Chronic Pain

Are you suffering from persistent pain that is limiting your physical abilities?

If so, physical therapy treatments can help you find Chronic Pain Relief. Pain does not always work in traditional ways. Sometimes it can linger for days, weeks, or even months due to an underlying condition.

When pain persists for three months or longer, that is referred to as “chronic pain.” If you are suffering from chronic pain and you are looking for relief, call your closest Bay State Physical Therapy to schedule your initial evaluation.

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Chronic vs. acute pain

Acute pain can be defined as pain that goes away on its own in a few hours, days, or weeks. If you accidentally sprain your wrist and you have to wear a brace for a few weeks until it is healed, you would be experiencing acute pain.

Chronic pain is a constant discomfort that lasts for 3-6 months (or longer) despite your best efforts to relieve it. There are several reasons why people may experience chronic pain. It is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical help. It can greatly hinder your quality of life by limiting your mobility, creating a dependence on prescription drugs, or even causing anxiety/depression. However, this can all be avoided with the help of physical therapy.

Why do I have chronic pain?

Most cases of chronic pain stem from the musculoskeletal system. This includes your muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissues. Chronic pain can appear in the form of back pain, joint pain, nerve pain, or headaches. It most commonly occurs due to one of the following causes:

  • Overuse Injuries – Overuse injuries are very common. They can occur in any part of the body that is used repetitively in your day-to-day life. For example, the way you stand, walk, work, and exercise can all take a toll on your body. It results in overuse injuries if you are not using proper techniques. This can result in damage to your joints and muscles, thus causing chronic pain. Physical therapy can help you learn how to properly move your body in your everyday life, in order to avoid these issues.
  • Accidents – Any accident can lead to chronic pain, whether it occurs in an automobile, workplace, or your own home. According to a 2016 statistic found by OSHA, workplace injuries happen to approximately 2.9 out of every 100 employees. Additionally, a study published in a journal called Pain determined that 21% of people involved in motor vehicle accidents develop chronic widespread pain in the weeks following their accident. This pain does not go away on its own, but seeking the help of a physical therapist can help alleviate it.
  • Surgery – Surgical procedures are sometimes unavoidable. While they may be necessary for alleviating certain conditions you are facing, the recovery period can be just as painful. Surgical repair of an area of the body is enough to correct a structural problem, but we often compensate in our movement for the pain we experience. Weeks, months, or even years of compensatory movement often causes additional pain after surgery if the movement is not corrected. Physical therapy offers post-surgical rehabilitation services that can help speed up recovery time, relieve pain, and reduce the risk of chronic pain in the future.
  • Disease – There are many diseases that can lead to chronic pain, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, shingles, neuropathy as a result of diabetes, and more. These can all result in chronic pain, which can be alleviated through physical therapy treatments.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is broadly defined as pain that persists for three months or longer, beyond the typical healing time of an injury or tissue event. Conditions commonly associated with chronic pain include fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, persistent neck pain, chronic pelvic pain, and widespread musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Over time, conditions like these can involve changes in how the nervous system processes pain signals, a phenomenon known as central sensitization, in which the nervous system becomes more sensitive and amplified in its response to input. Biological factors, psychological contributors such as stress and anxiety, and social circumstances all play meaningful roles in how chronic pain conditions develop and persist.

Yes, Bay State Physical Therapy can help with chronic pain. Physical therapy is a well-established and evidence-supported approach for chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, persistent neck pain, and chronic pelvic pain. Rather than focusing solely on tissue-level changes, modern physical therapy for these conditions incorporates graded activity, movement-based pain education, and progressive exercise to help calm the sensitized nervous system, rebuild activity tolerance, and restore confidence in movement. Many individuals living with fibromyalgia or chronic low back pain experience meaningful improvements in function and quality of life through a structured physical therapy program.

Pain neuroscience education is an evidence-based approach used by physical therapists to help individuals with conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, and central sensitization understand how the nervous system generates and amplifies pain signals. By learning that pain does not always equal damage, and that a sensitized nervous system can produce very real pain in the absence of ongoing tissue injury, many people experience a meaningful reduction in fear of movement, improved engagement with rehabilitation, and gradual decreases in pain intensity over time.

Sleep quality, stress levels, and emotional well-being are deeply interconnected with how the nervous system processes pain in conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, and central sensitization syndromes. Poor sleep increases inflammatory markers and lowers the pain threshold, while psychological stress activates the nervous system in ways that amplify pain sensitivity across these conditions. This is not a sign that fibromyalgia or chronic pain is imaginary; it reflects the genuine biological relationship between the brain, nervous system, and pain experience. Addressing sleep and stress alongside movement is a core component of effective rehabilitation for chronic pain conditions.

A physical therapy program for conditions like chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia, or persistent neck pain begins with a thorough evaluation of your movement patterns, pain history, activity levels, and contributing lifestyle factors. From there, your Bay State Physical Therapy physical therapist will build a gradual, individualized plan focused on building activity tolerance, restoring confidence in movement, and helping you return to the activities that matter most to you. Progress in chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia is measured by functional gains and quality of life improvements, not simply pain scores on a given day.

How can physical therapy help in Chronic Pain Relief?

Physical therapy is often associated with post-surgical procedures; however, it can also be used to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic pain. It is true that physical therapy can help decrease scar tissue and shorten the time spent recovering after surgery. However, one of the main goals of physical therapy is pain relief, which can be applied to any source of pain, whether it is post-operative or not.

Physical therapists are highly-trained movement experts who can diagnose physical problems and any underlying structural causes surrounding those problems. They conduct thorough physical evaluations with each of their patients, analyze weak areas of the body, focus on places with a limited range of motion, and look for any imbalances in gait or standing. All of this helps them identify the underlying causes of chronic pain.

Once the evaluation is complete, your physical therapist will create a treatment plan unique to your specific needs. This may include targeted exercise to increase strength, stretching to improve balance, or manual therapy to relieve pain, decrease scar tissue, and improve movement. Your treatment plan will incorporate in-clinic treatments, as well as at-home treatments to ensure that you are remaining healthy and active at all times. If you are interested in relieving your chronic pain through physical therapy, contact Bay State Physical Therapy today. Any of our dedicated physical therapists would be happy to meet with you and get you started on the right track toward long-lasting pain relief. 

Virtual Physical Therapy for Persistent Pain

When pain keeps returning or has lasted for months, knowing how to stay active can feel difficult. Virtual physical therapy offers personalized support for building movement into your routine at a manageable pace. Your therapist will listen to your experience, discuss your goals, and guide exercises and strategies that fit your daily life. Together, you can work toward activities that matter to you, such as walking farther, returning to exercise, or managing work more comfortably, with adjustments as your needs change.

Start Virtual Physical Therapy Within 24–48 Hours

Get personalized care from a licensed Bay State physical therapist through convenient, one-on-one video visits. Appointments are available within 24–48 hours for eligible patients located in Massachusetts. Complete our form, and our Virtual PT team will help you get started.

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