Physical Therapy Can Help You Live Comfortably with Fibromyalgia
You Don’t Have to Live in Pain Any Longer
It’s normal to experience pain from time to time. You may feel tired after a vigorous workout, or you may inadvertently stub your toe on a piece of furniture. Most of the time, you can shake it off or take ibuprofen to get on with your day.
If your pain is widespread and persistent, it is unlikely to go away despite your best efforts. This can have a significant impact on your life that anti-inflammatory medications will not cure.
If you have chronic pain along with fatigue, mood swings, or erratic sleep patterns, you may have fibromyalgia.
It can be difficult to tell if you have fibromyalgia because the symptoms vary from person to person. Fortunately, our therapy methods can aid in the relief of fibromyalgia pain.
If you have already been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, or if you believe you may have it, please contact us right away to make an appointment with one of our Dunes Plaza and Sand Creek physical therapists.
Everything you should know about fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is an umbrella word used to identify the condition of a person with a certain combination of symptoms.
While the precise causes of fibromyalgia are still uncertain, some medical professionals agree that it could be triggered by an overactive, sympathetic nervous system, or the portion of your body that causes ‘fight or flight’ reactions.
This hypothesis makes sense, as people appear to experience their first signs of fibromyalgia after experiencing a physical or emotionally painful incident, although it has never been clinically confirmed.
Some people who develop fibromyalgia begin with chronic stress or depression, while other symptoms build up over time.
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.
The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Nausea
- Disrupted sleep cycles/irregular sleep schedules
- Sensitivity to touch/numbness
- Chronic and/or sharp muscle pains
- Tender areas of the body
- Fatigue
- Fluctuations in mood
- Forgetfulness or disorientation
What can physical therapy do for my fibromyalgia symptoms?
Because fibromyalgia is a collection of symptoms rather than a disease, there is no single streamlined treatment for it. Fortunately, physical therapy has been shown to help people effectively control their symptoms.
To manage symptoms, primary care physicians will typically prescribe a form of pain medication or an antidepressant; however, these treatments do not address the chronic nature of the disease or the loss of function that chronic pain and depression typically cause.
At Chesterton Physical Therapy, we will provide successful care for both long-term symptom management and restoring full body function.
When you arrive for your first appointment, your Dunes Plaza and Sand Creek physical therapist 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.
Physical therapy 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 physical therapist may think is beneficial to your recovery.
After your passive pain relief therapies are complete, your treatment plan will progress to active therapies, such as bodybuilding, range-of-motion exercises, and cardiovascular exercises.
We understand that taking the first step toward pain relief can be difficult at times. That’s why we’re here to reassure you that when you come to our Dunes Plaza and Sand Creek physical therapists, you’re in good hands.
Interested in learning more? Be sure to visit our Chesterton locations today to learn more!
Ready to find the relief you’ve been looking for?
Physical therapy can make your life easier and your pain more manageable, no matter where you are on your pain relief journey.
Click here to make an appointment at Chesterton Physical Therapy and find out how we can help you get your life back on track!