How you care for yourself makes a big impact on how fibromyalgia affects you. This condition, which causes musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and localized tenderness, can negatively affect your day-to-day life. You may find it challenging to work regularly, participate in social events, and just get your chores done.
At Interventional Spine and Pain Institute in Vero Beach, Florida, we want to help you manage fibromyalgia so it has a minimal effect on your life. Fibromyalgia doesn’t have a cure or one magic medication that improves your pain and discomfort. A multi-faceted approach that includes self-care is necessary for successful management.
If you’re one of the estimated 4 million people in the United States with fibromyalgia, certain over-the-counter and prescription medications can help you find relief. They’re most effective when you also take steps to be more in control of your condition and pain.
Experienced pain management physician Dr. Michael Esposito recommends these five steps to help you better manage fibromyalgia pain.
When you have fibromyalgia, exercise may seem counterintuitive. It can be uncomfortable at first, but if you gradually ease into more physical activity, it can dramatically help your condition in the long term.
Fibromyalgia pain may occur because of faulty communication between your brain and your body. Exercise helps your brain become more normally accustomed to your body’s movements and transmit more normal reactions and signals.
Exercises like tai chi, yoga, or gentle walking are a good place to start.
Stress is a normal part of life, so learning how to manage it is key. Stress can worsen fibromyalgia.
Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques like eliminating negative self-talk and learning how to prioritize tasks can help. Stress reduction strategies like meditation and deep breathing help you relax and learn to cope with pain flare-ups.
You need ample sleep to help you combat the fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. Fatigue and pain are linked because the same brain neurotransmitters that control pain also control sleep, mood, and memory.
Make an effort to make your bedtime and wake-up time consistent most days. Create a bedtime ritual that helps you relax. This might include a bath, turning off any screens, and keeping the room cool and dark.
Acupuncture can be an effective way to promote natural self-healing. This Eastern medicine treatment involves the placement of super fine needles in key energy locations on your body to encourage blood flow.
The practice may alter the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain and potentially improve muscle-brain connections. Some patients find that it’s an effective way to improve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and depression associated with fibromyalgia.
Physical therapy goes a long way in helping patients with fibromyalgia improve range of motion and strengthen their bodies. Your therapist works with you to customize exercises and recommendations to reduce fibromyalgia pain. You learn exercises you can do on your own to take control of your pain at home and become more independent when it comes to controlling your pain.
Get the care and support you need to manage the confounding and painful condition of fibromyalgia. Call Interventional Spine and Pain Institute today, or use this website to set up an appointment.
