CHRONIC PAIN AND PHYSICAL ANALGESIA: THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL MODALITIES TO REDUCE PAIN

Abstract

The current paper proposes personal opm10ns on some contemporaneous theories of pain and therapeutic concepts of analgesia, including physical analgesia. Millions of patients suffer from chronic pain. All modern scheduled drugs used for the treatment of persistent pain (opioids, NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors) are associated with limitations and side effects. Our purpose was to remind the wide public of the impact of physical modalities in pain management in adults. We explain different natural and preformed physical modalities, with effectiveness in clinical practice. The author formulates a conception of pathogenetic mechanisms of physical analgesia. Declared opinions and conclusions of the author are based on the traditions of Bulgarian rehabilitation school, on analysis of scientific literature (including electronic media), on our modest 20 years experience - clinical observations, scientific and applied investigations; and on the results from systematic interviews with in-patients (treated in the National Physical therapy and rehabilitation hospital (Sofia) and in the Rehabilitation Clinic of Pleven University Hospital) and with outpatients (of some Medical centers of Sofia and Pleven).