How we can help
Fatigue is a common symptom of many illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and anaemia. A lack of energy or motivation (both mental and physical) can be very hard to cope with, but there are strategies to make your life easier.
You may feel completely fine on some days. But on others you could feel too drained and exhausted to do anything at all. There may be a pattern to your fatigue, so understanding this will help manage your energy levels and make daily activities easier over time.
There are two forms of fatigue: mental and physical.
- Physical is when your body does not have any strength or energy to perform everyday tasks that other people take for granted
- Mental is when you do not have the ability to concentrate or rationalise your thoughts effectively. This can affect you at home or in the workplace
Our method
To help battle fatigue and improve your energy levels your physiotherapist will:
- Assess your problems, create achievable goals for you, and select a suitable treatment programme
- Review your mobility and provide you with graded exercises
- Look at your mental as well as physical state
- Assess your joints to see if you need any pain relief
- Review your lifestyle choices and advise you on managing daily activities
- Discuss ways in which you can pace yourself
- Consider giving you breathing exercises if you suffer from anxiety
Our top tips to help you manage your fatigue
- Stay as active as you can within your limits
- Pace yourself
- Get fresh air
- Do your physiotherapy exercises regularly
- Eat well and drink plenty
- Discuss your pain management with your physiotherapist or doctor if it is not well-controlled
