Fibromyalgia - What to Do When the Fibro Ignites

Fibromyalgia - What to Do When the Fibro Ignites

The fall days are still warm, but for the nearly 5 million people in the United States with Fibromyalgia, they might experience a different kind of heat - the burning pain that typically comes along with this diagnosis.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that can cause a wide range of symptoms throughout the body. It's usually diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50, and 80% to 90% of the people affected are women. The most common symptoms are: ● chronic pain all over the body ● fatigue ● memory problems ● sleep disturbances ● depression or anxiety.

How Does Physical Therapy Help?

Because of the wide range of symptoms, fibromyalgia can be a debilitating condition. It is not uncommon for people to begin avoiding activities altogether because of pain and fatigue. This begins a cycle of deconditioning that not only impacts the person's overall health, but also makes the symptoms of fibromyalgia worse. The cause of fibromyalgia is currently unknown and there is no cure, so physical therapy treatments are designed to reduce and manage the symptoms. This requires a multi-pronged approach. Common treatments include:

Education

The first step in treating fibromyalgia is often helping people understand what's going on, and what they can do about it. Research has shown that people who are knowledgeable about their condition have better outcomes, more confidence, and cope better.

Decrease Pain and Improve Range of Motion

Physical therapists are movement experts with a lot of tools and techniques to help with the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. A PT might use gentle manual therapy or massage, prescribe specific stretches, or a simple yoga routine. They might also use modalities like electrical stimulation, biofeedback or in states where it is allowed, dry needling.

Exercise

Once patients understand the condition and are able to move a little better with less pain, exercise often enters the treatment picture. Research has shown that low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise like walking, biking, or swimming is important in managing fibromyalgia symptoms. It can help with pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, and more. Physical therapists and patients work together to find the right type of exercise and the right intensity to best manage fibromyalgia. They often have to start slow, and make adjustments along the way. Each physical therapy session is tailored to the needs of the patient and will vary depending on the severity of their symptoms. Despite there still being no cure for fibromyalgia, physical therapists can help with pain management, strength, mobility, fatigue and function to help patients find relief from their symptoms

Physical Therapy More Cost Effective Than Injections For Knee OA

Physical Therapy More Cost-Effective

Than Injections For Knee OA

Patients tend to take 1 of 2 non surgical routes when it comes to pain due to knee osteoarthritis: glucocorticoid injection, or physical therapy. New research shows that physical therapy may, in fact, be the more cost-effective approach.

The research showed that after one year, the average total knee-related costs were nearly the same for the injection group and physical therapy group. However, patients who received physical therapy were found to have higher quality-adjusted life-years scores, while the injection patients ultimately added costs through additional treatments, later physical therapy, and surgery.

My take on this article: There are times when corticosteroids can be beneficial to decrease pain. However, if physical therapy isn’t initiated during this time period, the pain will likely return when the medication wears off. Why? Because nothing changes for your arthritic joint in the long run. However, if you can work with a physical therapist to improve muscle flexibility, muscles strength, and biomechanical movement patterns while you have less pain…. then you have a better likelihood of making positive changes in the joint. Improving muscle imbalances around a joint can help improve shock absorption, improve the forces through a joint to be more symmetric and congruent, rather than just one aspect of the joint. And better motor control patterns can help coordinate proper muscle control.

— Korey Pieper, DPT, OCS