An Overview of Fibromyalgia Treatments
Fibromyalgia is characterized by its pain, meaning that many sufferers of the disease are constantly looking for fibromyalgia pain treatment. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia has no one magic pill to help cure everything.
Rather, there are a variety of treatments for fibromyalgia. There are tried and true fibromyalgia treatment options, but there are also some new fibromyalgia treatments on the scene. Below is a quick overview of treatment options for fibromyalgia.
Common Medicinal Treatments for Fibromyalgia
These are the tried and true medicinal treatments that have been used to treat fibromyalgia.
- Pain relievers-Over-the-counter pain relievers have been used to treat fibromyalgia. They will only help short-term, and can often lead to reliance on the drug.
- Anti-seizure drugs- Medications meant to treat epilepsy are used in reducing pain from fibromyalgia.
- Antidepressants- Antidepressants help with the pain and fatigue that is often associated with fibromyalgia.
Common Therapeutic Treatments for Fibromyalgia
These are different types of therapies that have been proven to help with pain caused by fibromyalgia.
- Physical therapy- Physical therapists can help those with fibromyalgia by teaching exercises that will improve strength and stamina.
- Massage therapy- Massage therapists will use manipulative techniques to relax your muscles and improve the range of motion in your joints. Massages often help relieve stress and can reduce your heart rate.
- Occupational therapy- An occupational therapist assists you by teaching you how to perform certain tasks so that the task will cause less stress to your body.
- Counseling- A counselor helps you by learning to better handle the emotional stress that comes along with the physical pain of fibromyalgia.
New Treatments for Fibromyalgia
More recently, there have been new treatments for fibromyalgia. Many of these are still experimental, but they are still exciting nonetheless.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation- This treatment involves electromagnetic stimulation to the scalp. A magnet will turn on and off rapidly, synchronizing electrical currents with the magnet. Evidence suggests it will help with the pain.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy- This type of therapy has been shown to upgrade the body’s natural capacity to fix and heal. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy allows the oxygen to dissolve into the blood plasma in the body independent of red blood cells.
- Ultrasonic Healing Relief- Ultrasonic Healing Relief is a new technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to speed up the healing process in injured joints or muscle tissue. In fibromyalgia patients, it reduces local swelling and chronic inflammation.
Self-Care Practices for Fibromyalgia
These are some self-care practices that you can implement at home to continue caring for your fibromyalgia in the best way possible.
- Prioritize sleep- Sleep is essential for caring for fibromyalgia because fatigue is one of the main symptoms! Getting good quality sleep is essential. Make sure you stick to a sleep schedule, allow enough time for a full night’s sleep, and limit the use of electronics an hour or two before you go to bed.
- Exercise regularly- Unfortunately, exercise may increase your pain at first. But over time it will often decrease your pain. Walking, stretching, jogging, yoga, swimming, and biking are all great places to start. Remember- gradually increase the level of intensity.
Fibromyalgia is known for the widespread pain throughout your body that it causes. Because it doesn’t have a cure, the goal of treatment is to minimize the symptoms of pain and improve general well-being. We hope you found this overview of some of these treatment options helpful.