Is Physical/ Occupational Therapy Painful?

Many people have the misconception about therapy in thinking that treatments must be painful in order to be effective, “no pain, no gain”, when actually one of the goals of therapy is the reduction of pain. NELA Rehab believes that while temporary soreness can be a normal response to therapy sessions involving exercise and manual treatments, a correctly designed program should not make your injury or painful condition worse. Knowing what to expect during your visits will hopefully dispel any apprehension you may feel.

Most people needing therapy have sustained an injury, been involved in an accident, or are suffering from a disabling condition or disease. All of which cause discomfort of varying degrees. Pain is our body’s way of telling us that something is not working well. Pain may result from lack of strength, lack of mobility, injury or anatomical structure. Research puts emphasis on using manual therapy and exercise to allow healing and optimization of motion and strength and does not make the pain worse in the process.