How Physical Therapy Helps Reduce Fibromyalgia Pain
Fibromyalgia is an unrelenting pain condition that causes a number of physical and mental symptoms. Similar to chronic pain, fibromyalgia incites widespread muscle aches that can last several minutes, hours, or days. What makes this condition different from chronic pain, however, is the emotional toll it can have on a person’s quality of life. In addition to pain, fibromyalgia causes fatigue, general malaise, insomnia, forgetfulness, mood swings, anxiety, depression, and so much more.
Having said that, it’s important to use a multidisciplinary treatment approach for patients suffering from fibromyalgia. This is especially true considering there is not one single therapy that can effectively eradicate the condition. The team of physical therapists at OSR Physical Therapy has years of experience working with patients who suffer from this condition, and they have witnessed the benefits of physical therapy first hand for reducing fibromyalgia pain.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Several studies have found that physical therapy can have a positive impact on patients with fibromyalgia. According to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Munich in Germany, researchers discovered the following:
“…cardiovascular fitness training importantly improves cardiovascular fitness, both subjective and objective measures of pain as well as subjective energy and work capacity and physical and social activities. Based on anecdotal evidence, or small observational studies, physiotherapy may reduce overloading of the muscle system, improve postural fatigue and positioning, and condition weak muscles.”
Other countries are also seeing the value in physical therapy. For example, experts from 12 European countries have come together to unanimously agree on supervised exercise as a primary intervention for patients with fibromyalgia. The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) conducted a study that found aerobic exercise and resistance training significantly reduced pain and improved physical function. The study also commented on the efficacy of land- and water-based exercise and found that both are equally effective for patients who suffer from this condition.
Many of our patients have experienced similar results and have reported to our team that physical therapy significantly reduced their pain, improved their mobility, reduced their fatigue, and decreased their insomnia. When combined with other therapies, such as massage therapy, stretching, dry needling, the Graston technique, and/or fire cupping, physical therapy can drastically improve a patient’s quality of life.
If you’d like to start a physical therapy regimen for your fibromyalgia, please contact a member of our team today!
The advice and information contained in this article are for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physical therapists before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.