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Fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs — how physical therapy helps

Fibromyalgia Pain Relief Without Drugs

Fibromyalgia can be an absolutely devastating condition to live with. The pain, tenderness, fatigue, sleep problems and other issues can take you away from the people and activities you love while affecting your productivity at work. Because of this, a large number of patients turn to medication to relieve symptoms. 

With issues like drug dependency and overuse getting a lot of attention with the ongoing opioid crisis, finding fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs is a very real concern. In fact, one study estimates that as many as 32% of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia use opioid drugs, which doesn’t account for other drug classes. The problem with medication is that it does not treat the source of conditions like fibromyalgia. What’s more, patients can quickly find themselves adapting to the effects of drugs and needing more to find relief. 

Can physical therapy really provide fibromyalgia pain relief? 

Fibromyalgia is a condition that is still not fully understood by medical researchers, but there are many new theories. Physical therapy deals with some of the major obstacles to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia by looking at poor movement patterns causing stress to the body. Another new idea is that the free nerve endings that populate the fascia in our muscles can become more sensitive and painful if they are not moving properly. Physical therapy can play an important role in the long-term management of this condition. Working with a physical therapist can offer significant fibromyalgia pain relief in the following ways: 

  • Relieving deep muscle pain and freeing up the fascia to allow the free nerve endings to have less tension on them and therefore less pain with myofascial release and other manual techniques
  • Improving energy levels and fighting fatigue with therapeutic exercise
  • Using posture training to reduce undue strain on the muscles 
  • Providing lifestyle counseling to promote healthy choices like regular exercise and healthy eating

As a natural approach to treatment, physical therapy can help you take charge of your condition and pain in a way that is sustainable and promotes your long-term health. 

Fibromyalgia pain relief with the caring team at Franklin Rehabilitation 

We know how isolating pain can be, which is why one of our compassionate team of highly skilled therapists will work closely with you to provide an individualized treatment plan. By right-sizing care to your unique lifestyle and treatment goals, we can give you the best chance of finding the relief that gets you back to a healthy and active lifestyle. 

Take the first step in conquering fibromyalgia pain today; contact our team to schedule your initial appointment.