Orthopedic, Mobility, & Post-Surgical Rehab
Authored by: The DrSensory Editorial Team
Reviewed by: 🛡️ DrSensory Clinical Review Board – Doctor of Therapy Rehab Division
Last updated: June 2026
Key Takeaways
- Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than 3 months and can persist even after an injury has healed, becoming a condition of its own that requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach.
- Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain disorder marked by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, brain fog, and mood issues such as anxiety or depression.
- Although the exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers believe it involves abnormal pain perception processing in the brain and nervous system, and it often runs in families.
- Evidence-based care draws on several therapies: PTs use graded exercise, manual therapy, and desensitization; OTs help manage fatigue and conserve energy; and SLPs support cognitive-linguistic issues like brain fog and communication fatigue.
- Flare-ups are sudden, often severe increases in symptoms that can last days or weeks and may be triggered by physical exertion, poor sleep, weather changes, emotional stress, or dietary changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is pain considered chronic?
Pain is considered chronic when it lasts longer than 3 months, and it can persist even after an injury has healed. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain becomes a condition of its own and often leads to fatigue, depression, and decreased function.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, brain fog ("fibro fog"), and mood issues such as anxiety or depression. Its exact cause is unknown, but researchers believe it involves abnormal pain perception processing in the brain and nervous system.
What causes fibromyalgia flare-ups?
Flare-ups can be triggered by physical exertion beyond your energy limits, poor sleep or irregular routines, weather changes (especially humidity and cold), emotional stress or anxiety, and dietary changes such as processed foods, sugar, or alcohol.
How can therapists help with chronic pain or fibromyalgia?
Therapists can help restore physical function and reduce flare-ups, build pacing strategies to avoid "boom-bust" cycles, teach mindfulness-based coping skills, and improve quality of life, sleep, and independence. Physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists each address pain and movement, lifestyle adaptation, and cognitive or communication support.
What treatments are used for chronic pain and fibromyalgia?
Treatments include physical therapy with graded exercise, manual therapy, and desensitization, plus occupational and speech therapy support. Additional evidence-based options include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), pain neuroscience education, biofeedback, gentle exercise such as Tai Chi, yoga, and aquatic therapy, and mindfulness and meditation.
