Physical therapy and pain in the rehabilitation patient

Pain rehabilitation is often aimed at the somatic tissues in order to treat a patient’s pain. As pain persists, a wider range of factors may become important, such as psychological and social factors, coping strategies, and functional changes in the sensory nervous system. These factors have to be monitored and addressed as appropriate for the individual patient, using approaches such as pain physiology education, appropriate use of diagnostic tests and medication, and psychologically informed rehabilitation.