How Physiotherapy Can Relieve Your Fibromyalgia Pain
Most of us can deal with a little pain. We may have the occasional ache from overdoing it at the gym or a twinge from bumping our shins on the bed, but most of the time we can ignore it, take an anti-inflammatory and go about our day. But when pain is widespread throughout your body and is accompanied by fatigue, changes in mood and sleep patterns, you may be dealing with a more serious physiological condition. Sound familiar?
Fortunately, our therapy methods here at Newcastle Physiotherapy and Sports Rehab can help with fibromyalgia pain alleviation.
What is Fibromyalgia?
You may have heard of this condition before, but what is fibromyalgia, really?
Fibromyalgia is a blanket term that describes a person’s condition when they have a specific set of symptoms.
While the exact reasons for fibromyalgia occurring are unknown, some medical experts believe it is caused by an overactive sympathetic nervous system, or the part of your body that triggers “fight or flight” responses.
Although this concept has never been clinically validated, it makes sense because patients appear to develop their initial indicators of fibromyalgia after enduring a physical or emotionally traumatic incident.
Some persons with fibromyalgia start off with chronic stress or sadness, and then acquire other symptoms over time. The NIAMS website states that with this condition, you may develop two or more chronic pain conditions at the same time, such as:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Endometriosis.
- Irritable bowel syndrome.
- Interstitial cystitis.
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ).
- Vulvodynia.
Fibromyalgia often appears to affect more women than men, and the risk of experiencing it increases when you have a family member with the same disease.
Commonly experienced symptoms of fibromyalgia:
- Sensitivity to touch/numbness
- Chronic and/or sharp muscle pains
- Tender areas of the body
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Disrupted sleep cycles/irregular sleep schedules
- Fluctuations in mood
- Forgetfulness or disorientation
How physiotherapy can help to alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms
There is no single streamlined treatment for fibromyalgia because it is a collection of symptoms rather than a disease. Physiotherapy, fortunately, has been demonstrated to assist people in efficiently controlling their symptoms.
Primary care physicians would usually prescribe a pain reliever or an antidepressant to manage symptoms; however, these medications do not address the chronic nature of the condition or the loss of function that chronic pain and depression commonly induce.
At Newcastle Physiotherapy and Sports Rehab, we will provide successful care for both long-term symptom management and restoring full body function.
Physiotherapy will typically begin with pain-relieving techniques designed to provide relief and aid in the healing process. This may include trigger point therapy, massage, stretching, electrical stimulation, or other therapeutic methods your physiotherapist may think is beneficial to your recovery.
Your Newcastle, ON physiotherapist will assess your physical capacity, review your medical history, and address your current symptoms to design a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs.
After you’ve completed your passive pain management therapies, you’ll go on to active therapies like light strengthening, range-of-motion exercises, and aerobic activities.
We realize how tough it can be to take the initial step toward pain treatment. That’s why we’re here to reassure you that you’ll be in good hands when you see one of our licensed physiotherapists.
The pain relief you’ve been searching for…
Fibromyalgia can take a massive toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health…but it doesn’t have to. Physiotherapy can make your life easier and your pain more manageable, no matter where you are on your pain relief journey.