If you’ve been living with pain for months or years, you’ve likely received plenty of advice — rest more, push through it, avoid painful movements, or accept that nothing can be done. Unfortunately, these beliefs often make chronic pain harder to manage.
At Surrey 152 St (Fleetwood) Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic in Surrey, BC, we focus on helping people understand why chronic pain persists and how physiotherapy management can help improve symptoms safely and effectively.
Chronic pain is real, complex, and treatable. Understanding how pain works is often the first step toward meaningful improvement.
MYTH 1: CHRONIC PAIN ALWAYS MEANS ONGOING DAMAGE
Pain does not always reflect tissue injury.
In the early stages of an injury, pain serves a protective purpose. However, when pain lasts longer than three months, the nervous system may become sensitized. This means it continues to produce pain signals even after tissues have healed.
Chronic pain is best understood as a change in how the nervous system processes danger signals, rather than a sign of constant physical damage. These patterns are learned — and importantly, they can be retrained.
MYTH 2: PAIN MEANS YOU SHOULD STOP MOVING
Avoiding movement may feel protective, but prolonged rest often contributes to worsening symptoms in chronic pain.
Common consequences include reduced strength, stiffness, decreased activity tolerance, and increased sensitivity to movement. Over time, this can lead to fear of movement and loss of confidence in the body.
Physiotherapy for chronic pain focuses on graded exposure. Movements are reintroduced gradually and safely, allowing the nervous system to relearn that movement is not dangerous.
MYTH 3: CHRONIC PAIN IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD
Chronic pain is not imaginary. Pain is influenced by the interaction of multiple systems, including the nervous system, previous injuries, stress levels, sleep quality, emotional health, and physical conditioning.
Recognizing these influences does not minimize pain. Instead, it explains why addressing only one factor is rarely effective and why a comprehensive physiotherapy approach is often needed.
MYTH 4: STRONGER MEDICATIONS ARE THE SOLUTION
Medications can help manage symptoms, but they rarely address the underlying contributors to chronic pain on their own.
Physiotherapy management helps activate the body’s natural pain-regulating systems. Exercise and movement can stimulate the release of endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline — chemicals involved in pain modulation, mood, and stress regulation.
Over time, these changes can reduce pain sensitivity and improve overall function.
MYTH 5: CHRONIC PAIN CANNOT IMPROVE
Chronic pain does not always disappear completely, but meaningful improvement is possible.
Modern physiotherapy management focuses on restoring movement capacity, improving strength and endurance, increasing load tolerance, and reducing nervous system sensitivity. Progress is guided, gradual, and tailored to each individual.
The goal is not to push through pain, but to help the body regain confidence in movement.
HOW PHYSIOTHERAPY HELPS MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN
At Surrey 152 St Fleetwood Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic, chronic pain care is personalized and education-driven.
Key components include graded exposure, pain science education, therapeutic exercise, hands-on treatment, and consideration of lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress, and activity levels.
Chronic pain does not exist in isolation, and effective care reflects that complexity.
Take Away
Chronic pain affects millions of Canadians and can significantly impact daily life. With the right physiotherapy approach, many people experience improved function, reduced pain, and greater confidence in their bodies.
If you are looking for evidence-based chronic pain physiotherapy in Surrey, BC, our team is here to help guide you through a structured, supportive recovery process.