The final portion of the evaluation is usually a subjective patient self-report of pain, to serve as a baseline for progress during rehab. The McGill scale. The Pain Impairment Rating Scale. Although Parr says it's not important that PTs use any one test, she says that patient self-reports like these are particularly important when treating patients with chronic pain. At this point, therapists should have a good idea of their patients' areas of weakness and degree of pain.
Management is the next step.
Although chronic pain problems are usually managed best through exercise, self-management techniques and lifestyle changes, many patients come to the clinic in acute pain that can impede the rehab process. One of the most common symptoms of acute pain is inflammation, which can impede mobility. Iontophoresis can be a painless and effective solution to this problem. Iontophoresis works particularly well in combination with ice and massage, but you should note that a unit typically drives medication only two centimeters beneath the skin, which might not be deep enough to effect certain areas or work with heavier patients. In addition to reducing inflammation, electrical stimulation can also be used to maintain tone while patients aren't using the affected muscles, and as a form of muscle re-education for recovering patients.