Celebrate the resilience of Fibromyalgia warriors, sharing stories of strength, tips for managing symptoms, and resources for support and empowerment.
Fibromyalgia ranks among the most puzzling and common chronic pain conditions. Fibromyalgia pain moves around from one area of the body to another or it seems to be everywhere at once. We experience several different types of pain. The intensity of the pain also changes. It can be very difficult to describe fibromyalgia pain to others. We often feel misunderstood and disbelieved. It is hard for people who do not have chronic pain to understand…
Do you experience pain from a simple touch? Do you cringe when someone goes to give you a hug? Do these simple gestures result in excruciating pain? Skin pain is another one of those fibromyalgia symptoms that just doesn’t seem to make sense. This type of pain is called Allodynia and is usually felt as a burning sensation. Allodynia is believed to be a hypersensitivity to stimuli that would normally not cause pain. The pain…
Chronic pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia can often make working very difficult. Whether you are expected to be on your feet all day or are tied to a desk, musculoskeletal pain and fatigue, as well as the impact that fibromyalgia can have on cognitive abilities, can have a huge bearing on a ‘normal’ working life. However, with prescribed medication as well as pain management which can help control daily stress, many people with fibromyalgia…
An overactive sympathetic nervous system, also known as the body’s fight or flight response is closely linked to fibromyalgia. The fight or flight response is designed to help us function in emergency situations. It is meant to be a response that only lasts a short time and then turns itself off. With fibromyalgia, the fight or flight response gets stuck in the “on” position playing havoc with our body, our emotions, and our ability to…
There are basically two ways to deal with Fibromyalgia: accept it or resist it. We start out fighting against it. We push ourselves. We resist. Eventually, we realize resistance is only creating more suffering for ourselves. We begin to accept things are different now. Our life has changed. Fibromyalgia is not going away. We have to look at our situation realistically. Our old life is being replaced by a new life full of limitations. Click…
Whether or not to work while suffering from Fibromyalgia is a very personal decision and will depend on the individual who suffers from the condition. Symptoms of fibromyalgia such as headaches, fatigue, and chronic pain can make it very difficult to continue working. If you do decide to carry on working, there are some tips and techniques you can use to make your time spent working easier to deal with. This article is provided by…
People with fibromyalgia are usually prescribed pain relievers, sleep medicines, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and anti-seizure medications to help with their symptoms. These medications all come with risks and side effects so they are just as likely to do harm as to help. In this guest post, Marco gives us some tips to treat fibromyalgia pain safely. How to manage fibromyalgia pain safely Fibromyalgia is a very distressing disease, and very challenging to treat. A vast…
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and many people are scrambling to find the right gift for Mom. If the Mom in your life has fibromyalgia choosing the right gift can be even more difficult. Typical Mother’s Day gifts such as flowers, perfume, or scented candles may not be appropriate. So I have put together a list of gifts that a Mother with chronic pain would love to receive. If you know a Mom…
Thousands of people suffer from chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. When life is a daily struggle with pain, fatigue, and Brain fog, the impact can be devastating, especially since there is no cure. Those living with fibromyalgia and chronic pain are more prone to psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, as the condition saps sufferers of energy and motivation. Finding a coping technique to help ease debilitating symptoms is often an ongoing process…
“The tender point test also has a gender bias because men may report widespread pain, but they generally aren’t as tender as women. Fibromyalgia may be under-diagnosed in both men and women because of the reliance on 11 tender points, and also due to failing to account for the other central features of the illness,” said Katz. Additionally, due to the confusion regarding the tender point test, the authors note that most primary care doctors…