by Stemedix | May 6, 2024 | Age Management, Health Awareness, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease affects your fine and gross motor skills. It might seem counterintuitive to try to exercise after your diagnosis, but physical activity is crucial. For seniors with Parkinson’s disease, exercise can boost mood, improve physical health, and improve motor skills.
Not sure where to start? Even just a few minutes of gentle exercise each day can help. Here’s what you need to know about exercising as a senior with Parkinson’s.
How Parkinson’s Disease Affects Your Nervous System
Parkinson’s affects sensory and motor skills in your body due to its effects on your nervous system. Your nerves are responsible for coordinating movements and sending signals to your muscles. When this system is flawed, motor problems arise.
Low Dopamine Levels
Patients with Parkinson’s disease have lower-than-normal levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine is very important in voluntary movement. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative condition, which means it can progress over time as dopamine levels can steadily decline.
Problems With Executive Functioning and Cognition
Thinking, speech, and executive functioning are all impacted by Parkinson’s disease. Seniors with Parkinson’s may have difficulty feeling mentally clear, planning things, speaking, and remembering.
It makes sense that a neurodegenerative condition like Parkinson’s would impact a person’s cognition. After all, these changes originate in the brain. Luckily, exercise may have a protective effect for seniors with Parkinson’s-related cognitive problems.
Motor Problems
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include many different motor control problems. Often, tremors or problems balancing are among the first symptoms for seniors with Parkinson’s.
Movement and muscle-related symptoms include:
- Muscle stiffness
- Balance and coordination problems
- Changes in gait (walk)
- Tremors and involuntary shakes
- Handwriting changes
- Difficulty standing and walking
- Muscle contractions
These symptoms can interfere with your daily life, especially as your condition progresses. Exercise has therapeutic effects for seniors diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. If you’re struggling with your symptoms, it’s worth a try.
How Exercise Benefits Seniors with Parkinson’s
Exercise is healthy for everyone, but it can be especially beneficial for Parkinson’s patients. Physical activity, including aerobic exercise and strength training, may have protective effects on the brain. This is key when it comes to preventing further progression of your Parkinson’s symptoms.
Balance and Coordination and Skills
Most types of exercise involve muscle coordination and balance. Even on a small scale, these exercises give your brain and body practice in strengthening your coordination and balance skills.
In seniors with Parkinson’s, balance and motor coordination are usually the first two abilities to weaken. Performing low-intensity strength training exercises, yoga, or dance exercises can strengthen these abilities and prevent further decline.
Muscle Tone and Strength
Seniors with Parkinson’s may develop low muscle tone and reduced strength. This happens when Parkinson’s limits your ability to control your muscles and engage in intentional movements.
Exercise can improve your muscle tone and strength through repetition and low-intensity training. Lifting light weights, like dumbbells or kettlebells, can train your muscles to move with intention and improve their function.
Cognitive Functioning
Physical activity of any kind boosts your neurological health. It helps your brain form new neural pathways and enforces new connections. This can be incredibly beneficial in slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Exercise may lead to better memory, cognition, and reasoning skills. It can also boost your speech and emotional regulation abilities as the disease progresses.
Working out will also keep your body in good shape, which is always helpful for slowing the aging process. Whether you have a disease or not, exercise can keep you youthful and healthy.
Quality of Life and Mobility
Your health is the most precious thing you have, and exercise improves your health over time. If you’re a senior with Parkinson’s, it’s important not to lose hope. Studies show that you can reverse some of the neurodegeneration that occurs as Parkinson’s progresses through high-intensity exercise.
Along with improving your quality of life, mood, and motor control, exercise helps you stay mobile and flexible. Doing activities like yoga, stretching, and tai chi will help preserve your mobility in the face of Parkinson’s disease.
Best Exercises for Managing Parkinson’s Symptoms
Now that you know the medical benefits of exercising regularly as a senior with Parkinson’s, where should you start?
It might feel intimidating to jump into a new exercise routine, but even mild activities can be helpful. Here are some of the most beneficial Parkinson’s management exercises.
Walking Outdoors
Getting out in nature boosts your mood, brain health, and physical abilities more than you might think. Just taking a 10- to 20-minute walk outside can help you better manage your symptoms.
Walking helps you refine your gait and avoid the “Parkinson’s shuffle” that many seniors fall victim to. By using your leg muscles and coordination to walk often, you’re making it easier for your body to carry this movement out properly over time.
