What can you do when you’re living with fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is an often frustrating condition for both patients and their doctors because there is still much to be learned about its causes and mechanisms of action. The triggers and symptoms have been fairly well documented, but the mechanics of this condition are still mysterious in many ways. For people living with fibromyalgia, a careful balance of activities is often necessary to avoid triggering symptoms.

importance of self care

Stress is one of the biggest triggers for fibromyalgia pain and fatigue, and stress can be physical or mental. Doing just a little bit more can lead to fatigue that sidelines your activities for a day or more, where the same type of extra effort would require only a few hours of extra rest for other people. Whether your main flare-up symptoms are pain, fatigue, or both varies from patient to patient, but one thing that’s common is that activity helps keep symptoms at bay.

This means that self-care for fibromyalgia patients is a combination of knowing when it’s time to rest before the body tells you to and persevering with exercise anyway. Many patients choose Physical Therapy Cherry Hill to reduce travel time and additional effort.

Flares can also be caused by foods that promote inflammation and certain weather conditions, so dietary changes are often required. Still, for people with environmental triggers, a big part of self-care is knowing when triggers you don’t control need to be reduced. Sometimes this means putting off walking because you probably won’t be able to follow your usual route today.

Incorporating medication and physical therapy

Medication has proven effective in controlling many fibromyalgia symptoms. Some patients use pain medication, but this is hardly universal. Often, the most effective medications are those that help balance the mood changes that occur with flare-ups and that address the underlying inflammation issues. Hydroxychloroquine is commonly prescribed for this reason, as are many different anti-anxiety medications.

The best physical therapy for fibromyalgia is an approach that reduces stress on the joints and patient fatigue while providing mood benefits that may help relieve some of the less obvious symptoms of the disorder. Aquatic therapy has proven very successful because it accomplishes all of these goals, but there are other options. The key is to provide a routine that builds overall strength and stamina without over-stressing the patient and prolonging recovery time, and this requires a very careful approach.

How to Find Physical Therapy for Fibromyalgia

There are a few ways to find a suitable physical therapist for this condition. Often, your doctor will have ideas from working with other patients who have had positive results in those offices. However, this is hardly the only way to do this.

You can also search for physical therapy near me to review local options. This can help if you want to find a place that is convenient to minimize travel, and it gives you a chance to review the options and techniques used before you start. Start your search today to find physical therapy that fits your goals.