What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic painful and debilitating condition that affects many people and has classically 4 main characteristics:
- Multiple trigger points of pain and multiple painful areas in the body lasting at least 3 months
- Sleep disorder
- Mood and memory changes
- Chronic fatigue
Researchers believe that Fibromyalgia causes the brain to amplify the pain signals coming to it. It is also connected with multiple other conditions such as anxiety disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches and TMJ conditions.
Symptoms can occur after a physical injury, infections, surgery, or after significant psychological stress. It may also be incurred genetically. Women are more likely to be affected by Fibromyalgia than men.
While there is no cure for Fibromyalgia, physical therapy and massage therapy, especially myofascial release, can help significantly reduce symptoms and pain. Our physical therapists can teach you how to relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness, how to build strength and increase range of motion through exercises and stretching. Exercise is also known to help decrease pain using the body’s own endorphins. Therapists can also teach you how to avoid flare-ups.
In addition hot and cold packs, modalities like Electrical Stimulation may be used to reduce pain. Our licensed physical therapists will work with you on this debilitating condition, helping you to choose exercises that will not cause you more pain. Physical therapy improves function and overall quality of life.
In addition to exercises, massage is a great tool for pain relief. In a study geared towards fibromyalgia patients, scientists concluded that massage therapy provided the following benefits: increased serotonin level, decreased circulating stress hormones, decreased levels of substance P (basically a pain messenger), decreased tender point pain, improved sleep patterns, and improved overall sense of well being. Our massage therapists are adept at working on tender points and releasing tight muscles. Working side by side with our physical therapists, our team is experienced and can help manage your condition to improve the quality of your life. Call us to find out more.