Physical therapy may be used to help alleviate some of the symptoms of scleroderma, reduce pain associated with the condition, and improve mobility, according to a news article that appears in Scleroderma News.

Physical therapy exercises could help stretch the skin, muscles, and joints affected by scleroderma. Doing so could help improve the patient’s posture, increase the range of movements that a patient can perform, as well as prevent the loss of muscle mass and strength.

Performing physical therapy could also reduce other symptoms of scleroderma, including gastrointestinal, lymph node, and nervous system problems, the news story continues.

Since scleroderma can affect the entire body, physical therapy regimens usually involve multiple areas of the body. Exercises could include stretches of the shoulders, elbows, wrists, neck, fingers, and back, as well as the face and mouth.

Other exercises could include walking, cycling, ellipticals, neural mobilization exercises, and the adoption of special postures combined with soft tissue massages.

[Source: Scleroderma News]