Aerobic Exercises
Cardio does wonders for the brain and body. Aerobic exercise includes anything that gets your heart rate up, including jogging, swimming, and jumping rope. When it comes to Parkinson’s disease, aerobic exercise can boost your brain activity and health to help reduce cognitive decline.
Cardio also releases endorphins, which are feel-good hormones that boost your mood and improve your mental health!
If you’re new to cardio exercises, start slow. Walking is considered to be a form of cardio, and when you’re ready to increase the intensity of your workouts, you can do so steadily.
Flexibility Training: Yoga and More
It’s important to gently stretch your soft tissues to keep them elastic and prevent stiffness. As you live with Parkinson’s disease, flexibility is more important than ever. The more flexibility and mobility you maintain, the fewer complications you’ll have with movement in your daily life.
Consider signing up for an outdoor yoga class or group tai chi session to motivate you. These classes are usually designed to accommodate all fitness and ability levels, making them the perfect choice for seniors with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s and Exercise: Improve Your Quality of Life
You don’t have to sit back and let Parkinson’s disease take the reins of your life. Exercise has seemingly endless benefits for your physical, mental, and neurological health. Make exercise a priority so you can enjoy an improved quality of life as you navigate the world after a Parkinson’s diagnosis.
by Stemedix | Apr 29, 2024 | Cardiovascular Disease, Health Awareness, Heart Failure, Kidney Disease, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy
You might think of kidney health problems as separate issues from your blood pressure. However, renal hypertension, a form of high blood pressure, can be just as serious as cardiovascular health conditions.
It’s important to understand the link between kidney function and blood pressure. Once your kidneys become compromised, the damage isn’t reversible. Know the signs, symptoms, and treatment options related to renal hypertension so you can maintain your kidney health as long as possible.
How Renal Hypertension Develops
Your kidneys work with the rest of your body to maintain your blood pressure, fluid and sodium balance, pH levels, and more. When either your kidneys or the rest of your body is thrown out of balance, the other can suffer.
Narrowed Kidney Arteries
Renal hypertension has the same cause as standard high blood pressure — the narrowing of arteries. With this disease, the arteries that are most compromised are the ones that lead into your kidneys. This can be very dangerous if left untreated.
Many different factors can cause narrowed kidney arteries, including atherosclerosis (plaque buildup), scarring due to general hypertension, and others. When this happens, you’re at an increased risk of developing renal hypertension.
Your Kidneys’ Response
When your kidneys aren’t getting enough blood flow — which is a common issue when your arteries narrow — they release certain hormones. These hormones cause your blood pressure to rise in an attempt to get more blood flowing to your kidneys.
The Vicious Cycle of Renal Hypertension
Renal hypertension is a real problem, particularly if it progresses for a long time. Once your kidney blood flow is compromised, your kidneys stop working as efficiently.
One of the primary functions of your kidneys is to balance sodium and water levels in your body. Compromised kidneys won’t filter sodium out of your system as effectively. When there’s too much sodium circulating, you experience high blood pressure, and the hypertension cycle continues.
Chronic hypertension can contribute to the development of kidney disease, which has no cure. Many experts consider kidney disease to be the root cause of renal hypertension, but general hypertension plays a large role as well.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Renal Hypertension
You might be wondering if this problem will affect you, especially if you’ve already been diagnosed with general hypertension. There are key signs and symptoms to look out for. You should also consult closely with a physician who can monitor your blood and kidney health consistently.
Headaches
In some cases, high blood pressure will cause headaches or migraines. Scientists believe this happens because of changes in the blood-brain barrier. Pressure can build in this region during high blood pressure episodes, leading to discomfort, pain, and migraine headache symptoms.
Vision Changes
Extremely high blood pressure levels can damage the arteries and blood vessels in your eyes. This leads to double vision, blurriness, and general difficulty seeing. If you experience sudden changes in your vision, renal hypertension may be the culprit.
Confusion
Your brain can’t function properly when your blood pressure is too high. This symptom is usually a sign that you’re in a hypertensive crisis and need immediate medical attention. If you start feeling confused, dazed, or mentally foggy, consider renal hypertension as the root cause.
Nausea and Vomiting
Hypertensive crises usually induce nausea and, in some cases, bouts of vomiting. This is another critical symptom to watch for, as it means you need emergency medical treatment.
An Important Note
Renal hypertension, much like general hypertension, usually shows no symptoms. This is why it’s so dangerous, as patients may not know they have this condition until it’s too late. It’s essential to work with a specialist who can keep an eye on your blood pressure and kidney health if you have concerns.
