Physical therapy offers drug-free fibromyalgia pain relief

Fibromyalgia Pain Relief

Medication is used to treat many types of pain, and fibromyalgia pain is no exception. This condition is a nerve issue, and it’s known for causing widespread pain. Fibromyalgia can also lead to symptoms like fatigue, mood swings and memory issues. 

Physical therapy can provide some fibromyalgia patients with a form of drug-free pain relief. Therapists offer several techniques that can help treat this condition. But there are three methods that can be particularly helpful for treating fibromyalgia symptoms. 

Three therapy methods that can offer fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs

Some fibromyalgia patients might be looking to move away from taking drugs while still finding relief from their pain. For these patients, physical therapy can be an effective alternative. Physical therapists use techniques that offer natural pain relief without relying on medications. Three techniques that can be particularly helpful are: 

  1. Therapeutic exercise — Several types of therapeutic exercises can help with fibromyalgia pain. Strengthening exercises can help provide increased support to painful body parts and joints. Stretches can reduce tension in soft tissue that can trigger bursts of pain. Low-impact cardio exercise like treadmill walking can also be helpful. It can increase the amount of endorphins in the body. It can also increase blood flow to help get these natural painkillers to the painful areas of your body. 
  1. Joint mobilization — People with fibromyalgia might try to move around less because of their pain. However, this can increase joint stiffness, which can trigger even more pain. Joint mobilization is a form of manual or hands-on therapy. It’s designed to reduce joint stiffness and improve joint mobility. By doing so, this technique might also help decrease your pain.
  1. Electrical stimulation — Fibromyalgia is primarily a nerve issue. Electrical stimulation can help target the pain it causes at its source: the nerves. This therapy method involves attaching electrode pads to the skin, and these are attached to an electrical stimulation device with wires. The device produces low-power electrical pulses that flow through the skin and into the nerves. Once here, the pulses are thought to temporarily block pain signals being sent from the nerves to the brain. 

Whatcom Physical Therapy can help you find fibromyalgia pain relief without drugs

Finding relief from your fibromyalgia pain without taking more drugs could be as simple as coming to Whatcom Physical Therapy. Our team offers free screenings, and this service can help us learn how fibromyalgia is affecting your body. With this information, we can build you a personalized treatment plan for fibromyalgia. Your plan will include multiple beneficial therapy methods, and some of these methods might include: 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat fibromyalgia symptoms or to schedule your initial appointment.