Pain Awareness Month: How Physical Therapy Can Help Manage Chronic Pain

By Madelina Bucci, PT, DPT ///

September is Pain Awareness Month, a time to bring greater attention to the challenges of living with chronic pain and to the many ways it can affect movement, activity, work, exercise, and everyday life.

Here in Edgewater, New Jersey, summer is coming to an end, and we’re preparing for the challenges fall can bring for people living with chronic pain. Changes in activity, cooler temperatures, routines, and increased demands on the body can sometimes make existing pain and stiffness more noticeable.

For many patients, managing chronic pain requires more than temporary relief. It means understanding the underlying movement and physical challenges contributing to pain and learning how to manage them.

How Orthopedic Physical Therapy Can Help

Orthopedic Physical Therapy focuses on conditions affecting the muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. At Scerbo Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation, treatment is individualized to each patient’s condition, goals, and functional needs.

For patients with chronic or recurring pain, physical therapy can help improve mobility, flexibility, strength, balance, and functional movement, while providing practical strategies for managing symptoms and preventing problems from becoming worse.

One of the foundations of Orthopedic Physical Therapy is our Therapeutic Exercise Program, which may include passive, active, and resistive exercises.

Passive Exercise
Passive exercises involve movement of a joint or body part without active effort from the patient. These exercises may be helpful when pain, stiffness, weakness, or injury limits independent movement.

Active Exercise
Active exercises are performed by the patient, independently or with assistance, to improve mobility, movement patterns, coordination, and function.

Resistive Exercise
Resistive exercises strengthen muscles by adding resistance through body weight, bands, weights, or specialized equipment. As strength improves, exercises can be gradually progressed to help patients safely return to daily activities, work, recreation, and sports.

Therapeutic Modalities

Exercise is only one part of orthopedic physical therapy. Depending on the patient’s condition, our therapists may also incorporate therapeutic modalities such as manual therapy, electrotherapeutics, compression, light therapy, Blood Flow Restriction Therapy, ultrasound, heat, paraffin, diathermy, and cryotherapy.

These treatments are selected based on the individual—not simply to temporarily reduce discomfort, but to support mobility, recovery, and improved function.

Chronic Pain Management Goes Beyond Medication

Pain management is often most effective when it takes a comprehensive approach. Physical activity, therapeutic exercise, hands-on treatment, and patient education can all play an important role alongside other medical care when appropriate.

That is why patient education is such an important part of physical therapy.

Understanding your condition, learning proper body mechanics, recognizing activities that aggravate your symptoms, knowing how to exercise safely, and understanding how to prevent an injury or condition from getting worse can give you greater control over your long-term health.

Managing chronic pain goes beyond medication and into lifestyle. Knowledge is power, and knowing how to address your issues—and how to prevent them from getting worse—can be the key to living better with chronic pain.

Learn More About Orthopedic Physical Therapy

At Scerbo Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation, our orthopedic physical therapists create personalized treatment programs to help patients move better, function better, and stay active. Learn more about our Orthopedic Physical Therapy program.

Take the Next Step Toward Managing Your Pain

Living with chronic pain does not mean you have to navigate it alone. A physical assessment can help identify movement limitations, strength deficits, and other factors that may be contributing to your symptoms—and provide a clearer path forward.

Connect with the Scerbo Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation team to schedule a physical assessment with Dr. Madelina Bucci, PT, DPT, or one of our experienced physical therapists. Together, we can develop a personalized treatment plan designed to help you move better, manage your pain, and stay active.

Connect with our team to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Madelina Bucci, PT, DPT, or one of our experienced physical therapists. Together, we can develop a personalized treatment plan designed to help you move better, manage your pain, and stay active. Call us today at (201) 941-2240 or use our convenient online appointment form.

Dr. Madelina Bucci, PT, DPT, completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science. During her time at UVM, she was a member of the Division I Women’s Field Hockey team and earned NFHCA National Academic Squad honors. She then went on to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rutgers University.

During her graduate studies, Madelina gained experience in both outpatient and acute care settings, working with a wide range of patient populations. Her background includes treating individuals with Parkinson’s disease, the geriatric population, and active individuals working to return to their hobbies and daily activities. She has a particular interest in treating sports-related injuries and guiding patients through each stage of their rehabilitation.