Chronic pain is life-altering. You may have lived with discomfort for years or recently felt consistent physical pain after an event like a car accident. While you should listen to your doctor’s advice, you can also seek help from other experts. Learning when to see a physiatrist and how they can assist could make you more comfortable.
What Is a Physiatrist?
A physiatrist is a doctor who helps people experiencing skeletal or nervous system discomfort. They often see patients recovering from injuries or illnesses who are facing debilitating pain. Physiatrists help them regain their independent daily lives by restoring their body’s previous natural functions. They can also incorporate your physician’s recommendations while providing holistic solutions for nervous system resets.
How They Help Patients
Physiatrists provide nonsurgical treatments for issues like muscular pain, skeletal conditions and nervous system discomfort. They listen to your physical and emotional side effects before creating a total body reset plan. They also recommend getting specialized support from numerous external resources when necessary, like physical therapists or acupuncturists.
Your physiatrist may even point out lifestyle modifications that could improve your results. They know how to manage stress with daily activities and support your posture better. Your specific experience will depend on what’s causing your discomfort.
Understanding What Dysregulates the Nervous System
Your nervous system is always active. Certain life events can throw it out of balance in unexpected ways, so learn what can cause those shifts to better understand your body.
1. Major Injuries
Injuries affect your nervous system along with your muscles and bones. If you recently survived a car accident, a significant fall or another serious injury, your nervous system could need some extra support. The experience may have affected your spinal cord or branches of nerve endings, resulting in long-lasting pain.
2. Chronic Stress
Stressful situations activate your body’s fight-or-flight response to help you survive. The increased and prolonged cortisol hormone production isn’t good for you. Nervous system deregulation can occur when you remain in that highly activated state.
3. Poor Posture
Your spine connects to a significant part of your nervous system. Poor posture can strain the nerve endings affecting other parts of your body. Sitting all day or lifting heavy objects at work can have a cumulative effect.
When to See a Physiatrist
People sometimes wonder when they should see a physiatrist. You don’t have to wait until your symptoms become so bad that you need immediate help. You can book an appointment with a physiatrist if you experience symptoms like:
- Back pain
- Nerve pain
- Discomfort after an injury
- General discomfort from daily activities
- Emotional distress that relates to physical symptoms
A physiatrist can help diagnose what’s causing your discomfort and recognize how it connects to your nervous system. Booking a consultation is the first step in healing your body alongside any recommendations from your primary care provider.
Techniques They May Use
Once your physiatrist identifies what’s causing your symptoms, they’ll recommend the next steps. They may choose specific techniques based on their expertise.
Therapeutic Exercises
Exercise can help relieve discomfort and rehabilitate the body. Your physiatrist may recommend some range-of-motion exercises to support your joints. Muscle-strengthening movements could provide better spine stability by strengthening your core.
Your physiatrist can outline a specific workout routine to retrain your nervous system and develop your muscles. The recommendations may also include assistive devices while you recover, like a temporary brace around your injury.
Hands-On Therapy Techniques
Manual therapy can be helpful for some patients, as well. Talk with your physiatrist about potential techniques that could improve nerve function in your muscles and joints. They might recommend recurring appointments where you undergo soft tissue massages to improve circulation.
Myofascial release could also release tension in connective tissue with sustained pressure. Physiatrists even assist with self-led stretching to help patients release pain related to muscle tension. The specific movements will depend on your case. If you recently experienced a traumatic injury, you may need more time to heal and complete physical therapy before hands-on stretching techniques can help.
Neuromodulation Strategies
If your discomfort relates directly to nerve activity, you can also reduce pain signals with neuromodulation. Some techniques, like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, may provide immediate relief with electrical currents, depending on your case. Talk with a physiatrist about noninvasive strategies like transcranial magnetic stimulation to see whether neuromodulation could be another way to manage your pain.
Optional Injections
Some physiatrists encourage patients to undergo trigger point injections to alleviate their pain. They may inject steroids or nerve blockers to treat discomfort in targeted areas. Regenerative medicine with platelet-rich plasma could also help heal the injured tissues causing continual pain. Injections are another path to consider while figuring out how to reset your nervous system.
FAQs
Many people have questions about how physiatry works and how it can benefit them. Here are some common ones.
What Are the Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System?
The signs of a dysregulated nervous system vary per person. Your experience depends on what’s causing your pain. You could experience heightened emotions during stressful periods, nerve pain, back discomfort and other chronic issues that make life less enjoyable.
How Long Does It Take to Reset the Nervous System?
There isn’t a set timeline for resetting your nervous system. Everyone has a different experience. You could have immediate relief and a long-term recovery plan, while someone else might finish their physiatrist’s treatment in days. Your timeline depends on what’s causing your chronic pain.
Does Sleeping Reset Your Nervous System?
Sleeping resets your nervous system because your brain repairs various nerve endings during the different sleep stages. While your body needs this nightly repair time, it may not be enough to heal your symptoms. REM cycles won’t provide the same healing as physical therapy or steroid injections, which is why it’s important to consult with physiatrists for extra recovery support.
Find Physical Pain Relief
You don’t have to live with chronic pain after an illness or injury. Work with your doctor to find tailored solutions and contact a physiatrist for assistance in resetting your nervous system. Combining treatment strategies could improve your quality of life. If you know when to see a physiatrist, you’ll feel more comfortable making an appointment and discussing your therapeutic options.
