Jonathan Collier Injury Rehabilitation

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition involving large disperses of pain across the body. From personal experience, recently I have come across an increasing number of clients with potential fibromyalgia symptoms. This increase is noted by “Arthritis Research UK” stating that 1 in 25 now may suffer from symptoms.

Symptoms include;

Widespread pain, extreme fatigue, cognitive processing, sleep disturbance, poor circulation, headaches, irritable bowels or urgency to urinate.

Fibromyalgia is described as a “chronic” condition as the pain sufferers experience is not directly caused by physical harm or tissue damage but is caused with hyperactivity in the nervous system and the way that the brain processes pain for a specific area. This doesn’t signify that the pain is any less real but that there isn’t any “easy way” of stopping the pain.

From experience of treating sufferers with fibromyalgia, I’ve personally found that trying to manage and balance a clients activity levels and stress levels a good solid platform to start with. In clinic, based on client feedback, I’ve found a combination of deep and soft tissue massage along with joint mobilisations and acupuncture a beneficial way of treating a fibro sufferer. Continuity with treatment and exercise prescription is defiantly an advantageous way of managing fibromyalgia.

TOP TIP: Fibromyalgia is not to be confused with Polymyalgia. Polymyalgia is considered to be a autoimmune disorder which in turn causes the body to attack healthy tissue by mistake. Fibromyalgia is thought to be causes by hyperactive nerve impulses that cause the body to perceive pain without any “true” physical injury.

JPC

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