Our Best Treatment Methods For Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia disrupts the lives of millions of Americans. It can impact someone’s physical and mental health, making routine activities challenging.
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatment options to help manage symptoms.
WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA?
Fibromyalgia presents as musculoskeletal pain throughout the body. Someone who suffers from fibromyalgia will be extremely sensitive to pain and touch. This is the most common symptom, although fibromyalgia affects people in various ways. There is usually no apparent reason for this widespread pain. Often, the widespread pain is accompanied by other classic symptoms.
If you’re able to recognize the symptoms and risk factors of fibromyalgia, then you can work to reduce its impact on your life.
Some more common symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Restlessness
- Extreme fatigue
- Anxiety and depression
- Brain fog
While we aren’t certain what causes fibromyalgia, it’s believed to be triggered by some sort of trauma or stress. This stress can be physical or mental. Genetics may also play a role in fibromyalgia, so it tends to run in families. Childhood trauma is known to be associated with this condition as well. The condition is a lifelong problem and it is therefore difficult to ascribe any particular event to an aggravation or exacerbation over time.
FIBROMYALGIA TREATMENT OPTIONS
There is no cure for fibromyalgia. However, you can manage its symptoms in a variety of ways. Symptom management can be so good that the disease is rendered effectively ‘cured’.
Manage stress to reduce the impact fibromyalgia can have on your mental health. Some ways you can relieve stress include breathing exercises, massage therapy, practicing mindfulness, or a relaxing hobby that you already enjoy. Therapy is another way you can improve your mood and coping abilities.
Get plenty of rest to reduce stress and other symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. Restless sleep is a common symptom of fibromyalgia. Implement good sleep hygiene to take control of your circadian rhythm and achieve restorative sleep. Dr. Warner often recommends a formal sleep study as part of her treatment protocol for fibromyalgia. This helps to maximize any effort to improve sleep.
Exercise is essential for your overall health and can help you feel better. Develop a routine that incorporates exercises like yoga, walking, or something else you already enjoy. Yoga is a great option for both physical and mental stress relief.
Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet is essential for your overall health and reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia. Consuming nutrient dense, whole foods can improve your foundational health. The Mediterranean Diet is a great starting point if you’re not sure what to eat. It steers you away from inflammatory, processed foods that are high in sugar, so you can feel better from the inside out. There are certain elimination diets that have been thought to help with fibromyalgia as well. Basically, removing excitation from the nervous system with a reduced intake of glutamate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Meredith Warner is the creator of Well Theory and The Healing Sole. She is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Air Force Veteran.
She is on a mission to disrupt traditional medicine practices and promote betterment physically, spiritually and mentally to many more people. She advocates for wellness and functional health over big pharma so more people can age vibrantly with more function and less pain.
At Well Theory, Our surgeon-designed products are FDA Registered and formulated to help people:
- Manage the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain
- Recover vibrantly from orthopedic related surgeries
- Fill the gaps in our daily diets
- Manage pain associated with inflammation