3 Great Ways to Manage the Pain of Fibromyalgia

Pain signals mapped out in the brain of a fibro patientFibromyalgia is a chronic condition that still has no cure. It’s a syndrome that poses a great challenge to the medical community, but fibromyalgia clinical studies have shown us several ways patients can manage their fibro pain.

Most patients with fibromyalgia are used to people looking at them in confusion when they try to describe the symptoms of their condition. How can it be possible to look perfectly fine but feel like you are on fire? We’d like to continue to shed more light on this syndrome in the hopes that one day fibro sufferers won’t be so misunderstood.

(Quick Fact: Historically, more women have been diagnosed with this syndrome, but recent clinical studies have shown that many men could be going undiagnosed with fibromyalgia.)

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, then pain management is going to become a critical part of your daily routine. Extensive studies have shown that the following techniques are the most effective for managing the pain of fibromyalgia.

1) Getting Regular Exercise

For many fibro sufferers, their mind is too overactive and their body underutilized. This imbalance often triggers episodes of chronic pain, and exercise is one of the best ways to manage this issue. People with fibromyalgia are encouraged to start off slow and keep their intensity moderate to low– stopping if they ever start to feel pain. There are a wide range of exercises that can benefit patients, including:

  • Jogging
  • Yoga
  • Pilates
  • Walking

It can be very difficult for patients to start on a new exercise routine, so we again stress starting off with shorter workouts and working your up. The key to long-term success is going to be consistency and determination.

2) The Fibromyalgia Diet

Healthy meal for a fibro patientFibromyalgia research has shown that foods can have a significant impact on a person’s symptoms. For this reason, you may want to consider how certain foods tend to make you feel. This is the first step in a process of tweaking your diet in order to combat your syndrome. Keeping a written record of the foods you eat and how you felt afterwards is highly recommended. From there, you can start to eliminate certain foods and experiment with how this impacts your condition.

Since many patients tend to suffer from irritable bowel symptoms, trying the elimination diet challenge is often recommended at this stage. This involves removing a certain food item (one that you might be sensitive to) completely for several weeks. This food is then reintroduced and symptoms are recorded.

(Quick Fact: A good place to start might be eliminating dairy products or foods with gluten.)

3) Minimize Stress in Your Daily Life

Studies have shown that highly stressful situations can easily trigger a fibromyalgia flare-up. Neurologists have found that fibro patients can reduce their levels of anxiety and chronic fatigue by implementing habits that help relieve everyday stress. This also leads to better quality sleep which can significantly improve pain management efforts.

Best Ways to Manage the Pain of FibromyalgiaThere are a wide variety of techniques that you can use to reduce stress in your life. For instance, learning how to remove yourself from stressful situations or people. Our stress levels are largely impacted by our perception of the situation. If you think you’re in danger, the body kicks into fight or flight mode. Learning how to cope with life’s unexpected situations usually involves a shift in your mindset. “Horrible” situations can actually be great opportunities to grow.

People living with fibromyalgia need to know their limits which means learning to say no. Stretching yourself too thin can become a very painful situation that doesn’t end well. Friends and family will understand that sometimes you need to put your own needs first. Be sure that you make time to do the things you want to do– like taking the time to soak in a warm shower or bath.