About four million people in the United States live with fibromyalgia, a chronic rheumatic condition that causes widespread physical pain, ongoing fatigue, and cognitive difficulties (i.e., “fibro” fog). If you have fibromyalgia, you know just how debilitating it can be.
Luckily, it’s also manageable. At Center Point Medicine in La Jolla, California, and Syracuse, New York, our team takes a three-tiered fibromyalgia management approach that aims to:
Here, Dr. Ran D. Anbar explores natural strategies for managing fibromyalgia pain flares — and explains how expert support can help you restore a better quality of life.
Fibromyalgia causes periodic episodes of widespread musculoskeletal pain, tenderness, and stiffness — accompanied by ongoing fatigue, emotional distress, mood and memory issues, and trouble sleeping. Fibromyalgia pain flare-ups can be:
Significant physical trauma or psychological distress are common precipitating factors in the emergence of fibromyalgia. Experts believe the condition may affect how the brain processes pain signals, amplifying sensations so they feel more intense than they are.
People with fibromyalgia are much more likely to develop separate, co-existing conditions — like chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety, and depression.
While prescription medication and over-the-counter pain relievers are commonly used to treat fibromyalgia pain flares, self-care strategies are arguably the most important element of successful long-term fibromyalgia management.
Managing fibromyalgia flare-ups naturally — which means both reducing their occurrence and easing them when they occur — involves attention to six key areas:
Stress is a major fibromyalgia trigger that can also make pain flares worse. Mindfulness practices, from meditation and yoga to deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, can help you reduce stress and take the sting out of a fibro flare.
When incorporated into daily routines, mindfulness practices can help you control your stress and experience fewer flare-ups of fibromyalgia.
Lack of sleep — a common symptom of fibro pain and fatigue — can also prompt or worsen symptom flares. Because consistent, restful sleep helps alleviate fibromyalgia flares, improved sleep hygiene is essential to every fibro care plan.
This means sticking with a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, optimizing your sleep environment (dark, quiet, cool), and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and excessive screen time before bed.
While exercise may feel uncomfortable at first, gradually and gently increasing your level of physical activity can help you better manage fibro pain in the long run. Fibromyalgia alters the way your brain communicates with your body; movement helps reset that connection.
Try gentle exercises like walking, swimming, low-impact aerobics, tai chi, stretching, yoga, or range of motion exercises. A physical therapist can provide a more personalized plan. Either way, always listen to your body and pace yourself.
Wholesome eating patterns support overall health and, in turn, better fibro management: staying well hydrated, eating balanced meals consisting of whole foods, and limiting your intake of processed foods and added sugars. It’s just as important to identify and avoid any food sensitivities and dietary triggers.
When you need targeted relief for acute fibro discomfort, you have many natural options, including massage therapy, heat or cold therapy (heating pads, ice packs), and acupuncture. Aromatherapy, journaling, and spending time outdoors in nature are also supportive pain-relief strategies.
At Center Point Medicine, we take a holistic approach to fibromyalgia management that aims to give you the tools and insight you need to control your condition better.
We can help you identify the triggers that prompt your fibro flares, create a plan to avoid or minimize them, and provide supportive strategies to help you cope with your symptoms more balanced and mindful. You may benefit from:
Each of these approaches gives you a specific set of tools — from relaxation techniques and positive mind-shifting to replacing negative thought patterns with helpful ones — to help you stay calm and relaxed in the face of a fibro flare.
Such strategies can effectively “dial down” the pain you feel in a flare-up, transforming it from disruptive or debilitating into a mild annoyance as it abates.
Do you need help managing fibromyalgia flares? Schedule an appointment at your nearest Center Point Medicine office in La Jolla, California, or Syracuse, New York, today.
