Chronic Pain: Causes, Symptoms & Effective Management

Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain

Meditation is a way to practice being present. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a pioneer in the field of meditation and medicine, meditation is a practice of cultivating mindfulness, which means “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” For this post, I wanted to look at some recent research on mindfulness meditation programs involving participants with chronic pain. The purpose of these studies was to assess whether mindfulness can lower pain, reduce depression, and improve…

by chronicillness•07/19/202208/23/2025•1

What to Do About Those Lumps, Bumps and Swellings!

In twenty-four years working clinically with fibromyalgia patients I have yet to meet one that does not have some lumps, bumps, and/or water-filled swellings also known as lesions just below the skin. What are these and where do they come from? They most often are not painful trigger points. They are areas of swollen tissue. With excess phosphate and calcium in fibromyalgia patients’ cells, the body is unable to evacuate these and other chemicals. These…

by chronicillness•07/13/202208/23/2025•0

Fibromyalgia: Living with Chronic Pain

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on”, Robert Frost My friend has become my guru for updates on research regarding pain. I take hope because of her personal struggles with the issues surrounding living with acceptance in lieu of catastrophizing. Daily pain is exhausting, depletes our energy, and leaves us with a sense of hopelessness. Each new symptom (and there are many) can be like taking one…

by chronicillness•07/03/202208/23/2025•1

Endometriosis & Fibromyalgia An Interview

In my article What You Need To Know About Endometriosis, I give you a background on endometriosis. This article is an interview with a Fibromyalgia Warrior, Jennifer. She answers questions so readers can see what it is like to live with Endometriosis and Fibromyalgia. She will also give you insight into her tips on how she manages her co-morbid conditions. Name and Age: Jennifer Coleman, 40 When were you diagnosed with Fibromyalgia? March 2018 When…

by chronicillness•04/05/202208/23/2025•0

What is the best way to battle daily with Fibromyalgia Nerve and Muscle Pain?

The best way is to accept it and moderate it in a moment-by-moment exercise. The stress of the “fight” will only make the pain worse for most with fibro. My new normal is that I am in pain every second of every day. I avoid unnecessary stressors which include movies and tv shows that are too intense. If a sporting event causes “tension and release” that is excessive for me, I stop watching. If a…

by chronicillness•02/28/202208/23/2025•0

I find myself taking numerous sick days due to pain from my chronic conditions (fibromyalgia, lupus, thyroid disorders, bipolar)

It’s hard to address them all at once. I’ll just mention that your issue with panic attacks is probably both psychological as well as physiological. From your wording, it sounds as though you experienced anticipatory anxiety about having a panic attack which then operates in a self-fulfilling prophecy fashion to trigger a panic attack. So there’s an initial cognitive element, which then produces a physiological result. That’s pretty common but also points to the fact…

by chronicillness•02/25/202208/23/2025•0

Is it possible to have fibromyalgia prevalent in mainly one side of the body?

Chronic pain in the upper and lower aspects of the same body side suggest a musculoskeletal disorder. In cases of fibromyalgia, a constellation of symptoms can exist which reflect simultaneous painful dysfunction of the pelvic and shoulder girdles. My clinical researchers have discovered that females can incur looseness and hypermobility (subluxation) of their pelvic girdle sacroiliac joints (note for physicians: diagnostic criteria are found in the Occupational Disabilities Guidelines). Pelvic instability can become a chronic…

by chronicillness•01/13/202208/23/2025•0

Have you done or used anything that increases your energy while suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue?

I had fibromyalgia symptoms for 15 years before I was diagnosed. At that time, I took a course of physical therapy where I did the Wharton stretch method, where you put a strap around your ankle, stretch your leg, and then gently use the strap to extend the stretch for a second. This, combined with a slow, progressive walking program where I extended the length of my walk over time improved my energy and pain…

by chronicillness•01/13/202208/23/2025•0

Evidence shows that Fibromyalgia and CFS put Couples under Stress

Fibromyalgia and CFS put couples under stress. This chapter offers strategies for addressing three problems faced by couples: sexual difficulties, strained communication, and caregiver burnout. Improving Intimacy When CFS or fibromyalgia enters a marriage, one casualty can be intimacy between the partners. Pain, reduced energy, reduced interest, health problems of the partner, and increased responsibilities for the healthy spouse can all affect a couple’s sex life, but, like other aspects of long-term illness, intimacy problems…

by chronicillness•01/06/202208/23/2025•0

Why was I Hiding Fibromyalgia the Person I have Become?

Story of Fibromyalgia Warrior Recently I was looking at my social media accounts I came across accounts that I had chosen to hide either my content from. As I looked down the list I realized that many of those people were people that I knew for a significant amount of time in my life. Most were people I had either worked with somewhere along the line since Nursing School Graduation, or I went to high school or college…

by chronicillness•01/06/202208/23/2025•0