Fighting fibromyalgia is a difficult battle that many people suffer from. More often than not, their battle goes unseen, and your battle may be going on unseen as well.
To help you fight off the disease as well as make your life better, here are some strategies that you can use to deal with the pain caused by fibromyalgia.
Anti-inflammatory Diet
One of the biggest ways that you can help yourself is by diving into what is known as an anti-inflammatory diet. This diet has high amounts of antioxidants that help remove molecules known as free-radicals that increase pain, inflammation, and end up attacking your cells.
This diet isn’t exactly difficult to begin or to maintain. Use frozen berries, research different anti-inflammatory foods, and find what works best for you is what will help you maintain this diet the best. It will take time to experience a difference, but remember that consistency is key
Medication Management
For some, but not everyone, managing the pain takes more than an anti-inflammatory diet, movement, or stress management. Sometimes it takes working with your doctor and making sure that your medications are managed properly.
Medical Marijuana
One of the most effective ways of managing pain caused by fibromyalgia is using medical marijuana. There are several doctors throughout the states that are available to help you find out what can work best as well as ensure that you are well within your state’s laws
Antidepressants
Depending on your type of fibromyalgia and how it is affecting your system, you may want to look into taking antidepressants. Depression is a side effect of fibromyalgia that can also increase the amount of pain that your body expresses. This is not to say that the pain is not real, depression increases the intensity.
Pain Relievers
While I cannot suggest taking anti-inflammatory pills daily, as they do have side effects that can make your pain worse, there are other pain relievers that can be used when working with your doctor. Make sure that you are regular on your pain medication otherwise, the medication will not stay in your system.
Daily Movement
It hurts.
I have had to watch close friends deal with being unable to move or be touched because of the pain. However, through their own testimony, daily movement no matter how small, is what often helps them through a specific attack.
As they are able to move more and more, blood flow helps make sure that the nerves are supplied with the right amount of blood. This is something that truly does help in managing your pain.
Stress-Management and Self-Care
Much like how depression can increase pain levels so can stress and a lack of self-care.
If you aren’t taking care of yourself, how can you take care of other people? When you live with fibromyalgia you have to focus mostly on yourself. You have to ensure that your stress levels are low and that you’re taking care of yourself in ways that are fruitful and benefit your state of mind, and your physical state.
Work Closely With Your Doctor
If you aren’t already working with the doctor, I highly suggest working with a doctor that either specializes in fibromyalgia or is aware of the many painful situations that you can be put in because of the disease.
Working closely with your doctor means making sure that you have regular visits, updating your doctor with any additional symptoms, and also taking medications as prescribed.
Physical Therapy
For some, the use of physical therapy can actually help decrease the amount of pain that they experience on a daily basis.
Physical therapists are taught not only to work with the bones and the muscles of the body but also the nerves. Their experience and knowledge can be very helpful in working out a specific area of your body that is extremely painful.
Behavioral Therapy
Another way that you can help yourself is to start going to behavioral therapy. One of the ways that we heal ourselves is through the power of the mind. When you work with a behavioral therapist, they are able to help you change your thought processes into healing processes that can actually alleviate some pain as well.
Conclusion
These five strategies are some that aren’t often used … oddly enough. Part of the reason is because pain is such a difficult thing to push through. If you are dealing with fibromyalgia, make sure that you are in contact with your doctor and working closely with your diet, and your daily movement. It won’t always get better, but the pain will be more manageable: you can do this!