Managing The Chronic Pain Of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia causes chronic pain that can become debilitating at times. The pain usually travels from one area of the body to another, sometimes moving multiple times a day. This condition affects about 1 in 50 people in the U.S. and more women than men. In fact about 80-90% of fibromyalgia patients are women. People who live with Fibromyalgia usually experience chronic and wide-spread pain that can affect the entire body. Managing this painful and debilitating condition takes a proactive and thoughtful approach that starts with understanding the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

The Most Common Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia

Aside of chronic pain and fatigue, people with Fibromyalgia can experience a wide variety of other symptoms including:

• Headaches and even migraines
• A poor quality of sleep or sleep disturbances
• Memory problems that are sometimes call “fibro fog”
• Stiffness in the morning
• RLS or restless legs syndrome
• Numbness or tingling of the arms and legs
• Sensitivity to bright lights, loud noises, and changes in temperature
• IBS or irritable bowel syndrome

Make Your Life Easier To Live

Taking part in daily activities while experiencing chronic pain that cannot be seen and is often misunderstood can be a challenge. Living with fibromyalgia and finding knowledgeable support for this painful condition can be frustrating. There are some things that you can do to make you daily activities easier to get through and make your life much more enjoyable.

Plan Ahead

• Do anything you can to make your morning routine easier.
• Do as much advanced preparation for your day’s activities as possible.
• Lay out your clothes the night before.

Eat Good Food

• Make sure to eat a diet that has a good balance of protein, fruit, vegetables and dairy items.
• It is easiest to eat great if you keep your meals simple yet varied.
• Eating whole grains will help you manage your weight and reduce the stress put on your body.
• Never skip a meal since your immune system needs fuel to function.
• Keep a water bottle handy and drink plenty of water to flush out those toxins.

Keep Moving

• Get great low impact exercise like taking walks.
• Take part in a yoga or tai-chi class.
• Swimming is a great way to exercise without putting too much stress on your body.

Get Some Sleep

• Take a nice warm bath to relax your muscles and unwind before getting into bed.
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark and keep the T.V. off.
• Try to avoid heavy meals, exercise, alcohol, and caffeine in the hours before bed time.
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Get Great Care

One of the most important things you can do to successfully manage your fibromyalgia is to partner with an experienced rheumatologist like the ones at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. The physicians at IBJI are some of the best in the Midwest at caring for people with chronic pain. Make an appointment today to get your fibro pain under control and get back to living your life as normal as possible.