Its not all sunshine and happy pills…

I have a lot of other things I want to talk about but Fibromyalgia is so weird and varied from one person to the next and since the diagnosis tends to come after ruling out all the other causes for the symptoms being experienced and we’ve been talking about the symptoms, lets take a look at some common practices and life style changes recommended to us to help reduce the severity of the symptoms we are experiencing.

Not everyone experiences everything all at once or at all ever, fibro patients are a lot like fibro itself, all over the place. So I picked the solutions I have heard in MY past the most, but we are all different and some of this worked until it didnt, some never worked, and maybe some won’t work on ME because of my comorbidities but might make you feel tiptop. I can only write about the ones I’m familiar with and these are the holistic treatment of the symptoms, not the actual illness. You might need meds, or treatment other than what I’m going to outline. This isnt a rule book, its not a guidebook, its not even a book, I’d say at most its a ‘bo-‘ lol but if any of these are practical, talk to your doc about them, talk to family and friends, talk to other chronic pain sufferers, do your due diligence I guess I am saying.

Now, for those seeking an adventure beyond pill popping, behold the wonders of holistic treatments! Brace yourselves for a journey through the mystical realms of self-care:

Behold the ancient art of “EXERCISE“! Marvel as you engage in low-impact activities like walking, swimming, or biking, all while pretending to enjoy it. Stretching and yoga are also on the menu, promising flexibility and less stiffness, if you can bend that far without groaning. This can be gentle movements on the bad days that you already feel like you’ve gone 10 rounds with the undefeated world champ, or more intense heart rate elevating exercises for the days you don’t feel sore and achey and just kind of miss it lol.

Enter the realm of “healthy diet“! Feast upon the bounty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and bid adieu to caffeine and trigger foods… or risk awakening the mighty fibromyalgia beast from its slumber. Now I know that can seem daunting, especially to those with current or former eating disorders, this is one you need to work super close with a doctor or nutritionist on. If nothing else, try to slowly ease the foods that are known triggers from the equation. Give it a month or two at least after any changes and reassess. And don’t beat yourself up over a small screw up, no reason to trash it all or start over, you stumbled, just right yourself and continue on, its not an all or its not worth it scenario, each change is helpful and will have cumulative effects.

Prepare for battle against the nefarious stress! Arm yourself with mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, and other relaxation techniques, and perhaps you’ll emerge victorious against the stress monsters lurking within.

Embark on the quest for quality sleep! Equip yourself with the finest sleep hygiene practices, banish caffeine and screens from your bedside, and venture forth into the land of dreams, where fatigue dares not tread.

Pacing Activities: Learning to balance activity and rest is essential for managing fibromyalgia symptoms. Pacing oneself and avoiding overexertion can help prevent flare-ups and conserve energy for activities that matter most.

Heat and Cold Therapy: Applying heat packs or taking warm baths can help alleviate muscle pain and stiffness, while cold packs can help reduce inflammation and numb painful areas.

Massage Therapy: Massage therapy can help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation, which may provide relief from fibromyalgia symptoms.

Supportive Therapies: Engaging in supportive therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or counseling can help individuals cope with the emotional challenges of living with fibromyalgia and develop effective strategies for managing symptoms.

It’s important for us to work closely with healthcare providers to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses our specific needs and preferences. Integrating holistic approaches with conventional medical treatments can often lead to better symptom management and overall quality of life.

As you can see, even if you are resistant to taking meds, there are options available, we can’t make it go away but we can beat it into submission with a few of these tips in our arsenal. Are there any tricks you’ve found to be helpful? We love it if you’d share with the class lol
Til next time guys, take care of yourselves, and each other!