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How PT can help treat Fibromyagia
Physical Therapy can help keep those with fibromyalgia active, improve/maintain function, and decrease stiffness and pain. It is recommended that adults get 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity. With fibromyalgia, exercise may need to be broken up into shorter 10–15-minute sessions throughout the day. This way, physical activity doesn’t increase pain. Also, increments of exercise throughout the day may help to keep the body moving and reduce stiffness. It has been shown that low-impact exercises, such as walking, swimming, and cycling are good for those with fibromyalgia. Also, Tai-chi has shown effectiveness in increasing mobility through slow, deliberate movements that coordinate with breathing.
Functional Activites and Exercise
Physical Therapy can also work on functional activities that may become more difficult to perform with fibromyalgia. A physical therapist can assess and develop individual treatment programs to help with the specific movements or activities that are more difficult. If you are having trouble standing to cook/prepare meals, opening jars/containers, or finding it more challenging to get in or out of the car, a physical therapist can help. Learning different strategies, alternative methods, or improving strength or range of motion are all within the physical therapist’s scope of practice.
Physical Therapy also offers the ability to include hands-on manual therapy techniques that can help to reduce muscle tension, muscle strain, and stiff joints. Gentle mobilization of the tissue to induce relaxation, but not pain is key for those with fibromyalgia.
In addition to a hands-on physical therapy approach including manual therapy to help reduce muscle tightness and pain, and exercises to improve strength and mobility, modalities can be used to enhance healing and reduce pain and stiffness. At Freedom Physical Therapy Services, the state-of-the-art class IV therapeutic laser treatment is an additional modality that has been used along with those listed above. It has been especially beneficial to those suffering from conditions like fibromyalgia.