Have you ever felt that life changed from the day of the injury? Pain that followed for years, until you did not dare do the things you love, did not dare exercise, and sometimes even walking was difficult.

Today we will tell the true story of a woman of 64 years who faced chronic pain for as long as 4 years after an accident, and the way she came back to having a life again with modern medical technology. This story may be an inspiration for you who are fighting with chronic pain right now.

The day life changed

A woman who was happy with life after retirement. She loved gardening, liked looking after plants, and spent her free time on the hobbies she loved. But everything changed on the day that accident happened.

About 4 years ago, she slipped and fell in the bathroom, using her left hand to prop herself against the floor. At that moment she thought it was merely an ordinary fall, but she never thought that would be the beginning of a nightmare lasting as long as 4 years.

The symptoms that began to threaten her life

Two days after the event, the symptoms began to appear clearly. She found that she was unable to step with her left foot. Her left hand was severely swollen and very painful. The most frightening thing was that she was unable to grip her hand at all.

She went to see doctors in several places, tried treatment by many methods — massage, acupuncture, and general physiotherapy — but the symptoms did not improve; instead they became more and more severe. Time passed: 6 months, 1 year, 2 years… and it became a full 4 years.

A life at a standstill

Within 4 years she was unable to go back to the gardening she loved, unable to go walking for exercise. Using her left hand to do anything was difficult, and even the ordinary routines of daily life became a difficult matter.

Her body began to decline (Deconditioning) from not moving. The muscles became weaker, her confidence in herself disappeared, and worst of all, the hope of coming back to having a normal life began to fade away.

The diagnosis that changed everything

When she arrived at the clinic, the team of rehabilitation physicians did not hurry to conclude what the condition was or to begin treatment at once, but carried out a detailed and comprehensive assessment.

The symptoms found

After a thorough examination, the doctors found that her problem did not lie only in the area of the injury, but had spread throughout the body, for example

  • Chronic pain connected with the original injury, but now become a complex chronic condition. The nervous system was sending pain signals abnormally, even though the originally injured tissue may already have recovered
  • Muscles contracted into knots (Myofascial Trigger Points) in the area of the hips and the arms, which was the result of the body trying to compensate for the pain, some muscles working too hard and becoming tight until they turned into knots and sent pain signals to other areas
  • A state of bodily decline from not moving for a long time — weak muscles, worse balance, and fear of moving (Kinesiophobia)

This comprehensive diagnosis let the doctors design a plan of treatment that was on target and effective.

Modern technology for restoration

The doctors at PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic designed a plan of treatment specific to her, using the most modern medical technology, 2 main techniques.

1. Dry Needling: precise Western needling

Dry Needling, or Western needling, is a technique entirely different from Chinese acupuncture. This technique relies on modern knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

The principle, easily understood

When a muscle is injured or works too hard, some part of the muscle contracts tightly and becomes a "knot", or Trigger Point. These knots not only cause pain in that position, but also send pain signals to other areas (Referred Pain) and make the surrounding muscles have to work in compensation, creating further problems.

Dry Needling uses a small needle inserted into these muscle knots directly. When the needle reaches the point, the muscle twitches locally (Local Twitch Response), which is a signal that the muscle is releasing.

The deep mechanism of the treatment

Inserting the needle does not merely make the muscle release, but also has effects at the cell level:

  • Increasing the circulation of blood to the area with the problem, bringing oxygen and nutrients to nourish the tissue
  • Expelling the substances that cause inflammation accumulated in the tissue
  • Stimulating the process of repair of the body naturally
  • Adjusting the sending of signals of the nerves, helping reduce the feeling of pain

The treatment of the woman of 64 years

The doctors inserted Dry Needling into the tender points (Trigger Points) in the area of the hips and the arms. From the very first time, she felt a change: the hand that could barely move began to have more flexibility.

2. Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (PMS): electromagnetic wave technology

PMS, or stimulation with electromagnetic waves, is a technology that is advanced and highly effective in treating pain at a deep level.

Modern technology

PMS works by creating a magnetic field of high strength. This magnetic field induces an electrical current in the tissue of the body, without having to touch the skin, and without giving rise to any pain.

The electrical current that arises will:

  • Stimulate the muscles to contract in rhythm, helping increase the strength and restore the working of the muscles that are weak
  • Improve the working of the nerves, increasing the effectiveness of the sending of signals and helping restore the nerves that have a problem
  • Increase the circulation of blood, bringing oxygen and nutrients to repair the tissue
  • Reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of substances that cause inflammation and promoting anti-inflammatory substances

The outstanding advantages

What makes PMS a good choice is:

  • Not painful — the patient will feel only a light twitching of the muscles in rhythm
  • No side effects — it is a treatment that does not give rise to irritation of the skin
  • The result is seen at once — most patients will feel the symptoms improve at once after the treatment
  • Reaching the deep level — it can stimulate tissue at a deep level that other techniques reach with difficulty

The treatment of the woman of 64 years

The doctors used PMS to stimulate the area of her hips and arms. The stimulation helped the muscles that were weak come back to being strong, the nerves work better, and the pain decrease clearly.

The outcome that brought life back once again

After receiving treatment with the plan designed specifically for her, she saw a change she had never thought would be possible.

