Fibromyalgia is a persistent condition that causes widespread pain and fatigue. It affects roughly 4 million people in the United States alone and accounts for a significant fraction of the cases that seek upper cervical care. Thankfully, fibromyalgia has a bright side: you can find ways to live with it! In this article, we'll discuss ways to reduce your fibromyalgia flare-ups so that you can enjoy life better and feel less restricted by your condition.
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Fibromyalgia affects millions of people. Studies trace its origins to central sensitization – a condition where the nervous system becomes hypersensitive to stimuli. Additionally, it can also get triggered by stress or other factors. Symptoms include muscle pain, fatigue, and sleep problems. Fibromyalgia is often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS), arthritis or depression because of its symptoms.
Fibromyalgia symptoms tend to come on slowly over time rather than suddenly in one incident, as an injury might. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't ways you can reduce those flare-ups so you can enjoy life better!
There are many ways to reduce your FM flare-ups. The first step is figuring out what's causing them, then making changes to help you feel better and live more pain-free days.
Stress can trigger a flare-up, and it's not just the physical symptoms you have to worry about—stress may also make your pain worse and make you feel more tired. It leads to depression, memory loss, weight gain, and poor dieting habits (which studies associate with fibromyalgia).
Stress can stem from many everyday things like work or financial problems, family arguments, relationship breakups, being late for an appointment because of traffic, or other factors outside your control, like weather conditions.
It would help to manage your stressors and practice quick and simple relaxation techniques to keep yourself grounded and avoid overwhelming your mind and body.
Eating regularly throughout the day is one of the best ways to prevent flares. Eating balanced meals is also essential, which will help keep your blood sugar level steady and give you energy as needed.
When eating, remember to have small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. It's better to have smaller portions throughout the day instead of waiting until dinner to eat them all together in one sitting. This reduces any stress on your digestive system. It also makes it easier for nutrients from each meal to get absorbed into your bloodstream rather than stored in fat cells, which can cause weight gain or add pressure on your joints.
Sleep is vital for tissue healing and repair, especially with fibromyalgia flare-ups. Try to get 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye a night, but no more than 9. If you've had trouble sleeping in the past, consider trying one or two natural ways to help yourself relax before bedtime, like meditation or yoga, if you're flexible. You can also take some time away from your devices before hitting the hay by reading a book at bedtime—but make sure it's something lighthearted so that you don't fall asleep too quickly!
One of the best ways to avoid fibromyalgia flare-ups is by learning how to say "no" when the moment arises that you have to for your peace of heart and mind. This is for things that aren't important or won't make you happy or feel good.
Feeling constantly tired is one of the many disadvantages of a fibromyalgia diagnosis. That's why some patients have mixed feelings about maintaining a physically active lifestyle. However, doctors, chiropractic physicians, and other healthcare professionals agree that keeping the body active will help combat the effects of fibromyalgia.
Hence, you might find it beneficial to integrate simple and low-impact exercises into your fibromyalgia care routine. Here are some examples of your options:
Make sure to listen to your body as you engage in any of the listed activities. This way, you can adjust accordingly and avoid overexerting yourself and triggering worse bouts of pain and discomfort.
Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments are a safe and effective way to manage fibromyalgia symptoms. This kind of care helps keep the upper cervical spine in alignment and reduces inflammation, which can help relieve stress on your nervous system.
Chiropractic doctors apply the adjustments in a gentle and precise manner suited for patients of all ages. The benefits of chiropractic adjustments for fibromyalgia include:
As a chronic condition, fibromyalgia can flare up at any time. It's important to remember that the best way to manage your symptoms is by making small changes over time. Sometimes these changes are easy, but other times they might require more effort or dedication—but it all adds up! Consistency in your lifestyle changes and coping mechanisms is good, but it works best if complemented with regular upper cervical chiropractic sessions.
You can learn more about how this natural and holistic care plan can help you maneuver through life smoother despite a fibromyalgia diagnosis through an upper cervical doctor. You can find one with the help of the Upper Cervical Awareness Doctors Directory.
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TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
