Why Don't More PTs Include Pain Science Education for Chronic Pain Patients – and How MDs Can Help?  (Part 2)

🔹PT Sessions Are Jam-Packed—So Pain Science Gets Squeezed Out

A typical PT session is already a whirlwind—evaluations, hands-on treatments, exercises, emailing articles, and at-home programs.

Many PTs want to teach this information but may push it aside when balancing time constraints, insurance coding demands, working in a fast-paced in-network setting where PTs are expected to oversee two or three patients at the same time, and managing patient expectations.

Including a conversation about the nervous system can feel challenging when patients expect to receive manual therapy or exercises and haven't heard their physicians mention this information. But even small things—an exchange of information—like a quick analogy about how pain can result from having a "sensitive alarm system" or how "pain doesn't always mean body tissue issue"—can make an impact.

💡 MDs can help.“Your PT will help you retrain your body and nervous system to respond differently to pain”—can help patients embrace this approach and set the stage for better results. Educating patients on the difference between acute and persistent pain and mentioning how stress, emotions, and past injuries can exacerbate pain lays the foundation for PTs to build on. This collaborative effort may significantly enhance the management of chronic pain.

Reference:

Effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Central Sensitization: A Systematic Review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10001851/