Fibromyalgia can be a very frustrating affliction. I know because I have suffered from fibromyalgia for many years. There are a number of fibromyalgia symptoms. You may experience several symptoms or all of them. The most common symptoms are fatigue, muscle pain, muscle stiffness - especially in the morning, headache, trigger points, constipation, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome. Fibromyalgia trigger points are tender points throughout the body that can be extremely painful if slight pressure is placed on them. They are usually in the neck, shoulders, back, elbow, hips and knees. Fibromyalgia is often difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are common to many other conditions. The symptoms can wax and wane from day to day. Weather can play a factor in the severity of your pain. Other factors that can increase your symptoms are stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise. It is estimated that as many as 6 million people in the U.S. suffer from fibromyalgia and nearly 90% of them are women. The exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known. Some cases are brought on by injury. Other cases are believed to begin with a virus. Fibromyalgia is not life-threatening or crippling; however, it is a chronic condition and can be difficult to cope with at times. Unfortunately, there is no cure for fibromyalgia. The best advice I can give is to do what you can to relieve your fibromyalgia symptoms and hope for more good days than bad. There are a lot of treatment options available (and I think I have tried the majority of them), including trigger point injections, medications, and physical therapy. Some of the best fibromyalgia remedies that have worked for me are proper diet and nutrition, including all natural vitamins and supplements. Creatine and rhodiola are great supplements for providing relief from fibromyalgia symptoms. Exercise is also a must and creatine and rhodiola are great to take right before you work out. Stretching and yoga are good for fibromyalgia symptoms, but you also need to lift weights. You may have to start out slow and work your way up, but any little bit will help make you stronger and help your symptoms. It will also help reduce stress and will help you sleep better. Sleep is a key factor in relieving fibromyalgia symptoms. Our muscles experience little micro-traumas every day. When we sleep, our body repairs those little traumas. But when your sleep is disturbed, your body cannot make those repairs and you wake up with muscle stiffness and pain. Valerian and passionflower are great herbal remedies to aid with sleep. |
