Nowadays, it is difficult to deal with the broad symptoms put on by Fibromyalgia. Additionally, it may seem like no way to stop the suffering.
Thank goodness for the upcoming physio resources!
This information can be useful if you’re attempting to determine whether you would have Fibromyalgia or are looking for solutions to treat your diagnosed condition.
Everything you need to know about Fibromyalgia and your various treatment choices is covered in this guide.
What Should You Know About Fibromyalgia?
Joints and soft tissues are impacted by the chronic musculoskeletal disorder known as Fibromyalgia. However, each patient’s condition is unique, fatigue and generalized pain. It is also referred to as “tender points,” which have been the most typical fibromyalgia symptoms.
Depression, anxiety, stomach pain, recurrent headaches, and a lack of focus are further symptoms. Therefore, Fibromyalgia was among the most incompletely understood rheumatologic disorders. Thus, unfortunately, there is no known solution.
The main source of relief for fibromyalgia patients comes from making lifestyle adjustments. They are concentrated on pain management and stress reduction through methods like exercise and behavior modification.
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Unfortunately, no one knows what brings up Fibromyalgia. According to research, Fibromyalgia alters how your brains process pain signals (the neurotransmitters) and increases pain symptoms throughout your body.
Additionally, despite the fact that no documented causes exist, a number of risk factors may be at play.
Does Physical Therapist Really Help in Fibromyalgia Recovery?
Physical therapists at Oklahoma Physical Therapy are qualified to help fibromyalgia patients. As a result, their goal is to educate people on how to regulate their bodies. Physical therapists give fibromyalgia patients various exercises designed to improve strength, range – of – motion, and pain reduction by addressing persistent stiffness and pain symptoms. Additionally, they instruct fibromyalgia patients on how to avoid actions that would increase their pain or symptoms.
If you are in agony from several hypersensitive tender points, physical therapy frequently uses a hands-on method that may cause you whole again. On the other hand, physical therapy uses gentle and efficient features. However, they will almost certainly play a significant role in reducing your fibromyalgia symptoms.
Do Physio Therapies Give Effective Results?
There are many physical therapy methods. Deep tissue massage, thermal therapy, hydrotherapy, electric muscle stimulation, and ultrasound are examples of passive treatments that help you feel relaxed.
Typically, passive therapies will be used to start your physical therapy program. You will begin active treatments that strengthen. Therefore, your body can stop new fibromyalgia pain when you are prepared. Also, your physical therapist will make up a strategy that works best for you.
How Can Physical Therapy Relieve Fibromyalgia?
Physical therapy could be one of the most useful self-management techniques for managing Fibromyalgia, even if there is no known treatment. Exercise can relieve stiffness and fatigue, build muscles, and improve strength and flexibility.
However, if done appropriately and incorporated into regular activities, Physiotherapists may also add particular exercises that improve the treatment plan. Such as physiotherapy, heat packs, manual therapy, and more, to help with the process.
To ensure the exercises and activities you have to learn are assisting you in managing your symptoms in preparatory work for the independent person using a home exercise program.
However, the physical therapist will access data by recording your power, flexibility, pain level, and aerobic fitness changes. The long-term objective is for the patient to become less dependent on the doctor to apply these lifestyle modifications to their lifestyles effectively.
Passive Physical Therapy Treatments for Fibromyalgia
Physical therapists generally recommend the following Physical therapy for fibromyalgia patients:
Deep Tissue Massage:
Deep tissue massage is a fantastic fibromyalgia treatment since it employs a lot of pressure to reduce deep muscular tension and contractions. They unless you’re in immense pain. They prevent the muscles at the affected level from moving.
You’ll be able to use your muscles more efficiently thanks to physical therapy treatments like deep tissue massage. However, this procedure may be combined with heat or cold therapies to maximize the advantages.
Heat Therapy:
Heat therapy is one of the famous treatments for fibromyalgia-related chronic physical symptoms. Heat stimulates the body’s natural healing process by relaxing your muscles and increasing blood flow to the affected area. Extra blood means more oxygen and other nutrients. Therefore, blood also helps to flush out waste byproducts of muscle spasms.
Heat may not completely remove the source of your pain. But it can significantly reduce it. This therapy is administered in two ways: dry heat (a heating pad or a dry, hot towel) or moist heat (steam heat or a moist, warm cloth).
Never overheat painful areas when using heat therapy on your own after physical therapy has ended. Set the temperature of a heating pad to low or medium. While using a hot towel, make sure it isn’t too hot by touching it first. However, extreme heat may not only aggravate your fibromyalgia pain. But it also burns the skin.
Hydrotherapy:
Hydrotherapy, as the title indicates, involves the use of water. Hydrotherapy, as a passive therapy, may consist of wanting to sit in a whirlpool bath to manage pain, decrease muscle, and condition your body without adding unnecessary stress.
