Everyone experiences pain from time to time, whether it’s due to over-exertion, repetitive stress from a job or hobby, or a mild injury. However, when your pain seems to never go away, or consistently disrupts your sleep and lifestyle, it might be time to seek professional help.
A physical therapist can help treat some symptoms of fibromyalgia that affect your mobility, joints, overall strength, or stamina.
What is fibromyalgia?
Unlike other diagnoses that have specific symptoms and causes, fibromyalgia refers to a nebulous set of experiences that don’t have a clear medical cause. Because the cause is unknown, there’s no cure for fibromyalgia.
In many cases, doctors prescribe antidepressant or anti-seizure medications to try to treat the symptoms people experience with fibromyalgia. Not everyone responds well to this treatment, leaving them with a lack of guidance on how to reliably get better.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia
Most people with fibromyalgia report some combination of:
- Severe fatigue
- Soft tissue tenderness throughout the body
- Changes in mood
- Difficulty sleeping
- Cognitive impairment (“brain fog”)
- Muscle or joint pain
Symptoms of fibromyalgia can come and go or steadily worsen over time. Treating fibromyalgia symptoms is often a daily chore and major disruption to people’s lifestyles.
Causes and risk factors of fibromyalgia
Symptoms of fibromyalgia sometimes become apparent after an injury or illness, and other times arise seemingly out of nowhere. Chronic stress, depression, and anxiety are common concurrent factors with many patients suffering from fibromyalgia.
One thing many symptoms of fibromyalgia have in common is that they are controlled by the body’s sympathetic nervous system, or the part of the nervous system that excites, increases stress, and elevates heart rate. This increased stress response can have many long-term negative health outcomes, which is why it’s important to advocate for your health and seek a treatment that resolves your symptoms both in the short and long-term.
How physical therapy can help treat fibromyalgia
Our physical therapists take a holistic approach to countering the debilitating symptoms of fibromyalgia, accounting for your treatment preferences and medical history when developing your personal treatment plan.
Research has shown that cardiovascular exercise and balanced strength training can help improve the widespread pain of fibromyalgia while avoiding the harmful side effects of medication. The studies show that by increasing activity and mobility can alleviate stiffness, inflammation, and pain while elevating mood, improving sleep health, and stabilizing energy levels.
Therapeutic techniques we can utilize to treat fibromyalgia symptoms include:
- Manual physical therapy
- Ergonomic assessment and intervention
- Aquatic therapy
- Personalized exercise and stretching plan
Start getting help with fibromyalgia symptoms today
No matter how long you’ve been suffering with fibromyalgia, there is hope for recovery both now and in the long run. Living with fibromyalgia isn’t easy, but physical therapy can help. Call our nearest office location or request an appointment online today to take the first step toward lasting relief and healing.
