More about Fibromyalgia and How Physiotherapy Helps

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread body pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain perceives pain.

The condition is caused by an imbalance of chemicals or neurotransmitters in the brain that signal pain. The levels of serotonin and Substance P which transmit pain signals to the brain become higher than norepinephrine, which is a pain inhibitor. The brain’s pain receptors also develop a memory of the pain and overreact to pain signals.

Although fibromyalgia is more prevalent among women than men, it occurs among all ages in both sexes. Symptoms usually manifest after a physical trauma, surgery, infection, or significant psychological stress. In some cases, symptoms accumulate over time with no specific trigger.

Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder and it is suspected that genetics plays an integral role. If you have it, your heirs may also harbour the disorder. Autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are also underlying causes of fibromyalgia.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Persistent and widespread body pain. There are 18 specific areas of the body associated with fibromyalgia pain. These include either side of the collarbone, upper chest, back of the neck, middle of the shoulders, the upper back, inside of the elbows, upper portion and middle of the buttocks and sides of the knees. The degree of pain varies and the areas of pain are sensitive to touch.

• • Chronic Fatigue. People with fibromyalgia often awaken tired, even though they report sleeping for long periods of time. Sleep is often disrupted by pain, and many patients with fibromyalgia have other sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea. It’s a vicious cycle; patients have trouble getting rest due to pain and thus suffer an even greater sensitivity to pain.

• Cognitive difficulties and memory loss. Otherwise referred to as “fibro fog,” the ability to focus, pay attention, and concentrate on mental tasks is impaired. Patients may also have short term memory loss.

• Fibromyalgia often coexists with other painful conditions, such as tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.

There is no single cure for fibromyalgia. It is often misdiagnosed as joint pain and/or muscular inflammation and patients are given anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, or (occasionally) antidepressants to calm the pain.

Physical therapy intervention helps mitigate these pain episodes.  Your physical therapist may use a combination of passive and active techniques to ease the pain. An integrated physiotherapy plan may include deep tissue massage, heat therapy, water therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), Ultrasound, low-impact aerobic exercise, breathing exercises, and strengthening and flexibility exercises.

Physical therapy can make pain and other fibromyalgia symptoms more manageable.

The Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centers of Ontario has a team of therapists available to help you deal with your fibromyalgia.  Schedule an appointment with us at any of our centers.