Fibromyalgia
"Fi- bro -my-algee a"
Firstly, what is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia (FM) has no known cure, with a plethora of symptoms varying between individuals such as pain in the bones, constant fatigue, sleep disruption, high sensitivity to pain along with tenderness. Interventions from the medical field aim to manage the pain through pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical approaches.
• Pain in your bones
• Fatigue
• Sleep Disturbance
• Pain in the muscles
• Brain Fog and aching in different joints
Furthermore, the list continues...
Women seem to have more severe symptoms than in men. However, men have been diagnosed more often with FM than women.
How can a Physiotherapist even help someone with FM?
Quality of Life is an important term here. Physiotherapists plan, organise and coordinate a tailored patient-centred treatment plan that is SMART orientated with the FITT principles in conjunction with the guidelines (NICE/EULAR/European/American). The aim for managing FM is to improve pain scores, mobility, reduce stiffness/fatigue, help stress levels, functionality status, and prevent secondary physical complications.
Interventions readily available based on individual care plan may include:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (useful to help with coping strategies)
ICE and Heat therapy
Strength exercise plan
Acupuncture/ Dry needling
Hydrotherapy / Aqua Aerobics
Deep tissue massage
Low-impact aerobic conditioning
Ultrasound
Stretching exercises
TENS units
“Aerobic and strengthening exercises were strongly recommended” -EULAR.
What studies show physiotherapy can help FM symptoms?
In a Randomised Control Trial in 2015, the researchers found an improvement on health status, pain intensity and the muscle strength for patients with recent and long term diagnosed fibromyalgia through the use of resistance training (Larsson et al., 2015)
Found a significant decrease of fear-avoidance beliefs (not being afraid of doing certain activities) with the use of resistance exercise (Palstam et al., 2016)
Based on the EULAR guidelines, governance strongly recommends aerobic and strengthening exercise. As always, it must be stressed that it is recommended to visit qualified medical personnel to receive the correct diagnosis, followed by the most suitable treatment plan for each individual.
Reach out, make an appointment and we can begin managing the symptoms.
Ripon Physio Co.
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