The Ankle Support Brace 1008 is an allround ankle support fro most ankle pain and injuries. This ankle support has an open heel that allows for a comfortable fit and applies less pressure on the sensitive Achilles tendon area than more restrictive ankle braces. A removable ankle strap completely detaches from ankle support when additional compression is not necessary. This ankle support has flexible spiral springs that act like tendons to reinforce your ankle. The 1008 provides comfortable compression for weak or overstressed ankles. It relieves ankle pain due to ankle sprains, strains or stiffness related to arthritis. Ankle Conditions that may benefit from this ankle support: | |
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Ankle Pain... Need an Ankle Support Brace?
Monday, May 27, 2013
What is your Sacroiliac Joint? What goes wrong?
Your Sacroiliac Joints (SIJ) are a critical linkage system between your lower spine and pelvis. The sacrum (tailbone) connects on the right and left sides of the ilia (pelvic bones) to form the sacroiliac joints.
The SIJ should be a fairly stiff or rigid link between the pelvic bones, and allow only a few degrees of movement. In some people due to trauma or just extra mobility, the SIJ has too much uncontrolled motion. This allows the joint to adopt an abnormal or stressed joint position, which may result in pain.
When your SIJ’s are not moving normally due to either stiffness or excessive movement, it is referred to as SIJ Dysfunction.
It is vital that you have both normal movement and muscle control around this area to avoid pain and injury. Commonly SIJ dysfunction can cause lower back, hip, buttock and sciatic pain.
What Causes SIJ Dysfunction?
There are two main groups of SIJ dysfunction:- Hypermobility / Instability
- Hypomobility / Stiffness
- Hypermobility issues are the most common and will be discussed further in this article.
- Hypomobility is normally associated with pathologies that tend to stiffen the SIJ’s such as Ankylosing Spondylitis.
What Causes SIJ Hypermobility?
Your SIJ’s should move a few degrees for normal movement. Like most joints, your surrounding muscles act to stabilise your SIJ’s during stressful or vulnerable positions. The most important SIJ stabilising muscles are your deep abdominal core muscles and your deep gluteal muscle groups.Your core muscles: specifically the transversus abdominis (TrA) and oblique abdominals through their attachments to the iliac bones help closure of the pelvis and improves the position, control and stability of the sacroiliac joints.
Researchers have discovered that contraction of the TrA muscle significantly stiffens and supports the sacroiliac joint. This improvement is larger than that caused by an abdominal bracing action using all the lateral abdominal muscles. (Richardson etal 2002)
Further to this, researchers have discovered that your deep gluteal (buttock) muscles are important for controlling the lateral and rear aspects of the pelvis and hip. (Grimaldi etal).
When these muscle groups are weak or lack endurance your SIJ’s are vulnerable to excessive movement, which can lead to hypermobility dysfunction or instability.
What are the Symptoms of SIJ Dysfunction?
SIJ dysfunction can mimic numerous other back and hip injuries. SIJ dysfunction can cause lower back, hip, groin, buttock and sciatic pain.
The pain is typically worse with standing and walking and improved when lying down, but not always. It can sometimes be painful to sit cross legged and is normally painful to lie on your side for extend periods.
Bending forward, stair climbing, hill climbing, and rising from a seated position can also provoke SIJ pain. Pain is reported to increase during sexual intercourse and menstruation in women.
The pain is typically worse with standing and walking and improved when lying down, but not always. It can sometimes be painful to sit cross legged and is normally painful to lie on your side for extend periods.
Bending forward, stair climbing, hill climbing, and rising from a seated position can also provoke SIJ pain. Pain is reported to increase during sexual intercourse and menstruation in women.
How is SIJ Dysfunction Diagnosed?
Accurately diagnosing sacroiliac joint dysfunction can be difficult because SIJ symptoms mimic other common conditions, including other mechanical low back pain conditions like facet syndrome or disc bulges.
MRI may show signs of SIJ inflammation or eliminate other potential pathologies. X-rays are of minimal diagnostic benefit.
A thorough physical examination by your experienced musculoskeletal physiotherapist is the best method to assess SIJ instability.
How is SIJ Dysfunction Treated?
PHASE I - Pain Relief & Protection
Managing your pain is the main reason that you seek treatment for SIJ dysfunction. In truth, it was actually the final symptom that you developed and should be the first symptom to improve.
Managing your inflammation. SIJ inflammation it best eased via ice therapy and techniques or exercises that deload the inflammed structures.
