The pain of fibromyalgia is tough to manage and affects thousands of people every day. How do you treat fibromyalgia pain, and treat it without side effects and powerful prescription drugs? Fibromyalgia drug treatments are often useful for helping reduce symptoms like pain and fatigue, but they are not the ideal solution for everyone.
Sometimes medication causes side effects that are as bad as the fibromyalgia itself.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that is characterized by inflammation, joint pain, muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. No one is sure exactly what causes fibromyalgia. And treating it is also difficult, since it affects different people in different ways.
So what do you do? For many people suffering from fibromyalgia, a combination of traditional medication works well with natural complementary therapies. Here are some of the natural ways to treat fibromyalgia that have been shown to be effective.
1) Try Simple Home Remedies to Ease Fibromyalgia Pain
Sometimes the simplest remedies are the best. It is worth trying to ease fibromyalgia pain by applying gentle heat in the form of a heat pad or a heated cloth to the areas of the body which give you the most pain. A warm bath or shower, or putting clothes to warm in the dryer, can bring relief. Sometimes people also find that cold therapy makes a difference if you are suffering from deep muscle aches.
2) Try the Gluten-Free Approach
It is not proven that there is a link between fibromyalgia and gluten, but some researchers do say that an intolerance to gluten can make fibromyalgia symptoms more severe. Gluten can affect some people very badly, even when they do not have a specific intolerance to grains. You can try cutting out wheat from your diet and see how it helps your energy levels as well as your fibromyalgia symptoms.
3) Use Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia
Several studies have shown that acupuncture can help with chronic pain. The practice is sad to rebalance the body and reduce inflammation, which would certainly be helpful in the case of fibromyalgia. Many people swear by acupuncture as an effective treatment for these symptoms, but others are not so sure. But it is an easy remedy to try for yourself – find an experienced practitioner and give it a try.
4) Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Make sure that your diet is rich in natural fruits and vegetables, and aim for a mixture of colors from the vegetables to ensure you are getting a broad range of nutrients. A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables also provides antioxidants which can reduce inflammation, potentially relieving fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms. Look out for superfoods that decrease inflammation as well as fish oils and healthy natural fats.
5) Try Massage as a Fibromyalgia Treatment
Getting a massage is an ideal way to feel less stressed and it can also improve your circulation and cut down pain levels. It may also make you sleep better, which is good news when you suffer from fibromyalgia, which can cause insomnia. Massage also improves your mood and your mental outlook, making it easier to cope with symptoms of fibromyalgia. And it makes a difference to how well you can concentrate and focus on tasks.
6) Stress Reduction and Anti-Anxiety Measures
Many experts suggest that there is a strong link between fibromyalgia and unresolved issues of stress and anxiety. It may be true that if you are suffering from mental stress, this will show itself in fibromyalgia symptoms. Therapy and counseling can help you heal from past wounds, as well as give you better techniques for coping with everyday stress and relieving anxiety. This makes you better able to tackle everyday life and you may well see that your fibromyalgia symptoms are fading, too.
7) Take 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)
5-HTP supplements may help to ease symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. This supplement helps your body build serotonin, which is useful for maintaining a good mood as well as helping relieve fatigue and confused thinking.
8) Try a Chiropractic Approach to Fibromyalgia Care
You may have developed fibromyalgia after an injury, and it will not resolve until you can treat the remaining pain and inflammation caused by that injury. Chiropractic treatment corrects your posture and your spinal alignment, helping increase blood flow and removing blockages in the body.
9) Eat Well to Remove Nutritional Deficiencies
Some people link fibromyalgia with deficiencies in certain nutrients. You may be missing a vital ingredient when it comes to keeping pain levels under control. It is worth checking to see that you are not missing out on anything crucial both for general health and for treating fibromyalgia. Make sure your diet is rich in magnesium, for example, to make it easier to treat fibromyalgia pain at home.
