Living with Fibromyalgia

Around 10 million Americans live with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia. Here at The Painless Center in Fort Lee and Carlstadt, New Jersey, we know how painful and frustrating life can be for you. Over the years, we've helped a lot of people manage their pain and other symptoms, and we have some advice on how to live with fibromyalgia.

7 Tips for Living with Fibromyalgia

Your pain may come and go, or it may be constant. We want to help you learn to reduce your flare-ups and manage your pain so you can maintain your quality of life. 

Listen to your body 

Even when you're not in pain, you should pay attention to what your body is telling you. You might find it helpful to keep a journal of your daily activities, diet, sleep assessment, and symptoms. You learn to pay attention to the signals your body gives you when it's time to rest. Tracking your symptoms and other factors can also help you identify, and then avoid these triggers. 

Stay active

Exercise can lessen your pain, but you don't want to overdo it. Everyone has different needs, but some techniques that work include:

• Moving around for a short time, several times a day
• Exercising in water to reduce stress on your joints
• Try gentle exercises like yoga or Pilates

Any movement helps, too. For example, you might want to schedule 30 minutes of housework every day. You get the benefit of moving around, and you don't overwhelm yourself with too much physical activity on a single day.

Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is essential to your body's ability to heal itself, reduce inflammation, and restore your energy levels. You may need more or less sleep than other people — going back to the first point, keep track of your sleep, how rested you feel, and figure out what works best for you.

Reduce foods that trigger inflammation

Your diet fuels your body, including the inflammation that causes your pain. While you want to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet, you should also eat fewer foods that can trigger inflammation. For example, you may want to stay away from:

• Refined sugar
• Trans fats
• Refined carbohydrates
• Alcohol
• Processed meat

Instead, stick to fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein, and whole grains. You can try adding anti-inflammatory products like turmeric and aloe juice. If dairy or gluten trigger your symptoms, there are plenty of dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Apply some heat

Many of our patients report that a hot bath or curling up with a hot drink with a heated blanket relieve some of their symptoms. While ice reduces inflammation, heat helps your muscles and connective tissue to relax. 

Also, there's something comforting about snuggling up with a warm blanket to binge-watch your favorite TV show or read a great book.

Reduce your stress

Stress is a known trigger of fibromyalgia symptoms. Find an activity or meditation that helps you to reduce the stress in your life. Additionally, if you have a pet, spending time petting and stroking its soft fur is another known stress reducer. Also, it's fine to stay away from people, activities, or other stress triggers to protect your health and wellness.

Don't give up

Fibromyalgia is frustrating. It's difficult to diagnose, and it’s grossly misunderstood by your friends, family, and even some members of the medical community. Here at The Painless Center, we don't give up until we can diagnose the condition causing your symptoms and find the right treatments to relieve your pain and restore your quality of life. 

Be patient and kind to yourself. Try different therapies like massage, acupuncture, or meditation. You could try Coolief® treatments to reduce joint pain and inflammation. We know your symptoms can change from day to day, and we offer plenty of treatment options and suggestions. We're here to support you and help you live your best life. 

Call us, send us a message, or use our online booking feature to make an appointment today if chronic, widespread pain is interfering with your life.