Fibromyalgia can be a frustrating and mysterious condition to deal with, involving crippling pain that seems to come out of nowhere that can leave you feeling fatigued and mentally drained. It can be easy to start to rely on medication for relief, but many patients with fibromyalgia report being unable to find relief with medication and/or having concerns about dependency.

For this and other reasons, such as personal beliefs, patients will turn to natural therapies in order to improve fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms. Natural treatment can be broadly defined as any therapeutic approach that relies on methods that do not require intervention from man-made substances or devices. Since physical therapy is built on techniques that mainly use the body itself as the primary means of treatment, it can easily be considered as a natural treatment. 

To help patients begin fibromyalgia treatment on an educated and informed basis, we’re happy to share the following guide. As you take a moment to look this over, don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or if you’d like to learn more about how we can help. 

How physical therapists treat fibromyalgia naturally

One of the most difficult aspects of fibromyalgia treatment is that it can be difficult to pinpoint the source of pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that is still being studied, and it is believed that symptoms are partially related to how pain signals in the body are interpreted by the brain. The diagnosis is based on having 11 or more of the 18 possible tender points painful. These 18 tender spots are seen in the general population with poor movement patterns causing stress to the body.

This is why physical therapists generally take a natural, holistic approach to developing a treatment plan for fibromyalgia, such as:

• Performing manual therapy to mobilize soft tissue, provide myofascial release and relax tense muscles 
• Providing instructions for therapeutic exercise that can help strengthen the body, improve posture, improve breathing pattern, improve movement patterns, increase blood flow and even help with pain relief by releasing endorphins
• Giving recommendations for better nutrition, posture improvement and activities that can help with the management of fibromyalgia symptoms and improve overall health 

Since every person and individual case of fibromyalgia is different, receiving individualized care should be a cornerstone of your treatment.

Personalized care for fibromyalgia

At Franklin Rehabilitation, we’ll provide a full assessment to discover the sources of your fibromyalgia pain and create a customized treatment plan specifically for you. To learn more about our caring team and highly experienced and credentialed therapists, contact us today and schedule your initial appointment.