Your physiotherapist will use an array of treatment tools to reduce your pain and inflammation. These include: ice, electrotherapy, acupuncture, deloading taping techniques, soft tissue massage and temporary use of a mobility aid (eg cane or crutch) to off-load the affected side.
Your doctor may recommend a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
PHASE II - Restoring Normal ROM, Strength
As your pain and inflammation settles, your physiotherapist will turn their attention to restoring your normal pelvic alignment and SIJ range of motion, muscle length and resting tension, muscle strength and endurance. proprioception, balance and gait (walking pattern).
Your physiotherapist will commence you on a lower abdominal and hip core stability program to facilitate your important muscles that dynamically control and stabilise your SIJs.
Researchers have discovered the importance of your hip muscle recruitment patterns with a normal order of: deep, then intermediate and finally superficial muscle firing patterns in normal pain-free hips. Your physiotherapist will assess your muscle recruitment pattern and prescribe the best exercises for you specific to your needs.
Please ask your physio for their advice.
PHASE III - Restoring Full Function
As your SIJ dynamic control improves, your physiotherapist will turn their attention to restoring your normal pelvic alignment and SIJ range of motion during more stressful positions and postures plus work on your muscle power. proprioception, balance and gait (walking pattern).
Depending on your chosen sport or activities of daily living, your physiotherapist will aim to restore your function to safely allow you to return to your desired activities. Everyone has different demands for their SIJs that will determine what specific treatment goals you need to achieve. For some it be simply to walk around the block. Others may wish to run a marathon.
Your physiotherapist will tailor your SIJ rehabilitation to help you achieve your own functional goals.
PHASE IV - Preventing a Recurrence
SIJ dysfunction does have a tendency to return. The main reason it is thought to recur is due to insufficient rehabilitation. In particular, poor compliance with deep abdominal and hip core muscle exercises. You should continue a version of these exercises routinely a few times per week. Your physiotherapist will assist you in identifying the best exercises for you to continue indefinitely.
In addition to your muscle control, your physiotherapist will assess you hip biomechanics and correct any defects. It may be as simple as providing your will adjacent muscle exercises or some foot orthotics to address any biomechanical faults in the legs or feet. Fine tuning and maintenance of your SIJ stability and function is best achieved by addressing any deficits and learning self-management techniques. Your physiotherapist will guide you.
What is Your Prognosis?
The success of SIJ and pelvic joint re-alignment using a variety of mobilisation techniques and subsequent dynamic stabilisation via a deep abdominal and hip core stability control programs is very good. At PhysioWorks, we have a success rate that exceeds 90% within six weeks of commencing your treatment.
For more information please contact your PhysioWorks physiotherapist.
For more information please contact your PhysioWorks physiotherapist.
Other SIJ Treatment Options
SIJ instability occasionally requires additional passive support until your muscles successfully control the joint. Supportive taping is often beneficial during the initial pain reduction phase.
Longer term instability can be managed with a SIJ stabilisation belt.
If you have any questions please seek the advice of your physiotherapist.
Common SIJ Treatments
FAQs about SIJ Pain
SIJ Pain Treatment Products
Related Injuries to SIJ Pain
More info about... SIJ Dysfunction
Which Resistance Band Exercises will Help You the Most?
Resistance Band ExercisesStart exercising effectively today! This comprehensive set of 63 resistance band exercises is cleverly divided into the regions that you want to efficiently work out. Resistance band is fantastic for strengthening your shoulder, elbow and wrist as well as your hips, knees and ankles. Each exercise includes a clear illustration, easy to follow written instructions as well as the purpose for doing each resistance band exercise. Plus, the exercises are organised in an easy to progress order. This comprehensive series of resistance band exercises is divided into the several sections with specific exercises designed to provide you with:
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Sunday, May 26, 2013
What is a Rotator Cuff Tear? How to Treat? When to Consider Surgery?
