Fibromyalgia treatment in Daisy Hill, North Lakes & Eight Mile Plains

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition and living with it can be quite frustrating at times. It affects about 2-5% of people, most commonly middle-aged women.

Fibromyalgia symptoms

Symptoms of fibromyalgia vary from one person to another but often include:

Widespread pain and stiffness for at last 3 months
Sensitivity to pain, temperature, light, smell and noise
Fatigue – yet, paradoxically, fibromyalgia can also cause trouble sleeping
Difficulties with concentration and memory.

Alongside those ‘classic’ symptoms, people with fibromyalgia often also experience:

Anxiety and depression
Irritable bowel syndrome
Headaches
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Tingling or numbness in the arms and legs
Menstrual cramps or pain
Restless legs.

It works both ways too. People with mood disorders or pain conditions like arthritis are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.

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Living with fibromyalgia

You may find that there are times when fibromyalgia is in the background and other times when it flares up and significantly impacts your activities. Factors such as stress, illness, travel or overexertion may worsen your symptoms.

Living with fibromyalgia is not easy, as journalist Nicky Marshall explains,

For me, a flare-up starts with a wave of exhaustion that can swamp me within seconds, accompanied by a brain fog so dense I might struggle to speak. Then the pain begins. It’s a rusty feeling in my hands and feet that moves up and seeps into my wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, shoulders and hips. There are muscle aches too, that trampled feeling you get as you’re coming down with a cold or flu.

But aside from these flares, a low hum of pain is ever present…Much of the time it feels as though everything is uphill; as though my flesh hurts just being on my bones. It’s grinding and relentless and exhausting.

I can think of just two days this year that were pain-free. They were golden.

Causes of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is complex and we are still exploring its causes. So far, we’ve learnt that it involves changes in the central nervous system which amplify pain signals. The neural pathways that transmit and receive pain signals may be different in people with fibromyalgia. This creates a sense of pain – and may also contribute to fatigue, disturbed sleep and cognitive difficulties.

Other influences include:

Environmental factors
Genetics – it tends to run in families
Personal health history – if you have an existing pain condition or mental health condition, you’re more likely to develop fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia treatment

There is no cure for fibromyalgia. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.

Treatment is multi-faceted and may include:

Psychological support to change thinking patterns
Medication to aid sleep or ease pain
Dietary changes to manage weight and ensure good nutrition
Complementary treatments such as yoga, acupuncture and naturopathy
Physiotherapy to manage pain.

How The Brisbane Spine Clinic Can Help

Our skilled physiotherapists offer evidence-based treatments for fibromyalgia, including:

Helping you understand the condition, both in general terms and in the particular ways it affects you
Helping you calibrate your activity levels so that you can achieve some goals without exacerbating your condition
Creating a tailored exercise program to help reduce pain and tiredness while boosting energy, mood and sleep
Providing hands-on treatment such as deep tissue massage
Teaching you relaxation techniques to help reduce the effects of stress.

Such treatment can help to ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

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