Physical Therapy , Joint Pain , Chronic Pain , Health & Wellness , Aches & Pains , Blog

Moving Through Fibromyalgia With Physical Therapy

Nearly 5 million people in the United States have fibromyalgia. This chronic condition causes widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive issues. It can be difficult to manage and can severely impact quality of life. The best treatment plans combine exercise, modalities and education. Physical therapists are experts in all three, so they’re the perfect practitioner to help!

Exercise

Currently, recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia include patient education and non-pharmacological interventions. The right exercise routine can help with pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, and more. A combination of strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercise is the most effective. You and your PT will work together to find the right type and intensity of exercise to best manage your symptoms.

Modalities

Moving Through Fibromyalgia With Physical Therapy

Exercise isn’t the only tool the PT has to help people with fibromyalgia though. Gentle manual therapy and massage have been shown to help reduce pain and muscle stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. Physical therapists also use modalities to reduce symptoms.

Examples include:
● electrical stimulation
● laser
● biofeedback
● dry needling in states where it is allowed

In addition to land-based exercise, some clinics also have the option of aquatic therapy. This combines the benefits of exercise with the warmth of a therapeutic pool.

Education

Education is another important component in treating fibromyalgia. A physical therapist spends more time with their patients than most other practitioners. They have the time to help you understand what’s going on, and what you can do about it. Research shows that people with more knowledge about their condition have better outcomes, more confidence, and cope better.

While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, physical therapists can help with pain management, strength, mobility, fatigue and function to help patients find relief from their symptoms.

References:

Research (peer-reviewed)
● Therex effectiveness – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632473/
● PT for fibromyalgia – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31140398/
● Exercises for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29185675/
● Manual therapy for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32604939/
● Aquatic PT for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23818412/
● Effectiveness of exercise with fatigue, etc for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32721388/

Articles and Content
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11028838/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36051912/
https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-fibromyalgia

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Health & Wellness , Aches & Pains , Physical Therapy , Joint Pain

Have You Scheduled Your 2023 PT Exam?

(used with permission from the American Physical Therapy Association Private Practice Section)

Haven’t thought about having an annual PT exam? We’re biased, but we think you should. You see your optometrist and dentist regularly because your eyes and teeth are important. You get an annual physical from your family physician. You might even be getting ready to see your accountant to get your yearly taxes done.

But what about the rest of your body? Have you lost range of motion, or strength? How’s your balance and coordination? These all affect how you move. You might not notice small changes until you have problems like trouble lifting a heavy load, joint pain, or a sprained ankle from a stumble.

An annual PT exam can catch problems early, then correct them before they lead to something bigger.

What to Expect

An annual PT exam is quick and easy. Your annual visit may include:

A history of your injuries, as well as a health history
Assessment of your strength, balance, flexibility, etc.
A review of your movement goals (do you want to run a marathon? Get on and off the floor easily playing with your grandkids?)
A review and update of your exercise program

How Important Is Moving Well?

There is strong evidence suggesting that movement is a valuable predictor of future health and resilience against disease. Moving well can keep you healthier and help you live longer.

Here are some examples of the power of movement when it comes to predicting future health:

Gait Velocity

Gait velocity is how fast you walk. Studies have shown that if your typical walking speed is over 1 m/s or 3.3 ft/s, you’re likely able to complete typical daily activities independently. You’re also less likely to be hospitalized and less likely to have adverse events like falls.

Get On and Off the Floor

A series of studies suggest that if you can go from standing to sitting on the floor and back to standing without using your hands, you’re a lot less likely to die than someone who can’t. It’s called the sitting-rising test. You can find the instructions and examples with a quick internet search.

Notice that both gait velocity and the sitting-rising test aren’t specific to any one thing. The risk of hospitalization in the gait velocity studies was hospitalization for any reason. Death in the sitting-rising studies was death from anything. So science says that moving well is incredibly important to your overall health. It’s also important for your quality of life.

We think moving well is just as important as your teeth, eyes, and taxes. If you agree, get that annual PT exam scheduled!

References

Physical Therapists’ Role in Prevention, Wellness, Fitness, Health Promotion, and Management of Disease and Disability – https://www.apta.org/apta-and-you/leadership-and-governance/policies/pt-role-advocacy

Ability to sit and rise from the floor is closely correlated with all-cause mortality risk — ScienceDaily

Gait velocity as a single predictor of adverse events in healthy seniors aged 75 years and older – PubMed (nih.gov)

Aches & Pains , Physical Therapy , Injury , Joint Pain

Don’t Keep Injury Secrets!

(used with permission from the APTA Private Practice Section)

You might be wondering who would keep an injury secret. The answer is – lots of people! The first thing that comes to your mind might be an athlete, like a football player, or maybe a baseball pitcher. But athletes aren’t the only ones that keep injury secrets. Performers like dancers keep injury secrets, and so do workers in all types of jobs. Why would anyone want to keep their injury secret instead of getting it treated and letting it heal? Read on…

Stigma

Although there have been big improvements in the culture around sports, performing arts, and worker’s comp, some people still have the old “no pain, no gain” attitude. To some people, reporting an injury is an

act of weakness, or a way of letting the team down. There can also be external pressure from coaches, parents, teammates, supervisors, or fans to keep playing or working.

Fear of Loss

With the focus on head injuries in recent years, athletes that get hit in the head know if they report concussion symptoms, they’re coming out of the game. Workers who get hurt on the job fear loss of pay, or loss of their job. Performers who get hurt might fear that their replacement will outshine them on the stage and take their place.

Competitive Advantage

While the first two reasons can apply to athletes, performers, workers and most any other group that might be hiding an injury, this one is limited to athletes. If an opposing team knows a player is injured, and what the injury is, they might be able to take advantage of it. For example, if a football team has a running quarterback that has an ankle injury, it will change how the opposing defense plays.

These reasons all make some sense, but they’re also all shortsighted. Finishing a game, dancing tomorrow night, or working one more shift are never worth your long term health. Hiding a minor injury can turn it into a major one. It’s never weak to report an injury and you’re not letting your teammates, or coworkers down. If you’re not up to your best, you owe it to the people counting on you to let them know. Letting a healthy player, performer, or worker take your place is the right thing to do. If you’re injured, don’t hide it! Let the right people know, then go to the right person for help – your physical therapist!