Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition that produces widespread pain that can literally change the life of a FM patient, but as they say, “..life must go on!” Therefore, this article is dedicated to discussing ways to empower you with tips to make FM as least activity restricting as possible. Ways to gain self-control of FM include the following:
1. Exercise: There are two forms of exercise you should include in your self-management program. One is light aerobic exercises such as walking and/or water exercises with the objective to increase your heart rate. The other is strength training with a low-weight / high-repetition approach emphasizing the part of the exercise where you slowly release the weight back to the start position (the eccentric part of the exercise). Here is a list of tips from the National Fibromyalgia Association that should help:
2. Sleep: A poor sleep pattern is the “norm” for FM patients. The pain associated with FM usually interferes with sleeps, which leads to more pain followed by more sleep disturbance – it’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. The National Sleep Foundation and others recommend the following steps to help us sleep:
3. Diet: Talk to your chiropractor about food allergies, gluten sensitivity, diabetes, thyroid function, medication/vitamin use, and any other unique issues that pertain to you.
4. Emotional control: Engage your family, good friends, your healthcare providers, and consider FM support groups. Meditation, deep breathing, and visualization exercises as well as cognitive therapy can also be very effective.