If you are dealing with chronic pain, sleepless nights, and mental confusion, then you may be one of the millions of Americans battling fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, those symptoms can also indicate a bunch of other health conditions. That’s why it takes so long to get a diagnosis when it comes to syndromes like fibromyalgia. 

Whether you have already gotten a diagnosis or are working on it with your healthcare practitioner, we want to share with you some natural things that you can do to combat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Since the majority of the symptoms are neurological in nature, you will notice that most of the things on this list are designed to bolster your central nervous system (CNS) function.

#1 Reduce Stress Levels in the Body 

If you are new to fibromyalgia, you may wonder if you will ever get a break from the symptoms. The good news is that you may experience periods of remission in between flare-ups, especially once you learn to control your symptoms. One of the primary triggers that can cause flare-ups when it comes to fibromyalgia is prolonged periods of high stress.

Since stress is common in the modern world, you may wonder if there is any way to reduce or manage your stress properly. While there are many things you can do to get short-term stress relief like take a break, enjoy some recreation, go for a massage, or take a hot bath, here are some tips for reducing stress overall in your life.

• Take one day at a time – Worrying about things that may never actually happen can add additional stress to the real problems that we are facing today. 
• Don’t be a perfectionist – Whether you expect too much from others or yourself, you are going to spend your life disappointed. Setting reasonable expectations is a key to reducing stress.
• Be organized – Prioritizing your to-do list, cleaning up your home and office, and other organization habits will save you time and energy.
• Have a reasonable view of money – If you are always worried about money, stress will be endless. Know how to take a break and be sure to avoid unnecessary debt, so you are not tied to your work to pay for things you have already purchased. 

#2 Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes 

Diet and exercise are not a cure-all for fibromyalgia by they can both help you to feel your best regardless of the condition you are dealing with. Remember that fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory condition. At the same time, you don’t need inflammation making your pain even worse. Therefore, avoid foods that lead to swelling such as fast foods and other highly processed foods. Try to eat less sugar and avoid all artificial sweeteners. 

While daily exercise may be challenging while dealing with a chronic pain disorder, it is a must for fibromyalgia patients. Not only can exercise work against stress but it can also help you to maintain a healthy body weight and to keep your joints limber. Weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle, on the other hand, can add to pain and are common among fibromyalgia patients.

The key to exercising when you have a chronic ailment is to know your limits and to start slow. If you wake up sore tomorrow, you won’t want to keep up your routine. You may have to begin with something as simple as light stretching and gradually work your way up to more moderate exercise from there. 

#3 Improve Your Sleep Habits

Sleep can be challenging to come by for a fibromyalgia patient, but it is absolutely necessary. Sleeping seven to eight hours per night can help reduce pain levels in the body in general. So how do you get that precious sleep on a nightly basis? Here are some of the best sleep tips:

• Only use the bed for nighttime sleep – Take your naps on the couch or in another room. Your body should know that when you hit the bed in the bedroom, you mean business (and by business, we mean sleeping through the night).
• Maintain a regular schedule – Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day creates a proper schedule for sleep. This trains your body and helps you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Sleeping in can be just as bad for your schedule as staying up too late at night.
• Have the proper sleep environment – From temperature control to getting rid of lights and sounds from the bedroom, you need to create an environment that is conducive to falling asleep and staying asleep during the night.

#4 Try Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic Care

Upper cervical chiropractic is a great way to take care of your central nervous system. When C1 and C2 misalignments exist, they can affect brainstem function, blood flow to the brain, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, and more. It is vital to correct even tiny misalignments when they occur in the top two bones of the neck. In fact, in case studies, fibromyalgia patients have received significant benefits as a result of this specific form of chiropractic care. 

If you are living with the symptoms of fibromyalgia, especially if you have a history of head or neck injuries, we encourage you to seek out an upper cervical chiropractor today. A no-obligation consultation may be your first step on the path to finally finding the natural help you have been searching for when it comes to chronic health conditions and CNS function.

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