How things work. Treatment of pain.

Ever think about how what we do as health care professionals actually work when treating someone who's in pain? Here's our attempt at making a flow chart of some of the processes that can effect whether or not pain as an output can be modulated.

From this chart we can see how hands on techniques such as soft tissue massage, HVLA or even dry needling can have it's place in a neurological frame work by providing sensory input information. This information is modulated centrally and can go someway to desensitizing an individuals response to the question "is there a threat?"

Central influence has also become popular particularly in chronic pain patients. Ideas such as Meditation or Breathing Techniques have long been used to help with pain. Do they fall into this area with other ideas such as Pain Education and other Coping Strategies.

Finally, at the Movement Assessment Technologies, we aim to bring ideas of Movement Training to healthcare particularly for those suffering from chronic pain. Movement is also an output from the brain that will have a subsequent input of kinematic and kinetic information. Could we use strategies to influence this to try and create positive change in whether the brain perceives there to be a threat? We would argue yes.