Fibromyalgia is a disorder which is common, where the person suffers with a widespread body pain. The joints, muscles, tendons and other soft tissues becomes tender. This is found to occur on a long-term basis. Other related symptoms include fatigue, problems in sleep, headaches, depression, anxiety and related mental disorders. The painful areas are usually called tender points in this disorder. The pain spreads to other areas slowly. These reasons lead to many changes in the person’s lifestyle. Diagnosed persons usually exhibit the following changes in their daily routine: high levels of anxiety and stress, irritation, sleepless nights and resulting which they tend to keep sleep all the day, stiffness in the body and the walking style and the way they carry their personality differs. The lifestyle of a fibromyalgia patient usually involves a combination of problems such as musculo-skeletal pain throughout, insomnia, stress, depression, weakness and drowning, fatigue. Necessar care and changes in the lifestyle will help improve the condition and also as time flies by, healthy habits help in even getting rid of all these symptoms.
Know your lifestyle and ways to cope up with
It is usually a well known fact that if the pain and fatigue-related symptoms are severe, the person might tend to even not think clearly. These symptoms can even flair to the extent of causing a severe levels of stress and despair if the person is not mentally prepared to face it. But planning the lifestyle after being diagnosed with this disorder helps in coping up with it in a balanced way. Each and every aspect of the person’s lifestyle counts and plays an important role.
Diet plan: Eating healthy and nutritious foods
Paying attention while you eat is the important mantra for coping up with Fibromyalgia. For Fibromyalgia, it is best to have fruits and vegetables that contain plant food nutrients called phytonutrients and antioxidants which act as pain and inflammation relievers. The next important component of every meal is the lean protein component that helps building the muscle and fueling them to get relief from the pain. Some of such foods include chicken, beans, nuts, fish, etc., These are low in providing energy but good constituents for healthy muscles.Omega-3 fatty acids are vital sources of anti-inflammatory agent aiding the muscles to get relief from inflammation and therefore pain caused. Some foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids are olive oil, walnuts, salmon fish, etc., Vitamin D is a source of nutrient that helps in dealing with muscle pain. Sources of food include mushrooms, eggs, breads, cereals, fortified yogurts, etc., Fibromyalgic patients are advised to avoid caffeine containing foods such as tea, coffee especially before bed because these may cause sleeping problems. Other foods to avoid include diary products, sweetened foods, fried foods, processed products, nightshade veggies such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and so on.
A daily diet plan for treating fibromyalgia symptoms: homemade soup which is low-salted composing magnesium-rich veggies such as beans, little meat and bone broth; a piece of red meat everyday; whole wheat made bread/rotis; little honey; assorted nuts; reduced fiber containing vegetables and fruits; fortified yogurt and cereals; calcium containing skimmed milk.
Maintaining a Positive Atmosphere for yourself
Studies have proven that maintaining a positive energy within yourself will reduce the pain phenomenally. Negative self-talk is the venom when it comes to pain. Some thoughts for coping with the disorder that helps in avoiding the perception of pain are: “I will be able to do anything and everything taking paced breaks here and there”, “I can keep myself happy despite the feel of pain in me”, “I will always feel good about what best works I can do and keep giving a tap on my shoulder for my accomplishments”.
Share Your Pain with Someone!!
Pain makes any person irritated and frustrated. This is human nature. Though there is a limit to sustain pain it is not possible at times of severe pain. Isolation, at this time aggravates the pain to an intolerable state. This is a stage where sharing with someone who can understand the pain and empathize, in turn helps in psychologically feeling the deterioration of the pain.
Activities to forget pain
It is important to identify the right activity that can distract you from the symptoms and the dreadful pain. Some activities which brings relief psychologically and physically include reading pictorial stuff on the newspapers such as cartoons, funny books, suduko, puzzles, playing games, watching funny movies, freaking out with friends, listening to mild tunes.
Exercises with a daily routine
It is most commonly a misconception that fibromyalgia symptoms may get aggravated if you exercise. Also there is a feel of laziness because of improper sleep and pain that one tends to avoid exercises. But, exercises are the best way to get relief from fibrmyalgia symptoms. There are specific exercises to be followed which are mild and with slow progress levels. Usually a chiropractitioner suggests a combination of aerobics, muscle strengthening and flexibility exercises. These help in increasing the energy levels resulting in the release of endorphins (the so-called feel-good hormones), strengthening the muscle tone and also improves the sleeping habits.
Stress Management
Stress Relief Techniques are the best way of coping up with Fibromyalgia. Yoga, indeed helps in getting relieved of stress that is caused due to pain. Everyday there needs to be compulsorily a particular time duration that is given for practicing these techniques to get rid from stress, which helps in keeping yourself as well as your loved ones around you free from frustration and stress related acts. A warm bubble bath at end of everyday helps not only to relieve stress but also to get rid of pain. A weekly regime must include a day-out with a group of friends to a place and play games that helps in relieving stress.
Sleep more and feel better
Persons diagnosed with Fibromyalgia usually have one prominent symptom of poor sleep in the nights and due to which the person tends to feel sleepy during the day and remains inactive throughout the day. Psychologists say that Fibromyalgia patients must compulsorily sleep for 8-10 hours everyday to reduce the pain and relax the stress on the muscles. But usually the patients have a complaint that due to pain getting increased in the nights they are unable to have a proper and sound sleep. To avoid this, they need to take diet that helps in getting proper sleep and also this should include more omega 3- fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory action and also reduce the pain so that sleep does not gets distracted due to pain. Warm Bubble Bath before going to bed helps in getting proper sleep and also relief from pain. Also the sleeping posture is vital. It is advisable to sleep on a flat surface to get rid of pain.
Massage supporting techniques for pain relief
Massage therapy is the best suggested option for pain relief. Fibromyalgia symptoms are well treated through various therapeutic massage done on a periodic basis. Massaging increases stiffness of the muscles, tightens them finally strengthening them. It is better to go to a massage center weekly once for slowly-progressing Fibromyalgia patients. But for severe cases, physicians suggest them to have the massage everyday to get rid of pain. Massaging helps in preventing sleeping problems also. It is suggested that these patients must be trained for doing mild self massages at home so that they don’t even the pain. Techniques such as oxygenation, flare-ups, myofascial release, positive release, reflexology, passive stretching, Proprioceptor neuromuscular facilitation, Energy healing, cranial-sacral therapy, neuro-muscular therapy are effective.
Relaxation techniques
Aromatherapy, yoga therapy and meditation techniques help to relieve the stress, the main factor that is responsible to exacerbate the fibromyalgia symptoms. Relax to keep the mind and body calm is the main tool to treat fibromyalgia symptoms. Breath related relaxation techniques help to get relieved of stress and pain. Music therapy also helps in relaxation and suggested widely for treating fibromyalgia and pain relief, in-turn. A daily routine must have a 30-40 minute relaxation regime post which healthy fruits and water help in relaxing every muscle in the body and in-turn reducing the pain phenomenally and when this becomes a habit, the symptoms of fibromyalgia progressively is found to deteriorate.
