Physical therapy can help with a myriad of conditions, but what about those health issues that are a little harder to pinpoint? Fibromyalgia, for example, is one of the more complex health conditions because it is so individualized and finding the perfect treatment plan for this chronic pain condition oftentimes requires trial and error. The condition is characterized by widespread or isolated musculoskeletal pain, and it can be caused by nerve damage, changes in how the brain perceives pain or as a result of a physical or psychological event. Needless to say, finding the exact treatment course to help calm symptoms isn’t always easy with this complex condition.
One treatment plan that has proven successful for a number of patients battling fibromyalgia is physical therapy. Below, we explain why physical therapy may be successful for some forms of the condition, and we share our care techniques for treating fibromyalgia.
Physical Therapy For Fibromyalgia
Physical therapy will have individual goals for patients dealing with fibromyalgia. We can’t sit here and say that we can cure your condition, but by focusing on strategies that reduce or eliminate some of the most problematic symptoms associated with your condition, almost all patients will find their quality of life improve even if their fibromyalgia never fully resolves.
Some of the most common symptoms associated with fibromyalgia are pain, stiffness and general fatigue, and these are all symptoms that we can target through an individualized care plan. For example, we can help patients by:
- Developing stretching exercises that improve muscle flexibility and range of motion.
- Providing patient education on posture care to limit stress in certain areas and improve muscle function efficiency.
- Developing relaxation exercises that reduce muscle tension and pain.
- Providing biomechanical feedback to improve movement efficiency and in turn reduce fatigue.
- Engaging in strength training exercises to improve joint stability and to reduce inflammation contributing to pain and inhibited range of motion.
- Providing patients with out-of-clinic care techniques to help them manage flareups or to continue their progress between sessions.
At OrthoRehab Specialists, we have a number of therapists who are well-versed in chronic pain and fibromyalgia care. We rely on medical reports for information about your condition, but we also take the time to ask each patient about their individual symptoms and to conduct our own baseline assessments to see your muscles and your movements in action. This helps us make an individualized diagnosis and come up with a care plan suited to your needs and your goals. We can always adjust this plan based on your progress or any roadblocks we encounter, but we’ll do this together to help you as best we can.
So if you are plagued by fibromyalgia, chronic pain or another condition that you’re struggling to overcome, reach out to OrthoRehab Specialists to see if physical therapy is the missing link in your treatment. Call our clinic for more information today.