Electric Muscle Stimulation:
Electric muscle activation may sound painful, but it is not. This technique is used to reduce muscle pain and is thought to cause the release of endorphins, your brain’s normal pain killers.
Ultrasounds:
This therapy employs sound waves to generate a gentle heat that promotes the circulation of blood to your injured tissue. Ultrasound reduces muscle spasms, inflammatory, stiffness, and pain. However, it alleviates a range of motion restrictions in chronic pain patients than those with acute inflammatory disorders.
Active Treatments of Physiotherapy for Fibromyalgia:
Physical therapists typically suggest the best active therapies for fibromyalgia patients:
Aquatic Therapy:
Aquatic therapy is the expression of physiotherapy in a water-filled pool that requires the help and support of a physical therapist. Water’s buoyancy, in particular, makes it ideal for recovery, where it improves exercise by providing assistance and reducing resistance. Furthermore, because water induces muscle relaxation and assistance in stretching, service users with Fibromyalgia are much less likely to experience pain.
Both these benefits may include a reduction in body weight, less stress on weight-bearing joints, improved circulation, an increase in strength, coordination, endurance, and stability, and greater muscle strength; furthermore, because of the constant temperature retained by the water and the limited stress on the patient’s body. They are aquatic therapy regarded as being one of the greatest therapy for people who have Fibromyalgia.
Group Exercise:
Group exercise is incredibly useful for fibromyalgia patients because it encourages them to commit to an exercise routine. Ongoing group exercises will help with functional ability and psychological problems. Therefore, participants may be more inclined to maintain their exercises at home as a result of these observed improvements.
Gentle Stretching:
Gentle stretching may be one of your major methods for managing fibromyalgia symptoms to give your bones and muscles additional attention. Consistent, delicate stretching will improve your range of motion and lubricate your joints by reducing tension around the muscles and bones. Static stretching, yoga, and Pilates are all examples of gentle stretches. Stretching should always be done in a pain-free flexion and extension.
Low to Moderate Level Aerobic Exercise
Most people with Fibromyalgia are initially afraid of exercise because they believe it will inflame their pain. Maintaining a constant low to a moderate level aerobic exercise program. On the other hand, it specifically addresses chronic pain and muscle by reducing the inflammatory reaction that causes the painful symptoms.
Working with a medical professional will ensure that this does not take place, as the exercise program will mainly consist of minutes of physical activity at least up to three times per week. Continuing to work with a physiotherapist will make sure that you start your respiration exercise regimen at a sufficiently low level to avoid inflaming your pain.
Therefore, the therapist will work with you to gradually increase your exercise performance to a level you can sustain. Exercise, biking, and elliptical machines are examples of common aerobic activities.
Light to Moderate Strength Training
Consistently engaging in light to moderate strength exercises will reduce your symptoms by improving your mood and increasing your strength. More particularly, studies have also shown that utilizing free weights for strength work can help people with Fibromyalgia reduce pain and anxiety.
The increased focus should not be on utilizing free weights but rather on enhancing across the whole of your complete range of motion. Resistance bands, body weight exercises, strength training machines, and water resistance can all be used to increase strength.
However, including a variety of techniques in your workout program will result in a well-rounded result obtained because there is a possibility of performing strength training exercises incorrectly. They are consulted with your physiotherapist before simply trying to do them on your own.
Final Verdict:
Oklahoma Physical Therapy experts may help you with self-care principles to effectively treat your fibromyalgia symptoms. The ultimate objective is for you to acquire an understanding. They will allow you to control your side effects.
It is absolutely essential that you learn the exercises and keep on going with one another after formal therapy is completed. Suppose you don’t hold to a fitness routine. However, you won’t see long-term benefits from your physical therapy. Therefore, you can reduce fibromyalgia pain by following a healthy lifestyle on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Is physical therapy beneficial for Fibromyalgia?
While no known treatment exists, physical activity can help relieve painful symptoms. It can also aid in the reduction of stiffness and fatigue. Physical therapists use a variety of resources in addition to exercises, such as full body massages and ice and heat packs for treatments.
What workouts should you avoid if you have Fibromyalgia?
People with Fibromyalgia must avoid activities that require quick, sudden movements and positive effects, such as walking or running. However, some people may keep improving to this level of activity.
What is the best exercise for people with Fibromyalgia?
According to limited evidence, yoga may also help improve fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and mood issues. Whatever you want to do, keep in mind to be patient with yourself.
What is the most recent fibromyalgia treatment?
Pregabalin and duloxetine are really the two drugs presently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Fibromyalgia.
What is the best way to treat Fibromyalgia?
Gentle exercise on a regular basis can help relieve pain, strain, and other fibromyalgia symptoms. Begin reading and care activities such as walking, swimming, and straining for as little as a minute or two at a time. If you feel good, you could even increase the length and intensity of your workout.