What is chronic pain?

Pain is considered “chronic” when it persists for 3 months or more. For some, chronic pain develops after an injury or illness. For others, it can develop due to a medical condition, or on its own with no history of illness or injury. According to Health Canada, up to 8 million Canadians experience chronic pain.

What is the difference between short term pain and chronic pain?

Many people experience short term pain after an injury or illness. This short term pain improves as you heal and get better. Short term pain typically responds well to traditional methods of pain-management – things like rest, ice or heat, and pain medications.

Chronic pain, on the other hand, behaves differently. It does not necessarily get better as you heal, and may not respond to traditional pain-management approaches. For many people, their chronic pain can also be made worse by factors such as stress or poor sleep.

How can physiotherapy help?

At Scotia Physiotherapy, your therapist will perform a thorough assessment to identify factors related to your pain. They will help to develop a personalized treatment plan to help you manage your pain.

We offer a multidisciplinary approach to pain management, including:

• Acupuncture
• Dry needling
• Manual therapy
• Therapeutic ultrasound and laser
• Supervised in-gym physiotherapy
• Massage therapy
• Nutrition counselling