It’s also important to note that kidney problems are mostly irreversible. While there are some promising treatments, like stem cell therapy for kidney disease, there is no known cure yet. Prevention is the key to managing your kidney health.
Potential Treatments for Better Kidney Health
Lifestyle changes and innovative treatments, namely regenerative medicine, may improve your kidney health over time. If your doctor has stated that you don’t need surgery to treat your renal hypertension, stem cell therapy may be right for you.
Lifestyle Changes to Lower Your Blood Pressure
Eating a diet low in sodium and free from added table salt can do wonders for your blood pressure levels. Your doctor may recommend that you make other lifestyle changes, like exercising daily and quitting smoking. These changes take time to get used to, but they can save your kidneys a lot of damage in the long run.
Blood Pressure Medication
This intervention is tricky because a key sign of renal hypertension is rising blood pressure that won’t respond to medication. However, in some cases, your doctor may be able to control your hypertension with a stronger blood pressure drug. This is usually the first line of treatment if you’re unable to make the necessary lifestyle changes.
Surgery
There are both minimally invasive and open surgical procedures for treating renal hypertension. Surgical interventions involve installing a balloon into the affected artery or using healthy tissue from a different artery to repair the damaged one. Either way, these interventions require a surgeon who specializes in these procedures.
Stem Cell Therapy
Regenerative medicine involves using stem cells to treat and protect damaged tissues in the body. Mesenchymal stem cells have shown some promise in treating ischemic kidney disease and restoring health to damaged blood vessels.
Stem cells can be programmed to have anti-inflammatory properties, which reduces tissue damage throughout your body. When the affected area — in this case, your kidneys — receives stem cell therapy, damaged vessels and arteries might slowly heal and regenerate.
Regenerative medicine is drug-free and uses the natural healing properties of “blank” stem cells to assist in wound healing and tissue regeneration. Stem cell treatments may be a good option for treating your renal hypertension if you want to avoid surgery, medication, and other invasive interventions.
Renal Hypertension Prevention, Treatment, and Healing
You have options when it comes to preventing and treating your renal hypertension. Prevention is always the best way to avoid long-term complications. However, don’t be discouraged if the damage is already done. With the right information, you can make an informed decision on caring for your kidneys.
by Stemedix | Apr 22, 2024 | Age Management, Bone Marrow, Health Awareness, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
As the human body ages, most people assume that “wear and tear” will take over and deplete their health. This isn’t always true, and it’s important to separate fact from fiction when discussing joint health problems.
Osteoarthritis is a painful, inflammatory joint condition that can make it difficult to function. Some folks refer to it as “just” arthritis, but this minimizes the incredible discomfort and damage it causes. Living with this condition can feel impossible at times.
You don’t have to sit back and let joint health problems take over your life as you age. Learn more about osteoarthritis so you can make the best decisions for your health and pain management.
Developing Osteoarthritis: What’s Happening to Your Joints?
Before you can appropriately manage this condition, you must learn what’s happening in your joints. Developing osteoarthritis is not inevitable, but unfortunately, it is common, especially in aging adults.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory joint condition that occurs when the cartilage that supports and connects your bones wears away. As a result, your bones grind together, and the spaces around your joints become inflamed and tender.
Is This Condition Inevitable?
No. Osteoarthritis is not just a “normal” part of aging, nor is it inevitable. As science and research advance, it’s becoming more obvious that osteoarthritis is the result of many risk factors interacting with each other.
Certain risk factors make it more likely that you’ll develop osteoarthritis. Many of them are preventable through lifestyle changes and a proactive approach to protecting your joints.
Who Gets Osteoarthritis?
Age is a big risk factor for osteoarthritis, but again, this condition is not inevitable. Here are some of the risk factors for developing osteoarthritis.
Stress, Strain, and Injury
Any type of strain or stress on your joints can lead to osteoarthritis later in life. Even if your joints feel fine when you’re younger, you’re still at risk if you’ve experienced harsh impacts or prolonged joint strain.
Sports injuries, obesity or being overweight, and physically demanding jobs all put you at a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis. All these risk factors slowly degrade the cartilage between your bones. These tissues can only support lots of impact, weight, or use for so long.
Genetics and Sex
Your genetics play a role in whether you develop joint health problems. Having a family history of osteoarthritis raises your chances of dealing with the same condition.