Symptoms improving continuously

  • The pain decreased clearly — the pain that had tormented her for 4 years began to decrease. She was able to move without feeling severe pain any longer
  • The left hand came back to being usable — the most remarkable thing was that the left hand that had been unable to grip at all could now move and grip much better. She was able to use the hand to do the activities of daily life once again
  • She came back to being able to exercise — she was able to come back to walking for exercise on the treadmill as far as 5 kilometres, something she had not dared think she would be able to do again
  • She went back to the gardening she loved — and the most meaningful thing for her was getting to go back to gardening, the activity she loved and had missed throughout the 4 years

A deeper change

Besides the physical recovery, she also received something more important:

  • Her confidence came back — she was no longer afraid to move or to do activities
  • Hope in life, which had disappeared when she thought she would have to live with the pain for ever
  • Freedom in living life — not having to depend on others, able to do what she wanted by herself
  • A greatly improved quality of life, both in body and in mind

Why is chronic pain difficult to treat?

Her story shows that chronic pain is not an easy matter to treat. Let us understand why chronic pain is complex and requires specific treatment.

The vicious cycle of chronic pain

When an injury or pain arises, the body responds by:

  • Avoiding movement because of fear of pain, so that the muscles are not used, and begin to weaken and waste away
  • Some muscles working in compensation in order to avoid the painful area; other muscles have to work too hard, until in the end they develop problems of their own
  • The nervous system sending signals abnormally — when there is pain for a long time, the nervous system "remembers" the pain and sends pain signals even though the injured tissue may already have recovered (Central Sensitization)
  • A state of bodily decline from not moving, making the condition of the body overall worse — easily tired, weak, and with an increased risk of further injury

This cycle goes round and round, and the longer it goes on, the harder it is to break out of it.

Why general treatment does not give a result

Traditional treatments, such as massage, hot compresses, or taking painkillers, may help relieve the symptoms temporarily, but do not put right the problem at the root cause:

  • The muscle knots remain and will go on sending pain signals
  • The weak muscles do not receive restoration — the body is still out of balance
  • The nervous system still sends signals abnormally — superficial treatment cannot adjust the nervous system

This is the reason why modern technology and expert physicians who understand the mechanisms of chronic pain deeply must be used.

Who should consider this kind of treatment?

Treatment with modern technology is very highly effective for chronic pain. So who should consider it?

The groups who benefit most

  • Those who have chronic pain after an accident, whether a car crash, a fall from a height, or an injury from sport, if the pain does not go away or comes back again often
  • Patients after surgery who have pain remaining or who recover more slowly than they should. Sometimes after surgery the surrounding muscles become tight or work abnormally
  • Older people who have a problem of weak muscles from not moving or from having an underlying condition. Stimulation with PMS helps increase the strength of the muscles well
  • Working people who have chronic pain, such as Office Syndrome, who have been treated for a long time but it has not gone away. There may be muscle knots that require Dry Needling to release them
  • Athletes who are injured repeatedly in the same position, who may have a chronic problem that must be treated in earnest

The warning signals that should not be overlooked

  • Pain for more than 3 months without improving
  • Having tried treatment by many methods but without a result
  • The pain having a bearing on the living of daily life
  • Weak muscles, being able to move less
  • Having symptoms of numbness, or pain radiating to another area
  • Being afraid to move because of fear of pain

If you have these symptoms, do not wait for it to become a bigger problem than this. Treatment early will give a better result and a quicker recovery.

Why choose PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic?

After reading her story to this point, you may wonder why you should choose here, when there are a great many physiotherapy clinics. The answer lies in "the difference in the approach and the quality of the treatment".

Care by expert physicians at every step

At PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic, the examination, the diagnosis, and the treatment at every step are carried out by rehabilitation physicians who are experts in the muscular and skeletal system directly, not merely by physiotherapists or assistants.

The doctors can:

  • Assess the overall picture of health and diagnose the true cause
  • Adjust the plan of treatment flexibly according to the symptoms
  • Prescribe medicine to accompany the treatment if necessary
  • Decide whether it is necessary to refer to a specialist of another field

Holistic treatment (Holistic Approach)

The team of doctors does not look only at the symptom that hurts, but looks at the overall picture of your body, your life, and your lifestyle, in order to find the true cause and prevent the symptoms from coming back again.

We believe that the best care is treatment that is on target, with quick recovery, and lasting.

PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic

The management of pain and abnormality of the muscular and skeletal system, by expert physicians

Location:
999 Room BF-11, Floor L, Gaysorn Village Building
Ploenchit Road, Lumphini Subdistrict, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok 10330
(near BTS Chit Lom)
Free parking service (Valet)

Opening hours:

  • Monday-Friday: 16:30-20:00
  • Saturday-Sunday: 10:00-20:00

PYONG Rehabilitation Penthouse Clinic

The care of older people and the rehabilitation of the nervous system, by a team of specialist physicians and multidisciplinary professionals

Location:
127 Room K, Floor 11, Gaysorn Tower Building
Ratchadamri Road, Lumphini Subdistrict, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok 10330

Opening hours:

  • Monday-Friday: 10:00-20:00
  • Saturday-Sunday: 10:00-20:00