Treatment of Fibromyalgia

It’s true, there isn’t one single cure for fibro, nor is there one single treatment which will address all of the fibromyalgia symptoms at once. For the successful treatment of fibromyalgia, a wide array of both alternative and traditional treatments have shown to be effective in treating this difficult condition. A treatment program may include a combination of medications, behavioral techniques, and exercises. Moving and stretching can do wonders!!

Here are a few examples of what you can do to relieve some of the pain you’re experiencing:

1.) Make it a point to reduce stress. Go ahead and develop a plan which will help you limit or avoid overexertion. When you overexert yourself, your emotional stress is heightened and that can actually cause more pain! Allow yourself time each day to relax and that may mean learning how to just say, “no.” Also, my patients have found that stress management techniques, such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises, help them calm down and relax.

2.) Be sure to get a good night of quality sleep! This doesn’t necessarily mean getting a lot of sleep but it does mean to sleep in the right positions and sleep at the right time of night for your body to repair itself. Fatigue is one of the MAIN characteristics of fibro and so getting a good night of sleep is essential.

3. Move and stretch each and every day. At first, my patients have a hard time doing this and moving enough to work up a sweat because in the beginning, exercise may actually increase your pain. Try walking, swimming, biking and water aerobics to begin with. Additionally, good posture, relaxation exercises, and stretching are also helpful when looking to relieve your fibro pain.

4.) Remember to pace yourself and to keep your activity on an even and balanced level.  Doing too much on your good days might cause you to have more bad days. Straining yourself both physically and mentally can harm you. Be familiar with your limits and work on moderation.

To date, there are only three drugs which are approved by the FDA for the treatment of fibro. Lyrica was first approved as an anti-seizure drugs until it was approved by the FDA for Fibro in June 2008. Also, Savella and Cymbalta are both SNRI (Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibator) and were designed to treat major depressive disorder.

Now, Guaifenesin is an over the counter drug which was first approved by to FDA to thin out the mucus of your respiration track to help you breath easier. This has been made popular for treatment of Fibro by Dr. St. Amand and his Guaifenesin Protocol and his book “What your Doctor may not Tell you About Fibromyalgia: The revolutionary treatment that can reverse the disease.” Guaifenesin is believed to help those who are suffering from fibromyalgia because it has the ability to speed up the excretion of uric acid in the body. It also helps by removing excess phsophate from your body which an aid in fibro relief.

One thing to be cautious of is to make sure you’re living a healthy lifestyle. Many drug regimens and traditional medical treatments tend to WRONGLY focus on the temporary relief of symptoms rather than the removal or reversal of the condition. Sure, short term relief is great but patients tend to suffer long term as their bodies are put through the ringer by taking many pills and drugs.

Alternative Treatments

Many drug regimens and traditional medical treatments wrongly focus on the relief of symptoms instead of the removal or reversal of the condition. This often leads patience to experience some short term relief, but they often suffer long term as their bodies are run ragged by the dosages. While many doctors will unfortunately focus on the symptoms, there are many alternative treatments available that you can start using to manage symptoms and help your body recover.