An estimated 60% of osteoarthritis patients are women. This means that if you were assigned female at birth, you’re at a slightly increased risk of developing osteoarthritis. However, through a healthy lifestyle, you may be able to prevent it.
The Silent Pain of Living with Arthritis
To the outside world, you might appear healthy and fully capable of living your daily life as normal. However, arthritis pain can stop you in your tracks. It can be intense or even disabling.
If your condition gets bad enough, you might find yourself unable to walk around, twist, or pick things up. Osteoarthritis pain is not something to ignore or minimize.
Swelling and Inflammation
The inflammation doesn’t just happen inside your body. Sometimes, your joints may become swollen, tender, and visibly inflamed. When this happens, chances are you can’t move the affected joints much. Any impact, no matter how slight, may throw you into a pain flare.
Crepitus
Some osteoarthritis patients experience a crunching or grinding sensation (crepitus) when moving the affected joints. This can be terrifying and uncomfortable, leading to increased mental stress and physical pain.
Weakness and Limited Mobility
Osteoarthritis causes muscle weakness, fatigue, and limited mobility. You might not be able to move your body in ways that feel good to you or allow you to keep up with others anymore. These limitations not only affect you physically, but they also come with a mental price tag as well.
Stigma and Shame Around Aging
Some people might feel like their osteoarthritis symptoms mean they’re “getting old.” While there should be no shame in aging, social stigmas suggest otherwise. Experiencing these symptoms might make you feel embarrassed about your age.
If you struggle with joint pain, others might not see what you go through. You might feel pressured to “just get over it” or take pain medication to keep up with everyone else. This can also create feelings of shame and contribute to a poor stigma around joint health problems.
Treating Osteoarthritis: Enjoy a Better Quality of Life
Getting an osteoarthritis diagnosis doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to enjoy life and movement again. With the proper therapies, especially early treatment, you can improve your comfort and quality of life. Here are some of the best options for treating osteoarthritis pain and inflammation.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are at the forefront of regenerative medicine. These cells, also known as “blank” or “programmable” cells, can develop into specialized tissues, like cartilage. This makes them useful for regenerating and healing wounds, damaged tissues, and inflamed areas of your body.
One advantage of stem cell therapy is that it’s drug-free and comes with almost no risks to your health.
Stem cell therapy may also reduce your pain and increase your mobility. It gets to the root cause of your joint problems instead of covering up the symptoms.
Exercise and Physical Therapy
Getting more movement in your day may help reduce the severity of your osteoarthritis symptoms. Regular physical activity prevents the painful stiffness that osteoarthritis patients often experience.
Exercise also assists in weight management, which is key to reducing your joint pain. Every extra pound of body fat adds about four times the amount of pressure onto your joints.
Whether you (gently) exercise on your own or enlist the help of a physical therapist, your joints will thank you for it.
Get the Proper Support for Your Osteoarthritis
Living with osteoarthritis can be challenging, but you’re not alone. There are steps you can take to improve your quality of life with this condition. Evaluate your treatment options to find what works best for you. Visit our website to learn more about osteoarthritis pain.
by Stemedix | Apr 8, 2024 | Age Management, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Living with any type of arthritis is painful, debilitating, and frustrating. You miss out on a lot of the physical activities you used to love. This condition can even make it harder to keep up with children and grandchildren.
Your long-term health is worth fighting for. When it comes to osteoarthritis pain management treatments, it’s important to know your options. Here are some pain relief methods to try when managing your osteoarthritis over time.
How Osteoarthritis Develops and Becomes So Painful
The joint pain and inflammation alone can keep you off your feet for days. Along with severe pain, osteoarthritis also causes damage to your cartilage and joints, affecting your mobility and activity levels.
Cartilage Breakdown Leads to Joint Pain
If you’ve dealt with osteoarthritis pain, you might wonder what led you to develop this condition. The root cause of osteoarthritis is cartilage degradation. This means that the rubbery cushion between your bones starts to thin and eventually wear away entirely.
When your joints no longer have adequate cushioning or support between them, they start to rub together. This leads to inflammation, irritation, and intense pain. As the bones rub together, they also break down and lose some of their function.
Risk Factors for Developing Osteoarthritis
There is no single universal cause of osteoarthritis. Certain risk factors can increase your chances of developing this condition. If you have multiple risk factors at once, your chances are even higher.
Some risk factors for developing osteoarthritis include:
These risk factors don’t guarantee you will develop osteoarthritis, but they do play large roles in this condition.
Continuous Inflammation and Discomfort
Osteoarthritis can feel like a never-ending cycle. Once your joints start grinding against one another, you develop inflammation, which leads to even more pain and discomfort.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications may not resolve your pain, and they certainly don’t treat the root cause of it. In order to experience osteoarthritis relief, you need to prevent the inflammation from occurring in the first place.
At-Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes
You may be able to control your osteoarthritis pain with lifestyle modifications. This means changing how you move, eat, sleep, and respond to stress in your daily life. Try these at-home therapies and improvements if you want to take the natural pain treatments for osteoarthritis.
Flexibility and Mobility Exercises
You must be careful when exercising with osteoarthritis. Some high-impact activities can make your pain worse. However, strength training, conditioning, and mobility exercises can improve your condition.
Certain stretches and gentle movements can help support your joints and reduce the burden on your bones. This ultimately leads to reduced pain and more mobility over time.
Cold Therapy
Cold temperatures can help reduce inflammation and swelling near your joints. This is because cold conditions trigger a restrictive mechanism in your blood vessels, reducing the blood and fluid supply to the affected areas. If you struggle with inflamed cartilage and joints, cold therapy might be just what you need.
Try applying an ice pack or sitting in an ice bath (with a doctor’s approval) for up to 20 minutes. It’s best to alternate cold and hot applications for the best results.
Heat Therapy
Similar to cold therapy, heat therapy works by changing the blood flow around your inflamed joints and cartilage. Heat opens up your blood vessels, allowing more blood and fluid to reach the affected area. This can supply oxygen, nutrients, and regenerative compounds to your joints.
Alternate applications of hot and cold compresses, using each for up to 20 minutes. You should experience a temporary reduction in swelling and discomfort.
Rest and Sleep
Getting plenty of rest is essential for restoring your joint and cartilage health. Your body needs sleep to rebuild damaged tissues and relieve pain effectively. If your pain is debilitating, try resting the affected area for a few days and catching up on some much-needed shut-eye.
Natural Joint Pain Treatments
From acupuncture to massage, many patients benefit from alternative pain relief therapies. If you want to avoid over-the-counter drugs, these natural pain treatments might be right for you.
Therapeutic Massage
You can perform self-massages at home or go to a licensed professional for these services. Either way, massage has been shown to improve blood circulation to injured areas and relieve some pain and discomfort. You may even notice improvements in your mobility after a restorative massage.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses tiny needles to activate trigger points in your body and release tension and pain. Some patients have experienced noticeable improvements in their osteoarthritis pain after regular acupuncture treatments. Contact an acupuncturist to see if this therapy is right for you.
Regenerative Medicine: Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis Pain
Stem cell therapy is a drug-free alternative you can use to treat your osteoarthritis pain. The potential healing properties of your body’s “blank cells” may lead your joints and cartilage to strength and health again.
How Stem Cells May Relieve Your Pain
Stem cells can be programmed to develop into almost any kind of cell your body needs. In osteoarthritis patients, this means turning them into cartilage tissue.
Stem cells may be able to regenerate damaged soft tissues around your joints, leading to more comfortable movements. This can help you regain some mobility and experience lower pain levels over time.
Low Risk of Side Effects
When you’re dealing with debilitating joint pain, the last thing you want is painful side effects from the treatment you’ve chosen. Stem cell therapy is known for its high safety profile since it uses human cells to regenerate damaged tissues. This means there’s little to no risk of adverse reactions.
Stem cell treatments are fast, generally safe, and potentially very effective at treating osteoarthritis pain. If you want to try a new avenue for joint pain relief, consider regenerative medicine.
Tackle Your Arthritis Pain Your Way
You have the final say in how you treat your osteoarthritis pain. Whether you opt for natural at-home remedies or test out regenerative medicine, what’s important is that you have choices. Take control of your health and mobility again with these pain management treatments for osteoarthritis.
by Stemedix | Apr 1, 2024 | Stem Cell Research, Age Management, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy, Studies
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four million adults in the United States have fibromyalgia. It’s an often-misunderstood condition that leads to systemic joint and muscle pain, along with fatigue, making daily life very difficult. To deal with the pain the condition causes, it’s important to understand why it occurs. Learn more about fibromyalgia and your pain management options.
What Is Fibromyalgia? Symptoms and Causes
Fibromyalgia is a condition that leads to pain and tenderness all over the body. It’s a chronic condition, though symptoms tend to come and go. During flare-ups, the pain can be significant enough to interfere with daily life while also affecting sleep, leading to mental and physical distress.
