Soft tissue pain and physical therapy

Abstract 

Soft tissue pain is one of the most common reasons for consulting a physiotherapist. Physical therapy management of the condition in the acute (injury) stage is focused on the management of inflammation to reduce further damage and promote healing. Treatment soon after injury and in the subacute stage focuses on functional rehabilitation to restore normal strength and biomechanics to the injured part. Adjuncts to treatment such as electrotherapies and acupuncture are often used but lack rigorous scientific evidence. In patients with chronic pain arising from soft tissues a rehabilitation approach that identifies barriers to normal function, both physiological and psychological, is adopted. Although pain reduction is one aim of management in chronic pain, treatment is designed to restore function and achieve patient-valued goals, even if complete pain relief is not achievable.

Keywords: acute pain, chronic pain, physical therapy