A state which gives rise to exhaustion confined softness and musculoskeletal pain is known as fibromyalgia pain. This condition can be experienced following psychological stress, injury, physical trauma, and an illness. It is vital to treat the fibromyalgia symptoms which are caused by fibromyalgia-like pain, and exhaustion. To assist in reducing and managing the symptoms of fibromyalgia and bettering your standard of life, luckily numerous alternatives are available.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
Restless leg syndrome, insomnia, sensitivity to loud noises or bright lights, headaches, temperature sensitivity, painful menstruation, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, fibro fog, which refers to difficulties with memory and thinking, depression, poor concentration, headaches, and morning stiffness are the common symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Are there any ways to treat Fibromyalgia symptoms?
Fibromyalgia pain will make it difficult for you to do your daily activities whether it is a minor condition or severe condition. As we are living in a modern era, many natural remedies and medications are available to treat this condition.
Pain relievers
Medications are the best choice to reduce fibromyalgia pain. Your healthcare provider may prescribe the following over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as
- Aspirin
- Naproxen sodium
- Ibuprofen
Your doctor may prescribe these medications to you in order to reduce the inflammation, minimize muscular aches, and improve sleep quality.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants also can ease fibromyalgia pain (FM). Before using these antidepressants for FM, you need to discuss with your physician regarding the common side effects of using these drugs. People may experience the following side effects after using these antidepressants for the first time such as
- Weight gain
- Loss of interest in sex (erectile dysfunction in men)
- Nausea
Following are the best antidepressant medications for fibromyalgia pain
- TCA’s (tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, doxepin, and imipramine)
- SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and paroxetine)
- SNRI’s (serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors like venlafaxine, and duloxetine)
Anticonvulsants
Anticonvulsants are commonly known as antiepileptic drugs or antiseizure drugs. These drugs can ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia pain and lower pain levels. Pregabalin (Lyrica) is the first drug approved by the food and drug administration for the treatment of fibromyalgia pain (FM). Your physician may also suggest Gabapentin, which is used to treat nerve pain.
Dizziness, weight gain, drowsiness, rash, fatigue, tremor, swelling, dry mouth, and nausea are the possible side effects of these medications.
Yoga
It has been observed that the people who are suffering from fibromyalgia pain can reduce their pain levels by doing yoga. People who are attending yoga classes are experiencing improved mood and less pain and this physical practice act as a mood lifter for the people who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia pain.
Gentle poses, group discussions, meditation, and breathing exercises are the classes included in yoga. Regularly going to yoga classes can improve your
- Muscle strength
- Improves concentration
- Relaxation techniques
Before going for a yoga class, make sure that your physician or healthcare provider know this and tell your condition to the yoga instructor. Let your instructor knows that you are suffering from Fibromyalgia pain, so that he will make you do the poses as needed for you or design the poses based on your condition.
Acupuncture
In order to reduce the pain, you may need to try acupuncture. It is a form of treatment which involves piercing of needles into the skin to increase normal self-recovery, stimulate an alteration in the flow of blood, alter the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain, and it also helps to treat numerous types of health conditions like continual pains.
When contrasted with people suffering from fibromyalgia who did not receive acupuncture, the people who opted for acupuncture gained with the alleviation of pain for a minimum period of two years as per research in the Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine. Acupressure cannot be considered as an option for people who are distinct from needles.
Following acupuncture therapy, bruising, minor bleeding, and soreness are the risks that one needs to consider. Please bear in mind while going through an acupuncture therapy session, the needles are sterilized. It has been observed that this form of treatment has been used to treat other conditions more than fibromyalgia pain.
Physical Therapy
To better your scope of motion, and build-up the muscles, physical therapy procedures are helpful. Which in turn also assists in decreasing the fibromyalgia pain. To assist in managing particular symptoms your instructor will design a program. To assist you in managing the exhaustion and the pain on your own the instructors can also teach self-supervising procedures along with knowledge about fibromyalgia. It has been observed in a study that knowledge about pain administration will be helpful for increase in efficiency while doing physical exercises.
Treating fibromyalgia exhaustion
One of the usual symptoms of fibromyalgia is exhaustion. Even after sleeping all night you might feel exhausted after you wake up. Certain activities that you perform daily and which are basic can cause fatigue. The alternatives that are available for the treatment of exhaustion are as under:
Vitamin D
People who are suffering from fibromyalgia tend to lack vitamin D. As per research conducted in 2013, it has been observed in the people who are taking vitamin D supplements are experiencing less exhaustion and looking physically better when compared to the other people who are not taking the vitamin D supplements. It’s better to discuss with your doctor before taking vitamin D supplements as it may interact with other medications.
Exercise
One of the best ways to boost your energy levels and fight with your tiredness is to do exercise. It may increase your
- Brain’s production of endorphins
- Reduces depression
- Improves sleep quality
Doing swimming, taking a long walk, and riding a bike are the suggested activities for the people who are suffering from fibromyalgia. People struggles in the initial phase and they should slowly cultivate the habit of doing exercise. Though this article is presenting you many options other than this, doing exercises is the best way to treat fibromyalgia.
Are there any other treatment options for fibromyalgia?
There are other treatment options to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But you need to discuss with your physician before following the below methods:
Medical marijuana
One of the best options to ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia is medical marijuana. This medicinal plant can treat various health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia, appetite loss, pain, cancer, nausea, Crohn’s disease, muscle spasms, anorexia, glaucoma, epilepsy, and mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It has been observed in people with fibromyalgia and who are taking medical marijuana are experiencing the feelings of well-being, enhanced relaxation, improvement in their mental health, improves sleep quality and a reduction of pain.
There is no clinical evidence that medical marijuana is the best alternative for treating this condition and more research has to be done.
Tai chi
Tai chi is a mind-body technique which involves
- Deep breathing
- Controlled movements
- Meditation
It can also improve a person’s
- Stamina
- Muscle strength
- Balance
Conclusion
As there are various treatment options are available for this condition, one should not worry if any method is not showing the results that you desire. Make sure that your doctor knows that you are trying different options for treating fibromyalgia pain.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK540974/
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prt/2012/426130/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6016048/
Sirisha B 
Raju Ch