Lifestyle.physio

A recent study at Johns Hopkins Medicine has shown that a person’s positive attitude may be just as effective as a painkiller if they can successfully put the pain out of their mind. The more optimistic outlook will also lead to better sleep.

Key Points:

• 80% of chronic pain sufferers experience sleep disturbance
• People with altered sleep patterns are more sensitive to pain
• There was a direct correlation between negative thinking about pain and poor sleep
• Cognitive behavioural therapy can be just as effective as pain medication
• You change the way you feel by changing the way you think

Read more…

Chronic Upper Back Pain Case Study: Improved Symptoms After Physiotherapy Care

Adrian presented to Lifestyle Therapies on 8 June 2010 for physiotherapy management of long-standing upper back pain.

He had experienced upper back pain for more than 13 years, with symptoms progressively worsening over the previous four years. By the time he attended the clinic, the pain had become difficult to manage and was significantly affecting his quality of life.

Adrian had also experienced a frozen shoulder approximately 12 months earlier. He had already consulted several different health professionals, including an acupuncturist, physiotherapist, chiropractors, a rheumatologist and a musculoskeletal doctor.

After many years of pain and limited relief, Adrian was understandably frustrated.

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10-Year Chronic Pain Case Study: Back Pain, Ankle Pain and Treatment Progression

Sharon presented for physiotherapy after reading about the chronic pain services offered at Lifestyle Therapies.

She had been living with pain for approximately 10 years following a car accident in 2000, during which she fractured her left ankle. Since that time, she had developed persistent lower back pain, upper back pain and ongoing left ankle pain with reduced range of movement.

Sharon had already seen multiple therapists and tried a range of treatments. She was also experiencing depression, and the impact of living with persistent pain was evident from the first consultation.

This case study outlines Sharon’s presentation, early treatment response and the role that physiotherapy care, manual therapy, movement retraining and adjunctive Q magnet placement played in helping her progress. Read more…

There is a move on by chronic pain experts to have it recognised as a disease in its own right. A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald quotes Professor Michael Cousins saying…”Chronic pain, which affects one in five people and costs the economy about $34.4 billion a year, is the third-most expensive health problem in Australia but most sufferers were still seen as malingerers or drug seekers by general practitioners and busy emergency department staff“.

Chronic pain treatment is rated as very poor within the health system. While there is so much bad news about the treatment of chronic pain, Lifestyle Therapies recently launched a guaranteed service for sufferers. The intention behind the guarantee is to offer chronic pain sufferers one week to assess the treatment from key practitioners such as principal physiotherapist Dianne Hermans. Dianne has over 20 years experience as a physiotherapist and has presented and lectured around the world on treating complex and chronic pain conditions with modalities such as Q magnets.

Click here for more details on the guarantee.

Click here to learn what type of treatment you would expect to receive as part of the guaranteed service.