Physical Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Living with fibromyalgia can feel frustrating and unpredictable — even discouraging: One day you may feel fairly good, while the next day, even basic tasks seem exhausting and uncomfortable. Widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, stiffness, and fibro brain fog can all take a toll on your ability to work, socialize, and even keep up with normal, daily routines.

While the cause of fibromyalgia is still being investigated, today there are treatments that can help reduce its symptoms to be more manageable on a day-to-day basis. For many people, physical therapy plays a key role in their fibromyalgia management plans.

Advanced Medical Care is a leading fibromyalgia treatment provider, offering holistic, comprehensive solutions tailored to your individual needs. In this post, learn how physical therapy can help you manage your symptoms and get back to the activities you love.

Physical therapy for fibromyalgia

Physical therapy involves movement, and if you’re suffering from fibromyalgia, being more active may sound like the last thing you want. But while it may seem counterintuitive, being inactive can worsen your symptoms by allowing muscles, tendons, and ligaments to stiffen, which results in even more discomfort over time.

Of course, that doesn't mean you should go out and increase activity without thought and planning — and that’s where physical therapy can help. Yes, physical therapy does involve movement, but the movements and exercises you engage in are tailored for your symptoms and for your body’s capabilities and tolerance levels.

Instead of intense exercise you’d find at the gym, physical therapy typically focuses on slow, controlled movement that helps improve flexibility, strength, endurance, and overall function without overwhelming your body or triggering fibromyalgia flare-ups.

The science behind physical therapy

Although you feel fibromyalgia symptoms in your muscles and joints, the condition is more widespread. Experts believe the condition involves abnormal pain processing inside your nervous system, making you more sensitive to pain signals so you feel minor discomfort or strain more acutely.

Yes, medication may help manage pain and even fine-tune your nervous system responses. Some medications can improve your ability to cope with fibromyalgia, lessening the condition’s potential emotional impact, too. 

But because fibromyalgia affects your musculoskeletal system and nervous system, many people benefit from a treatment plan that addresses their physical limitations, too. Physical therapy for fibromyalgia focuses on helping you move more freely, improving overall body mechanics, and supporting healthier movement patterns to calm underlying irritation.

For example, stretching exercises help improve circulation and reduce stiffness in your joints, while gentle strengthening routines support the muscles that in turn support your joints and facilitate pain-free movement. Depending on your needs and symptoms, therapy can help improve your energy levels, clear away fibro fog, improve endurance, and even help you sleep better so your body can heal and recover over time. 

Truly individualized treatment

Perhaps best of all, physical therapy is completely tailored to your needs — not just at the start of therapy, but all the way through your treatment plan. Regular assessments enable our therapists to adjust your plan so it keeps pace with your changing needs, helping you feel more comfortable and confident every step of the way.

And remember: While therapy can definitely be beneficial, patience is key. Our therapists can help you stay focused and on track with your plan while setting realistic goals so you can stay active and feel more in control of your own life.

Find a solution that works for you

Fibromyalgia may be a chronic condition, but that doesn’t mean you need to live with the pain, fatigue, and emotional impact it causes. Physical therapy offers an individualized, supportive approach focused on improving your comfort, mobility, and confidence, making everyday activities much easier to manage.

If fibromyalgia symptoms are interfering with your life, we can help. To learn more, request an appointment online or call the Advanced Medical Care team in Forest Hills, Queens, and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York, today.