fibromyalgia

A chronic condition that is often difficult to diagnose, fibromyalgia affects almost 5 million people in the United States; 80% to 90% are women. Fibromyalgia usually is diagnosed in adults between the ages of 30 and 50, but the symptoms—such as widespread chronic pain and fatigue—can show up earlier.

Fibromyalgia also tends to affect more women than men, and your likelihood of developing it increases if you have a family member with the same condition.

The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Nausea
• Disrupted sleep cycles/irregular sleep schedules
• Sensitivity to touch/numbness
• Chronic and/or sharp muscle pains
• Tender areas of the body
• Fatigue
• Fluctuations in mood
• Forgetfulness or disorientation

Although there is no definitive cure at this time, there are treatments that can help. Your physical therapist can help you:

• Understand and manage your pain.
• Reduce your fatigue.
• Improve your function and quality of life.

By having a physical therapist tailor a gentle, yet effective program with your particular pain and fatigue levels in mind, you can eliminate the hard part — getting started. And a recent study found that fibromyalgia patients who participated in an exercise program designed for their specific needs showed improvements in their mood, functioning, and physical abilities even six months after the program ended. Increasing flexibility and strengthening muscles through a maintainable exercise routine are two important ways physical therapists reduce fibromyalgia pain and make life more manageable.