Physical therapy, chronic pain and chronic illness: our expert’s answers

Hello François, can you explain what physical therapy is all about?

Physical therapy is the treatment of physical and motor disabilities that result from injuries and diseases that can affect muscles, joints, bones, the neurological system (brain, nerves, spinal cord), the respiratory system (lungs), the circulatory system (blood vessels) and the heart system (heart).

Which chronic diseases can take advantage of this treatment?

There are many of them. Physical therapy is used in many medical specialities such as neurology (stroke, Parkinson's disease), traumatology, rheumatology, pulmonology, etc.

In rheumatology, for example, physical therapy is used as a long-term treatment for diseases such as MS, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or Lyme disease.

This year, the theme of the World Physical Therapy Day is chronic pain. How can this discipline fight chronic pain?

Physical therapy uses analgesic techniques to relieve the patient suffering from chronic pain. This is the case, for example, with massage, electrotherapy or balneotherapy, which have a real immediate effect on pain. To reduce pain in a sustainable way, these methods are often combined with exercises and body mobilizations.

When you are in pain, it is difficult to be enthusiastic about doing exercises. What would you say to our readers who are in this situation?

Some patients are afraid of movement because they fear their pain will increase. But it’s the opposite: seeing a physical therapist will allow them to cross this barrier in a very gentle and progressive way. This is the only way to regain functional abilities. The vicious circle of "I'm in pain, I'm not moving" must be avoided at all costs. The solution is to be progressive in the intensity and repetition of the movements you achieve. I often say that the body adapts to what you ask of it! If you don't challenge your body, then you’ll get used to doing nothing and your body will lose its skills. On the contrary, when you use your body, it will always respond positively and allows functional capacities to improve.

To fight pain on a daily basis, what simple exercises would you recommend patients to do at home?

I cannot answer this question because it depends on the patient's pathology. But in general, it is important to do simple movements that respect the body physiology. The exercises must be easy to do, so that they are done properly, with no risk of hurting yourself, and so that the patient can repeat them daily with pleasure!

Is it important to be physically active between physical therapy sessions?

It’s the physical therapist’s job to help you choose the best physical activity. Sometimes, it is better not to be physically active between two sessions: for example, if you are in the inflammatory phase of osteoarthritis of the knee, it is obvious that it is not advisable to do a jog! On the other hand, other situations require to do sport between sessions: for example, if you are trying to get back in shape after an ankle sprain, it is important to complete the re-education with adapted sports sessions.

Are there any new techniques developing in the field of physical therapy?

Yes, physical therapy is really growing and learning. There are many scientific studies that are being carried out and the way we do our job is changing. Physical therapists have a duty of keeping up with these innovations and it allows us to be up to date on the treatments we offer to our patients.

If you suffer from inflammatory rheumatism such as rheumatoid arthritis, can you go to see your physical therapist when you are in an attack?

Of course! The physical therapist will use analgesic techniques to reduce the pain induced by this inflammatory phase.

The WCPT (World Confederation for Physical Therapy) explains that cancer patients can also benefit from physical therapy, can you tell us more?

I am not an expert of oncology, but I know that physical therapy’s results for some cancers are very encouraging. For example, in colon cancer, the physical activity allows a "gastric emptying", which prevents the growth of metastases as they no longer have the nutrients necessary for their development.

Beyond physical exercise, does the physical therapist have a role to play in accompanying and advising patients so that they can learn to better manage their pain?

It seems to me that this is a very important point.

I think it is essential for a patient with chronic pain to be managed by a health professional such as a physical therapist. The follow-up can be weekly or even daily depending on the pathology: the physical therapist gets to know the patient very well. I can adapt the sessions according to my patients' pain, as I know them and I know what they can cope with, what their state of mind is, etc.       

Are there any chronic pains or diseases for which the use of physical therapy is not recommended or not effective?

There are of course many pathologies for which it will not be useful. Always go to your GP for advice or to your specialist so they can tell you if physical therapy can do you good.

Have you ever tried physical therapy?
What have been the benefits of this practice on your mobility?