 A rotator cuff tear is quite simply a tear of your shoulder’s rotator cuff tendons. A rotator cuff tear can occur in two ways:
Traumatic rotator cuff tears occur quickly or under heavy load eg a fall or lifting a heavy weight. However, the most common cause of a rotator cuff tear is repeated micro-trauma, which can occur over several weeks months or years. Repeated rotator cuff injury from straining or pinching the rotator cuff tendons will injure the soft tissue resulting in bruising or swelling. Since there are only a few millimetres separating your rotator cuff tendons from a bony hood (acromion), the additional swelling causes a quicker impingement, catching or squeezing of the rotator cuff tendons. What are Rotator Cuff Tear Symptoms?Your rotator cuff tears may be partial or full thickness tears. You will will notice that your shoulder pain and weakness increases with the severity of your rotator cuff tear. More importantly, it is a reduction in your shoulder function that is important. Partial rotator cuff tear may only present with mild shoulder pain, clicking during shoulder elevation and mild shoulder weakness lifting your hand above shoulder height or reaching behind your back. Full thickness rotator cuff tear will normally present with severe shoulder pain and an inability to lift your elbow away from your body. However, in some cases the rotator cuff tear is so severe that a significant number of your pain fibres are also torn, which can make them less painful but very weak. When you have a small rotator cuff tear you can often still raise your arm with or without pain. Moderate tears are usually very painful and you’ll have difficulty moving your arm. Most patients can’t sleep due to the relentless pain. When a large rotator cuff tear occurs you may find that you are unable to lift your arm at all. What is the Rotator Cuff?Your shoulder’s rotator cuff are a very important group of four small shoulder muscles that stabilise, control and move your shoulder joint. When your rotator cuff muscles work in isolation they exhibit rotational motion at the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint, which is why they are termed the rotator cuff. Your subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor muscles are the four muscles collectively known as the rotator cuff. How is a Rotator Cuff Tear Diagnosed?Your physiotherapist or sports doctor will suspect a rotator cuff tear based on your clinical history and the findings from a series of clinical tests.A diagnostic ultrasound scan is the most accurate method to diagnose the size and location of your rotator cuff tear. MRI’s may show are rotator cuff tear but have also been known to miss a tear. What is Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment?Small and medium size rotator cuff tears usually heal successfully with appropriate conservative management and physiotherapy treatment.Unfortunately, large rotator cuff tears may require rotator cuff surgery if physiotherapy treatment fails to assist. Early rotator cuff tear treatment is important. Delay will result inretraction of your rotator cuff tendon, which can make healing or rotator cuff repair surgery more difficult and less successful.The best rotator cuff tear treatment results occur when the rotator cuff injury is fresh. Rotator Cuff Tear TreatmentRotator cuff tears are a common problem. Rotator cuff injury deteriorates further if you return to sport or work too quickly – especially if a thorough rehabilitation program is not completed. They are also regularly poorly treated by inexperienced shoulder practitioners. Your rotator cuff is an important group of control and stability muscles that maintain “centralisation” of your shoulder joint. In other words, it keeps the shoulder ball centred over the small socket. This prevents other shoulder injuries such as rotator cuff impingement, subluxation and dislocation. Researchers have concluded that there are essentially 7 stages that need to be covered to effectively rehabilitate rotator cuff tears and prevent recurrence. These are: Phase 1 - Early Injury Protection: Pain Relief & Anti-inflammatory TipsAs with most soft tissue injuries the initial treatment is RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. In the early phase you’ll most likely be unable to fully lift your arm or sleep comfortably. Our first aim is to provide you with some relief from pain-provoking postures and movements. This means that you should stop doing the movement or activity that provoked the shoulder pain in the first place and avoid doing anything that causes pain in your shoulder. You may need to be wear a sling or have your shoulder taped to provide pain relief. In some cases it may mean that you need to sleep relatively upright or with pillow support. Your physiotherapist will guide you. Ice is a simple and effective modality to reduce your pain and swelling. Please apply for 20-30 minutes each 2 to 4 hours during the initial phase or when you notice that your injury is warm or hot. Anti-inflammatory medication (if tolerated) and natural substances eg arnica may help reduce your pain and swelling. However, it is best to avoid anti-inflammatory drugs during the initial 48 to 72 hours when they may encourage additional bleeding. Most people can tolerate paracetamol as a pain reducing medication. Your physiotherapist will utilise a range of pain relieving techniques including rotator cuff deloading taping, joint mobilisations, massage, acupuncture or dry needling to assist you during this pain-full phase. Phase 2: Regain Full Shoulder Range of MotionIf you protect your rotator cuff injury appropriately the injured tissues will heal. Inflammed structures eg (tendonitis, bursitis) will settle when protected from additional damage. Rotator cuff tears may take several weeks to heal while you await Mother Nature to form and mature the new scar tissue, which takes at least six weeks. During this time period you should be aiming to optimally remould your scar tissue to prevent a poorly formed or lumpy scar that may re-tear in the future. It is important to lengthen and orientate your healing scar tissue via joint mobilisations, massage, muscle stretches, and light active-assisted and active exercises. These should all be pain-free. Researchers have concluded that physiotherapist-assisted joint mobilisations will improve your range of motion quicker and, in the long-term, improve your shoulder function outcome. In most cases, you will also have developed short or long-term protective tightness of your shoulder joint capsule (usually posterior) and some compensatory shoulder muscles. These structures need to be stretched to allow normal movement. Signs that your have full soft tissue extensibility includes being able to move your