What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes people to experience increased pain sensitivity in multiple areas of their bodies. The pain stimulus is often not painful or unpleasant for other people. This leads to a disproportionate reaction in their body causing chronic widespread pain that also reduces their ability to function and sleep.
Fibromyalgia does not have one defined cause and symptoms are individual. Most commonly people experience reduced range of motion, tenderness and stiffness with movement, fatigue due to pain and reduced strength, poor sleep, anxiety and depression. These symptoms all intertwine themselves and can also cause poor memory and attention, restlessness and the inability to participate in a lot of activities in daily life.
Virtual Reality is a revolutionary tool in the management of chronic pain, including conditions such as fibromyalgia. It offers patients easier access to treatments that are low impact, can be completed both in a sitting and standing position, and addresses not only pain and function but memory too.
For example, our physiotherapists are utilising VR to assist with stress, anxiety and kinesiophobia through gamification of exercises and augmented experiences. Our technology also allows patients to measure and track their pain, and monitor the history and progress of their treatment using the XRHealth mobile application.
Learn more about how we can assist with Fibromyalgia here.
