination of the patient’s need for opioids. 
“Considering the risks and side effects associated with opioid use, we encourage all patients to discuss the option of physical therapy with their provider before they agree to a prescription to help manage their pain,” said Jennifer Hoefert, Sanford Luverne Medical Center rehab services manager.
Sanford Luverne Rehab Services Department includes nine physical therapists and two physical therapy assistants, specializing in orthopedics, geriatrics, pediatrics, aquatic therapy and women’s health.
For more information, visit www.apta.org/NPTM/PTsFightOpioidEpidemicArticle/.
 
About Sanford Luverne
Sanford Luverne is a 25-bed critical access hospital and attached clinic with roughly 250 employees and 200 volunteers.
It’s served by eight family medicine physicians, a certified nurse practitioner, general surgeon and several visiting physician specialists.