During a flare-up, you can experience:
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Headaches
- Face and jaw pain
- Bladder control issues
- Digestive problems
- Insomnia
It’s not clear what causes fibromyalgia, but scientists have found that certain conditions, as well as stress, can trigger it. You are also more likely to have this condition if you have a relative who suffers from it. Women are twice as likely as men to develop it.
People living with conditions like arthritis, depression, anxiety disorders, and irritable bowel syndrome are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, including children, but it’s more common in those who are middle-aged.
Diagnosing Fibromyalgia
If you’re experiencing symptoms, your doctor will likely perform a physical exam and discuss your medical history. There’s no test that can officially diagnose fibromyalgia, so your doctor will do what’s called a differential diagnosis — a kind of investigation that functions via a process of elimination.
Your doctor may order blood work to check hormone levels and look for signs of inflammation to help eliminate other diseases.
During the physical examination, your doctor will likely check for the presence or absence of tender spots by using light pressure.
Most of the time, if you have generalized pain that lasts for three months or more without any other underlying conditions, you’ll receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The pain has to be spread throughout your body to get this diagnosis.
Treating Fibromyalgia: What You Can Expect
There isn’t one treatment that works for everyone. Usually, your doctor will try a number of different options, combining them to offer the most effective results.
Your provider will likely treat the condition depending on the symptoms you’re currently experiencing. There are stages of treatment, though these aren’t treatment plans that can be followed in order because the condition can affect you differently during every flare-up.
Exercise to Loosen Muscles
In some cases, turning to physical exercises, including stretching, can help loosen your muscles and ease some of the discomfort.
Low-impact exercises like walking and swimming help build flexibility that can improve your movement during flare-ups while simultaneously helping manage pain with the release of endorphins they stimulate. Exercise may also help you get better sleep.
Medications for Symptom Management
Over-the-counter medications can help manage pain, as can narcotics, though your doctor will prescribe these with care since they can lead to dependence.
Antidepressants can often also help the process, easing some of the fatigue and pain. For those who have trouble sleeping because of fibromyalgia, sleeping aids are often a good choice.
Heat and Cold Therapy for Milder Pain
In some cases, heat and cold therapy is also effective in managing some symptoms, especially if they’re mild. Alternating hot and cold packs helps the muscles release some of the tension that could be causing pain.
Occupational Therapy for Everyday Tasks
Turning to an occupational therapist is a great way of finding out how to restructure your life when you experience flare-ups. This type of therapist can help make adjustments to your work areas while also helping you find better ways of performing certain tasks so that you experience fewer symptoms.
Massage and Acupuncture to Improve Range of Motion
Massage therapy is a trusted technique. It relies on the manipulation of your muscles and soft tissues, increasing blood flow and improving range of motion while helping reduce pain. For many, it helps relieve stress, too, which can impact the severity of the symptoms.
Acupuncture is also helpful, with the needles affecting blood flow levels and even how certain neurotransmitters in the brain work.
Lifestyle Changes for Flare-Up Reduction
Making changes to your everyday life is an important way of helping minimize the symptoms of flare-ups, so try to incorporate some into your daily life. The right options can depend on your preferences. Some people turn to meditation, while others prefer to do breathing and mindfulness exercises.
Regenerative Medicine to Handle Inflammation
One option people choose to try because of its promise is regenerative medicine.
The variety of treatments available include platelet-rich plasma therapy and stem cell therapy, which uses mesechymal stem cells to reduce inflammation and help calm the immune system. This makes it possible to better handle symptoms when you do have a flare-up.
Stem cell therapy is easy to combine with other treatment options and doesn’t require a long recovery period or the stress of dealing with side effects. Stem cell therapy and other regenerative medicine options help treat the underlying triggers like inflammation, so you’re not just covering symptoms with medications.
Living With Fibromyalgia
It can seem daunting to live with a chronic condition like fibromyalgia, but with some lifestyle changes and an understanding of what triggers your flare-ups, as well as a combination of treatments, you can better manage the condition.
If you’re dealing with fibromyalgia, ask your doctor whether an option like stem cell therapy and other regenerative medicine treatments can help.
Choosing options that target inflammation and trying to get to the underlying cause of the problem instead of only masking the symptoms can make it possible to live a happy and healthy life with fibromyalgia. To learn more about pain management for Fibromyalgia visit our website or contact us now!
St. Petersburg, Florida
