Symptoms
- Widespread body pain
- Chronic fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
- Cognitive difficulties (fibro fog)
- Headaches
- Sensitivity to touch, light, and sound
Common causes
- Central nervous system sensitisation
- Genetic factors
- Physical or emotional trauma
- Infections
- Stress and anxiety
- Hormonal imbalances
How physiotherapy helps
Management includes graded aerobic exercise, gentle strengthening, aquatic therapy, relaxation techniques, pain neuroscience education, and sleep hygiene guidance. The approach is gentle and patient-paced.
Exercises your physiotherapist may give you
- Walking programmes (graded)
- Gentle swimming or water exercises
- Yoga and tai chi
- Breathing exercises
- Gentle stretching routine
- Low-impact aerobics
Please note: start these exercises only after an assessment, and stop if pain increases. Your physiotherapist will choose the right exercises, number of repetitions and progression for you.
Guide written by the physiotherapists of CAPT – Centre for Advanced Physiotherapy, MVM Educational Trust. For more reading, search MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).