Do you go through your day feeling like your whole body is aching? This is a common symptom of a condition called fibromyalgia. The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) estimates that up to 12 million people in the U.S. have fibromyalgia. They also report that about 90% of these people are women.
Medication is a common treatment option for fibromyalgia. But people looking for fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs may find it in a physical therapy clinic. Physical therapists can help patients treat fibromyalgia in a number of ways. However, therapeutic exercise is one of their most effective tools. One study reports that gentle exercise helped at least 53% of study participants avoid taking pain medication. Here are two therapeutic exercises your therapist might include in your plan to help relieve fibromyalgia pain without drugs:
- Shoulder rolls
One type of therapeutic exercise that can help relieve fibromyalgia pain without drugs is stretches. It’s a good bet that fibromyalgia has caused many of your muscles to become tense and sore. In fact, one medical study reports that 50% of its fibromyalgia patients had tense muscles. The shoulders are one area that is commonly tense in fibromyalgia patients; your therapist might recommend shoulder rolls to stretch them out.
How to perform the shoulder roll exercise
- Stand up straight with your ears centered over your shoulders. You can also sit on the edge of a stable chair, but your back and head should still be in the same position.
- Slowly roll your shoulders forward for about 10 seconds.
- Then, reverse the direction and roll your shoulders backward for another 10 seconds.
- Take a five- to 10-second break.
- Repeat these steps until you’ve completed the exercise three times.
- Seated hamstring stretch
Another stretch that can help reduce fibromyalgia pain without drugs is the seated hamstring stretch. The hamstring is a group of three muscles that run along the back of the thigh. Tightness in this muscle can increase pain in the hips and knees of fibromyalgia patients.
How to perform the seated hamstring stretch
- Sit on the edge of a stable chair.
- Keep your left foot flat on the floor, and extend your right leg out in front of you so that your heel is resting on the floor.
- Pull the toes of your right foot back toward your shin.
- Keeping your torso straight, bend forward slightly from the waist until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh.
- Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Repeat these steps to stretch your left leg.
- Continue repeating the steps until you’ve stretched each leg three times. You can take a short break between each repetition if necessary.
Find fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs at Panther Physical Therapy
Are you looking for physical therapy that can offer fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs? Well, look no more. Our team at Panther Physical Therapy offers many services to help you treat fibromyalgia. One of these is our free screening service. This is designed to help us learn exactly how fibromyalgia is affecting you. We also offer personalized therapy plans that are created to address each patient’s specific needs.
Contact our team today for more information about our fibromyalgia treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment.