Have you ever thought about what it would be like to feel pain throughout your body? Take a second and think about it. Most people will conclude that this scenario doesn’t sound like much fun at all. Yet it’s exactly what many fibromyalgia patients deal with regularly.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition; medical research shows that it affects up to 12 million Americans. Although there is currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are ways to treat the symptoms of this painful issue.
Physical therapy is one treatment option that’s commonly used for fibromyalgia, and there are many reasons why this is so.
Three reasons why physical therapy is a commonly used fibromyalgia treatment option:
- It can reduce pain — The pain of fibromyalgia tends to occur at specific points in the body. It typically flares up and then recedes. One reason many fibromyalgia sufferers seek help from physical therapists is that these specialists can help decrease their pain.
For instance, some types of manual therapy have proved effective for the pain of this condition. A study of two forms of manual therapy found that they helped reduce pain intensity by 77.2% in fibromyalgia patients.
- It can help improve sleep quality — Fibromyalgia tends to decrease the quality of your sleep. Many of its sufferers also develop sleep issues like insomnia or restless leg syndrome. Another reason that physical therapy is commonly used to treat fibromyalgia is it can help improve sleep quality. One physical therapy study reports that it led to a nearly 64% increase in sleep quality.
- It can decrease medication use — Many Americans are aware of how severe the opioid crisis is. This awareness often prompts fibromyalgia sufferers to seek ways to reduce their use of pain medication. Fortunately, physical therapy can help you meet this goal.
For instance, therapeutic exercise plans can be developed for you that include walking. Walking is included in these plans for a very good reason. A study on physical activity in fibromyalgia patients reveals that over 53% of the people who walked regularly were able to stop taking pain meds.
Panther PT offers effective physical therapy for fibromyalgia sufferers
Are you ready to try physical therapy for your fibromyalgia? You’ll find the top-notch treatment you’re looking for at Panther Physical Therapy. Our team can do a free screening to confirm that your pain is the result of fibromyalgia. Additionally, our physical therapists are adept at building individualized therapy plans designed to offer all the benefits discussed above. We even offer virtual therapy and at-home care services, which can help you treat your condition from home.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat fibromyalgia or to schedule an initial appointment.