How to manage Fibromyalgia

How to manage your fibromyalgia?

Are you looking for ways on how to manage your fibromyalgia? Then read on…

Fibromyalgia can be a debilitating illness that still has very little research or support for patients who are suffering from it. The condition causes frequent pain all over the body and can often leave people struggling to get out of bed or move.

What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?

As well as widespread pain, people with fibromyalgia may also have: <1>

  • increased sensitivity to pain
  • extreme tiredness (fatigue)
  • muscle stiffness
  • difficulty sleeping
  • problems with mental processes (known as “fibro-fog”), such as problems with memory and concentration
  • headaches
  • irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive condition that causes stomach pain and bloating

People who suffer with fibromyalgia often also have a low mood. This is usually caused by the frustration of having to live with a condition that lacks support.

Causes of fibromyalgia

As a fairly unresearched condition, there is still a lot of uncertainty about how this condition starts or where it comes from. However, in natural medicine the research suggests that fibromyalgia could be an auto-immune disease and therefore is likely to extend back to the health of the digestive system, but in conventional medicine there is no link to auto-immune, because the lack of evidence supporting an inflammatory response. However, in natural medicine, the health of the gut is now linked to many long-term diseases, therefore improving the health of the digestive system could help to reduce symptoms and improve your mood.

A natural approach to fibromyalgia

You must make the decision whether you want to be caught in the hamster wheel of medicine and continued poor health or take your health into your own hands and move forwards with positive action.

There are many ways you can help to reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia, here are my suggestions.

  1. Look at the health of your gut. Do you suffer with any digestive problems such as bloating, constipation, excessive wind? All these are signs of an inflamed gut, so a focus on an anti-inflammatory diet would be beneficial
  2. Whilst the pain can be crippling, somethings the best thing to do is to move as much as you can. Get walking, even when the pain is bad – do your best to get out of your bed and walk. The exercise and the outdoors will do you the world of good, especially if the sun is out. Make sure you expose as much of your skin to absorb the vitamin D.
  3. Take a Vitamin D supplement and a Vitamin with Zinc supplement. Both should be taken from October – April to ensure that you boost your immune system and keep your Vitamin D levels at a functioning level.
  4. Eat a better diet. Cut back on carbohydrates and increase proteins and healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, coconut milk and more. Make sure you have lots of vitamin C rich foods from vegetables and citrus fruits, as well as leafy green vegetables.
  5. Include CBD oil in your lifestyle. CDB is a powerful component of the marijuana plant that has proven results in helping people manage pain and anxiety. Check out some of the CBD suppliers online and be sure to do some research about the right one to buy.

As with all diagnosed health conditions, diet and exercise are a great way to start to improve your overall health. Even if they are small steps, it’s important to start somewhere and work towards your goal. (Read our blog about small steps on your wellness journey). Always remember with your health that it is a journey, not a destination, so try and enjoy your wellness journey and always be kind to yourself.