The pain associated with fibromyalgia is only one of the primary symptoms that affect FM sufferers. Cognitive issues, sleep deprivation, and depression can also drastically degrade the quality of life. Here are some proven and recommended ways to get ahead of the symptoms of FM that are making your life miserable.
Diet
Although your diet in itself can not cure fibromyalgia (nothing can), a study conducted based on diet and inflammation has proven a significant link to diet and numerous health issues such as obesity, insulin resistance, necrosis, diabetes, and chronic inflammation.
Why is that important?
Because inflammation is for fibromyalgia, what fuel is for fire, foods like sugar, pasta, white bread, inflammation-fighting foods to your diet will help your body fight unnecessary inflammation, and that in turn will help reduce pain.
Exercise
Apart from the numerous benefits of exercise for your body and life, it is highly effective for reducing Fibromyalgia symptoms like Pain, Depression, Insomnia, and many others. It fights depression, helps with concentration, memory, and sleep, and increases energy levels over extended periods of time.
The catch, of course, is to start slow and gradually introduce bits of exercise to your lifestyle. The reason for this is because too much exercise (and strenuous types of exercise) can also cause inflammation if your body isn’t used to it. Low impact, low-intensity exercises like swimming, walking, and yoga are the best types of exercises for people with fibromyalgia. In fact, yoga has been proven to improve symptoms of fibromyalgia significantly.
Stress Relief
Stress has a significant effect on your body. It can worsen depression, anxiety, inflammation, insomnia. It can also cause constipation, loss of sex drive, muscle tension, and even drastic behavioral changes. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The effects of stress can essentially paralyze your mind, body, and spirit. Common stress relief techniques include meditation, mindful breathing, exercise, and socialize.
Meditation is the practice of clearing your mind and achieving a calm state through breathing or mantras. Meditation is the pinnacle of stress relief; with its countless health benefits for mind, body, and spirit, it is definitely worth trying. Mindful breathing and exercise can be combined by practicing yoga, and if you go to a yoga class, you may make a friend, which makes it social.
Sleep
A healthy brain and body need 7-8 hours of sleep every night to properly repair, detoxify, stabilize and integrate the various bodily systems and processes. It really is magic; what happens to your body when you get the proper amount of sleep. It boosts cognitive function, libido, energy, mood, creativity, and metabolism. That makes you smarter, skinnier, sexier, sprightlier, and spunkier just by sleeping.
Isn’t that amazing?
That’s easier said than done when you have fibromyalgia since sleep disturbances are widespread in FM sufferers.
However, there are still some ways you can improve your quality of sleep:
• Set up a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Do some light movement before bed to help prevent muscle soreness.
• Get up at the same time every day.
• Nap early (if you can) and only for 15 – 30 minutes.
• Stay away from screens an hour before bed.
• Meditate before getting into bed.
Medication
Along with the above lifestyle changes and supplements, your health care provider will likely suggest at least one or a combination of the following drugs:
• Antidepressants – Helps treat the depression or anxiety related to fibromyalgia and repress pain signals to the brain. Medications like Duloxetine and Milnacipran have been approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia.
• Anti-epileptics – this helps tremendously with muscle spasms and pain and slows nerve signals from the muscles to the brain. Lyrica is an FDA-approved treatment for Fibromyalgia, and you can now get a coupon for it at CSV Pharmacy.
• Muscle relaxants – this helps reduce pain so you can get some better sleep.
• Painkillers – ibuprofen is anti-inflammatory and reduces pain. It’s a great option for over-the-counter painkillers.
Supplements
Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is common amongst FM sufferers, and it can drastically worsen pain if left undiagnosed. Make sure that you get tested (and treated if applicable) for a magnesium deficiency. Topical application of Magnesium has also been proven to help with pain and discomfort associated with muscle tenderness, joint pain, and fibromyalgia.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces that essentially makes you sleepy. The production is stimulated by darkness. It is synthetically manufactured and can be taken to balance sleep cycles or as a supplement for those who cannot produce enough Melatonin for healthy sleep.
Vitamin D and Omega 3
Vitamin D and Omega 3 are incredible inflammation fighters. Omega also assists in rebuilding the cells of your brain, which helps to improve concentration and memory.
Probiotics
Pre- and probiotics are used to improve your gut health greatly. Besides the fact that your gut makes up 80% of your immune system, taking probiotics can greatly improve pain related to the gut-related health issues that often accompany fibromyalgia.
