Physiotherapy for Chronic Pain in Bradford (Arthritis & Fibromyalgia)

Pain that lasts longer than three months is called chronic or persistent pain. Osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and long-standing back and neck pain are common examples. Chronic pain changes how you move, how much you do and how well you sleep, and many people end up doing less and less. At WellCare Medical in Bradford, physiotherapy for chronic pain helps you build activity back up at a pace your body can accept, so you can do more with fewer flare-ups.

• Osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, hand or spine
• Fibromyalgia and widespread muscle pain
• Persistent lower back or neck pain
• pain that has continued after an injury, surgery or car accident

With persistent pain, the nervous system often becomes more sensitive, so movements that are safe can still hurt. Physiotherapy works on both the body and that sensitivity:

• Education. Understanding why pain persists, and that hurt does not always mean harm, reduces fear of movement.
• Graded activity and pacing. You start with an amount of activity you can manage on a bad day and increase it in small, planned steps.
• Gentle mobility. Exercises that keep joints moving and ease stiffness.
• Strength and balance. Low-impact strengthening that supports the joints and makes daily tasks easier.
• Flare-up planning. What to do when pain spikes, so a setback does not undo your progress.
• Sleep and stress strategies. Both have a strong effect on pain.

Hands-on treatment can help in the short term, but for chronic pain the lasting results come from what you do between visits.

Your physiotherapist asks about the history of your pain, the treatments you have tried, and what you most want to be able to do again. They assess your movement, strength and walking, and ask about sleep, mood and activity levels. Together you set two or three practical goals, such as walking for 20 minutes or getting through a workday, and build the plan around them.

See your doctor about pain that is new or has changed in character, pain with unexplained weight loss or fever, pain that wakes you at night, or new numbness or weakness. Speak to your doctor as well if pain is affecting your mood. That is common and treatable.

Many people with persistent pain combine physiotherapy with massage therapy, acupuncture or chiropractic treatment. When pain follows an accident or involves an insurance claim, a formal chronic pain assessment documents how it affects your life and guides treatment. For stiff, sore joints, see physiotherapy for joint stiffness and muscle tightness.