According to the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA), there are about 10 million people in the U.S. living with this condition. This makes it one of the most common chronic pain conditions in the country. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with this condition, you may be wondering what it is and how you can treat fibromyalgia with physical therapy.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition, and it tends to cause widespread pain throughout the body. The pain is also commonly described by patients as stabbing, aching or throbbing. This condition also has several other common symptoms.
Patients with fibromyalgia may experience moderate to severe fatigue on a daily basis. This condition may cause you to have difficulty getting to or staying asleep. Sensitivity to light, touch and sound can also be a symptom of fibromyalgia, and you may also experience memory and mood issues.
How can you treat fibromyalgia with physical therapy?
Physical therapy can be used to treat fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions. Physical therapy treatment plans tend to revolve around three treatment types. The first type of treatment commonly included in physical therapy treatment plans for fibromyalgia is low-impact cardio. This type of cardio is often done on a treadmill, and it can help improve blood flow and reduce stress that may trigger chronic pain.
Strengthening and range-of-motion exercises are also used to help fibromyalgia patients. Strengthening exercises are intended to increase the support for painful areas of the body. Range-of-motion exercises are designed to help you improve your ability to move, and both of these exercise types may help increase your ability to perform normal daily tasks.
A third treatment option often used is pain-relieving modalities. For instance, functional dry needling is designed to help release tension that builds up in specific areas of your muscles. These areas are called trigger points, and touching them can lead to fibromyalgia pain. Electrical stimulation, soft tissue mobilization and stretching are other techniques that a physical therapist may use to treat your pain.
Border Therapy Services can help you find physical therapy to treat fibromyalgia pain
Fibromyalgia is one of the many conditions we can help patients treat at Border Therapy Services. Our team has helped many people with this chronic pain condition, and we may be able to help you, too, with one of our personalized physical therapy plans. Our plans are designed to include therapy techniques that can help fibromyalgia patients get benefits like:
- Reduced pain
- Decreased mental stress
- Strengthened muscles
- Increased range of motion
- Improved quality of life
Are you ready to take the next step to get our help? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.