shoulder through a full range of motion. In the early stage, this may need to be passively (by someone else) eg your physiotherapist. As you improve you will be able to do this under your own muscle power. Phase 3: Restore Scapular ControlYour shoulder blade (scapula) is the base of your shoulder and arm movements. Normal shoulder blade-shoulder movement - known as scapulo-humeral rhythm - is required for a pain-free and powerful shoulder function. Alteration of this movement pattern results in impingement and subsequent injury. Your physiotherapist is an expert in the assessment and correction of your scapulo-humeral rhythm. Researchers have identified poor scapulo-humeral rhythm as a major cause of rotator cuff injury. Any deficiencies will be an important component of your rehabilitation. Plus, they have identified scapular stabilisation exercises as a key ingredient for a successful rehabilitation. Your physiotherapist will be able to guide you in the appropriate exercises for your scapular control. Phase 4: Restore Normal Neck-Scapulo-Thoracic-Shoulder FunctionYou may find it difficult to comprehend, but your neck and upper back (thoracic spine) are very important in the rehabilitation of shoulder pain and injury. Neck or spine dysfunction can not only refer pain directly to your shoulder, but it can affect your nerve’s electrical energy supplying your shoulder muscles and cause weakness. In addition, painful spinal structures from poor posture or injury doesn’t provide your shoulder or scapular muscles with a solid pain-free base to act upon. In most cases, especially chronic shoulders, some treatment directed at your neck or upper back will be required to ease your shoulder pain, improve your shoulder movement and stop pain or injury returning. Phase 5: Restore Rotator Cuff StrengthIt may seem odd that you don’t attempt to restore the strength of your rotator cuff until a later stage in the rehabilitation. However, if a structure is injured we need to provide nature with an opportunity to undertake primary healing before we load the structures with anti-gravity and resistance exercises. Having said that, researchers have discovered the importance of strengthening the rotator cuff muscles. Rotator cuff exercises need to be progressed in both load and position to accommodate for your specifically injured rotator cuff tendons and whether or not you have a secondary condition such as bursitis. Your physiotherapist will prescribe the most appropriate rotator cuff exercises for your injury. Phase 6: Restore High Speed, Power, Proprioception & AgilityIf your rotator cuff tear has been caused by sport it is usually during high speed activities, which place enormous forces on your body (contractile and non-contractile), or repetitive actions. In order to prevent a recurrence as you return to sport, your physiotherapist will guide you with exercises to address these important components of rehabilitation to both prevent a recurrence and improve your sporting performance. Depending on what your sport or lifestyle entails, a speed, agility, proprioception and power program will be customised to prepares you for light sport-specific training. Phase 7: Return to Sport or WorkDepending on the demands of your chosen sport or your job, you will require specific sport-specific or work-specific exercises and a progressed training regime to enable a safe and injury-free return to your chosen sport or employment. Your physiotherapist will discuss your goals, time frames and training schedules with you to optimise you for a complete return to sport or work. Work-related injuries will often require a discussion between your doctor, rehabilitation counsellor or employer. The perfect outcome will have you performing at full speed, power, agility and function with the added knowledge that a through rehabilitation program has minimised your chance of future injury. SummaryThere is no specific time frame for when to progress from each rotator cuff treatment stage to the next. Your rotator cuff injury rehabilitation status will be determined by many factors during your physiotherapist’s clinical assessment. You’ll find that in most cases, your physiotherapist will seamlessly progress between the rehabilitation phases as your clinical assessment and function improves. It is also important to note that each progression must be carefully monitored as attempting to progress too soon to the next level can lead to re-injury and frustration. For more specific advice about your rotator cuff injury, please contact your PhysioWorks physiotherapist. What about a Corticosteroid Injections?Corticosteroid injections are often administered to relieve pain and promote tendon healing. Cortisone’s primary function is to increase blood sugar, suppress your immune system, and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. There are side effects and corticosteroid injections should be used cautiously especially with diabetics. It also decreases bone formation and leave you vulnerable to future tendon rupture. Researchers generally find that there is a good short-term benefit from corticosteroids but there are some long-term side effects, which may be less desirable. Some patients report good initial relief before a recurrence of symptoms. As with all medications, a discussion with you doctor regarding the pros and cons should always apply to corticosteroid injections. Rotator Cuff Repair SurgeryRotator cuff repair surgery is considered for full thickness and partial thickness tears that do not heal with physiotherapy. Most shoulder surgeons will recommend at least six weeks of physiotherapy prior to contemplating rotator cuff repair surgery. They do this due to the high percentage of success under the guidance of a shoulder physiotherapist and the knowledge that the recovery from rotator cuff repair will commonly take between six to twelve months of post-operative physiotherapy rehabilitation. During rotator cuff repair surgery, your surgeon will attempt to sew your torn tendon back together. The best results occur when the tear is fresh rather than older tear. You will normally be in a post-operative sling for three to six weeks. Most rotator cuff repairs take approximately six months of rehabilitation to regain as full as possible range of motion, shoulder strength and function. It is important to follow your physiotherapist and surgeon’s post-operative guidelines for your best outcome. In our experience, 80-90% have an excellent outcome at 12 months post-operatively. As with all surgery there are associated risks or complications. These can include infection, stiffness, blood clot formation, and nerve injury. The risks of significant joint stiffness are less than 5% and the risk of nerve injury is very low - approximately 1 in 10000.
