At least 129 million people are struggling with at least one chronic condition or disease in America according to the CDC. These numbers are staggering considering that is more than one third of the population! These conditions include things such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, but also include pain-associated conditions such as Fibromyalgia, arthritis and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). So the question often comes up: can physical therapy help?
It is all too easy to equate the word chronic with hopeless or to assume a poor prognosis, but there are many chronic conditions that can still have great hope for recovery. Check out some of the conditions and strategies listed below that can give you direction for symptom improvement in the midst of a chronic condition.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an incredibly common condition that causes varying degrees of pain from person to person. The deterioration of cartilage in joints causes pain, swelling and grinding that eventually leads to people limiting their activity and movement, which in turn exacerbates the symptoms.
My main recommendation for those with arthritis is always to increase muscle strength. The more we strengthen the muscles surrounding a painful joint, the more we are able to offload the force and pressure in the joint. Most people find that the movement is initially painful, but by the time they finish exercising their joints feel significantly better.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain throughout the body and is associated with certain tender points that are very painful. Normal activities can cause pain throughout the body and a patient’s pain signals are processed differently in the brain. What is crucial when living with Fibromyalgia is to maintain strength and flexibility, and continue to incorporate cardiovascular exercise which can significantly decrease the pain a patient feels.
Most patients with Fibromyalgia show improved pain and symptoms when they maintain a consistent but feasible exercise program incorporating cardiovascular work as well as muscle strengthening. It is important to know that overdoing it will exacerbate these symptoms, so slow, measured gains should be prioritized over higher intensity exercise.
Nerve pain
Nerve pain can originate from many sources including, but not limited to, neuropathy, bulging discs and sciatica. There are many different injuries and problems that can lead to this type of pain, and it can be debilitating. When there is damage to a nerve, pinching of a nerve, or pressure or stretching on a nerve, the body communicates this loudly with burning, numbness or tingling that’s hard to ignore.
The good news is that there are different effective strategies for improving nerve pain. These can include nerve glides to improve entrapped nerves, posture modification to reduce pinching on nerves, and strengthening certain muscles to reduce the tension that irritates nerves. It is important to correctly diagnose the cause of your nerve pain to make a constructive plan for improvement of symptoms.
If you’re struggling with one of these chronic conditions or any others, schedule an appointment today to see how rehabilitation can help you!
