A comprehensive look at Fibromyalgia pain, its symptoms, triggers, and effective strategies to manage and alleviate discomfort.
Let’s remember that despite all of our great science, we don’t fully understand either central sensitization or fibromyalgia. So the question is cute but unanswerable. Central sensitization means that there is altered processing of sensation in the spinal cord and brain. Imagine you have an mp3 player and you plug it into an amplifier and then to some speakers. The mp3 player is like the tiny signals coming **constantly** from the nerves that touch all…
Multiple doctors have told me I very likely have fibromyalgia (but my mother never took me to a rheumatologist), and I would say that I only am controlling to protect myself from being harmed… So I am not officially diagnosed, but doctors have told me I likely have it, as in a neurologist, psychiatrist, and a family practitioner. A physical therapist named Marcos who is not an MD, but knows my family, also told me he…
As a Nurse Practitioner, patients presenting with chronic pain problems to the ER are problematic. During this so-called opioid epidemic, guidelines were put in place for patients seeking narcotics. Also urgent care facilities. It is a problem, and I’m not implying patients are not in pain, or simply drug seekers. We do use Toradol. Unfortunately, patients with chronic pain problems should be receiving care from their primary care physician or pain clinic. I can’t provide…
I’ve had two difficult pregnancies. Two boys were born healthy This is going to sound awful. It hurts just to say it. It’s the silver bullet, though, against fibromyalgia. Exercise. Don’t stop reading yet. You have to start very, very slowly. 5 minutes of gentle exercise is perfect for the first week. If you have access to a warm pool, then it’s even better because you have less weight in the pool and the warm…
Keeping a journal is the single best way to identify your triggers. So, what kinds of things should you write down? Here are some of the most common flares: Click here to Get this or Visit Fibromyalgia Store Over my 16 years with fibromyalgia, I’ve found a few non-invasive things that have helped me immensely. Some of them are a bit pricy, others are homemade, and still, others are absolutely free. For More Information Related…
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…
For me, it was addressing the root cause of the illness: heavy metal toxicity. I had 8 dental amalgams as well as a couple of root canals. I used to get vaxxed. I ate a lot of fish. I had some imaging with contrast dyes. Nowadays everyone is exposed to multiple heavy metals. So once I had the amalgams safely removed that was a huge step forward I have been working on getting my body’s…
Medical professionals roll their eyes at the thought of them. I am interested in opinions from both sides. I think a big part of it is that the medical profession doesn’t want to admit how much they still don’t know, both in terms of treating illness or even identifying it in the first place. There is a perception that we are so advanced with science, we have all these amazing tests and treatments now. So…
I saw an answer from a physician, but mine comes from personal experience from fibro (8 years and counting). It’s not a simple answer, unfortunately. Fibromyalgia, for me, is a reactive condition. What that means for me is that I have a constant level of pain that is my day-to-day pain level. It’s usually somewhere about a 4 or a 5. If it’s a little lower, that’s a fantastic day, but I can survive with…
Diagnosed 10 years ago. Every day is a new mystery I am ridiculously picky about my clothes, since mild to moderate Allodynia is one of my Fibromyalgia symptoms. No sleeves of any fabric, soft fleece if I need a jacket. No bra. Between allodynia and costochondritis? Let them tiddies sag. I like breathing with less pain and not getting rashes. Screw the rules. No wool, cashmere, or other animal fibers. When they are cut, they…