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Here's 3 Ways to Reduce Your Chance of Catching the Flu this Winter
It’s that time of year again when the weather gets colder and everyone is rushing around with their busy lives, trying to make deadlines, organising children, running to and from football games and quick dashes to the corner store to get dinner sorted.
Did you know that STRESS is one of the key elements to lowered immunity?
Over the coming months it is important to take just a little more time to think about your health and try not to get the dreaded cold & flu.
Here’s 3 Ways to Reduce Stress to Avoid the Flu!
- Regular exercise - moving releases all stress relieving chemicals into your blood stream.
- Eating well - fuel your body with high octane foods to build your immunity fast.
- Enjoy a massage - taking time out for yourself to loosen your sore, knotted & tired muscles is a proven stress-reliever.
Massage can not only rid your body of those aches and pains that plague you during the colder months but also allow your body and mind to regenerate instantly during the hour treatment. There are different types of massage that can benefit your stress reduction. Two of them are Relaxation and Remedial.
Relaxation Massage is when you pamper yourself with a light to medium pressure that helps promote blood flow to your muscles, tissue and skin for healthy skin and all over wellness. It also aids fluid movement in the upper and lower extremities for those of you who suffer from cold hands and feet.
Remedial Massage can be a more specific massage aimed at certain problem areas. It is a firm to fairly firm pressure that targets specific muscles that may be causing pain or aggravation in certain areas. Remedial is also used as an all over body treatment to relax muscles and work out knots that Relaxation Massage just doesn’t get deep enough to work through.
If you are suffering from a cold or flu or are feeling like you are coming down with something and are just not “feeling yourself” then massage is a great way to aid in both your mind and body recovery. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
While you have your massage you can ask any of our qualified massage therapists questions that can also help with your specific condition as there are many other options combined with massage that can help you on your journey through this busy life we lead.
Have a cold & flu-free winter and stay relaxed!
More info about Massage
Clayfield 3862 4544 Sandgate 3269 1122
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Do you need Pregnancy Belly Support?
This pregnancy back support provides you with "pregnancy belly support" and helps you to reduce lower back pain and fatigue during your pregnancy. The Pregnancy Back Support 2062 provides you with pregnancy belly support by gently lifting and supporting your abdomen via sling effect. The Pregnancy Back Support 2062 also provides you with back pain relief and support by permitting maximal compression and support to your SIJ's, hips and lower back without compromising the health of your child. The Pregnancy Back Support 2062's breathable elastic and soft pile bonded to foam ensures minimal heat build up that may occur with alternate braces. To determine the size of your brace, measure around your hips. |
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
What is Fibromyalgia? Where are the 18 tender points of fibromyalgia?
| Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue (feeling tired). People with fibromyalgia have “tender points” on the body. These tender points tend to occur in specific places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. The points can be quite painful when pressure is placed upon them.  Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose, but it is estimated to affect about 5% of the population. It tends to occur in women much more than men, and generally starts in middle age. What Causes Fibromyalgia?Unfortunately the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. It has been linked to:
What are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
 Source: http://www.arthritisireland.ie/assets/FCKeditor/Image/Pain-Cycle-infographic.jpg How is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?The symptoms of fibromyalgia can be associated with many conditions or diseases, making it difficult to diagnose. There is no blood test, finding on imaging such as MRI or other diagnostic procedure that doctors can use to definitively tell a patient that they have fibromyalgia.Generally then, diagnosis is made by your doctor or physiotherapist ruling out other diagnoses, as well as findings on physical testing of the body. One test that your health practitioner can do is to palpate a number of points around your body. If a large portion of these points are tender to touch, it may help support a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. You may be referred by your GP to a rheumatologist to help with the diagnosing process. Conditions that can mimic the features of fibromyalgia include an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), vitamin D deficiency causing the bone disease osteomalacia, rheumatoid arthritis and even sleep apnoea. How is Fibromyalgia Treated?The management of fibromyalgia is complex, but can be broken down into a number of parts. Treatment tries to help you slowly break the fibromyalgia cycle by addressing each of the points shown in the diagram above. Relief of your muscle and joint stiffness, tenderness and painThe first part of helping you manage fibromyalgia is to help provide some pain relief. This may involve soft tissue massage, acupuncture or joint mobilisation to improve muscle tightness, tenderness and joint stiffness. Managing your fatigue and limited activityThe best way to help treat fibromyalgia in the long term is through exercise. It is important, however, that this exercise is slowly progressed to allow your body to cope with increased activity levels. There are three types of exercise that may be given to you:
Improve your ability to cope with daily stress and depressionDaily stresses from work or home can increase your fibromyalgia symptoms. You and your physiotherapist can work with your GP to help you develop strategies to manage these stresses. In some cases your GP may prescribe medications such as an antidepressant to help normalise chemical imbalances and also improve pain. Referral to a psychologist can also help in developing strategies to cope with stressful situations. General exercise, is an excellent way to help deal with stress and depression. Exercise, amongst other things, releases ‘happy’ chemicals such as endorphins that help to provide relief of your symptoms. Regular exercise also helps to improve eating and sleeping habits, which will lead to better general health and less sleep deprivation. Have a Treatment GoalSome people find it beneficial to have a goal to strive for. Your physiotherapist will tailor your rehabilitation to help you achieve your own functional goals. During this stage of your rehabilitation is aimed at returning you to your desired activities. Everyone has different demands for their bodies that will determine what specific treatment goals you need to achieve. For some it be simply to walk around the block. Others may wish to run a marathon or return to a labour-intensive activity. SurgerySurgery is generally not recommended for isolated fibromyalgia. Where another condition is leading to fibromyalgia symptoms, your GP can advise you if this is an option for you. Massage for FibromyalgiaMany patients find that soft tissue massage therapy is beneficial in the early stages of their rehabilitation to assist your pain relief, muscle relaxation and swelling reduction. Please ask your physiotherapist, health practitioner or massage therapist if you would benefit from a massage. Acupuncture for FibromyalgiaAcupuncture can be helpful in the relief of your fibromyalgia pain and restoration of your energy levels. If you are interested in trying some acupuncture, many of our therapists are trained in acupuncture. Please ask for their advice. Weight-LossCarrying excessive body weight can predispose you injury or pain. If you have had difficulty in the past losing weight, the professional help and support of a dietitianor your doctor may be beneficial. General ExerciseGeneral exercises are important to keeping your body fit. If you have a specific activity that enjoy, please ask your physiotherapist if that activity will be beneficial to your long-term health. For fibromyalgia, other patients have benefited from the following activities: hydrotherapy, pilates, yoga, walking, swimming or cycling. Please ask for guidance as to what we feel will help you the most. Products That May Help FibromyalgiaWhilst exercise is very important to help manage your symptoms, sometimes your body can feel quite fatigued. At times like this you may benefit from short term use of a supportive brace, such as a low back or upper back support. It is important that your brace is used as a training tool. Too much use can lead to over-reliance on the brace and de-conditioning or your muscles. Please consult your physiotherapist about how best to utilise a brace for fibromyalgia. TENS machines and heat packs can also help to provide relief for tired, achy muscles. What Results Can You Expect for Fibromyalgia?Over time you can get very good results for fibromyalgia sufferers, although at times the road may seem long and rough. What you can expect is that with some work from both you and your physiotherapist, you will develop better muscle endurance and posture. More Advice about FibromyalgiaIf you have any concerns or have some specific questions regarding your condition, please ask your physiotherapist or health practitioner. Fibromyalgia TreatmentsFAQs about FibromyalgiaHelpful Products for FibromyalgiaRelated Conditions |
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