Finally, Complete Fibromyalgia Treatment In A Pill...Right?
Fibromyalgia treatment is more than popping a Cymbalt or Lyrica pill. Learn your options from stress reduction to memory foam. There is no magic fibromyalgia treatment. And there's no known cure for this complicated, chronic condition, no matter what you've seen on television commercials.
Its victims are much like the girl in "The Princess and the Pea" story. She also had trouble sleeping, ached all over and had extremely sensitive skin. Somehow she managed to live happily ever after. The castle wizard probably whipped up a potion for her with the help of his frog (hey, it was a fairy tale, there's ALWAYS a frog somewhere...).
Living happily ever after with fibromyalgia is difficult, but fibromyalgia treatment is no longer impossible. Your doctor doesn't have a magic pill, so treatment focuses on modifying the following fibromyalgia symptoms and triggers:
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Fibromyalgia patients often have to try many different combinations of physical and psychological therapies and drugs before they find a program that gives them consistent relief. Work with your doctor and try to have some patience. It's a frustrating disease for them too.
Physical treatments often suggested:
- Regular exercise is usually effective. Even low intensity exercise is helpful. Discover fibromyalgia exercises for simple pain relief.
- Weightlifting or strength training may help by stimulating the release of human growth hormone (HGH) which is deficient in many fibro patients. HGH directly or indirectly controls numerous hormones including the stress hormone cortisol. HGH injections have been shown to reduce fibromyalgia related pain and can restore slow wave sleep. Although, as with almost everything associated with fibro, it doesn't work for everyone.
- Applying heat to painful areas can be helpful.
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Acupuncture
Buying a quality memory foam mattress is another thing that is often recommended, particularly on message boards and forums. A good visco memory foam mattress eliminates pressure points that can aggravate a fibromyalgia patient's sensitive skin. People sleeping on memory foam tend to move less and wake fewer times in a sleep cycle.
Suggested psychological therapies often include:- Cognitive behavioral therapy to relieve symptoms, especially when combined with exercise.
- Stress management training and biofeedback training. Some of the newer computer based tools are both inexpensive and extremely effective in teaching stress reduction techniques. Be sure to get one with hardware sensors to measure stress as indicated by your heart rate and galvanic skin response.
- Marrying your handsome prince and living happily ever after (nice if you can arrange it)
- Analgesics - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and COX-2 inhibitors.
- Anti-depressants - selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine (Cymbalta). These may be more effective in women.
- Anti-seizure medications: Pregabalin (Lyrica), originally used for diabetic nerve pain.
- Dopamine agonists: Pramipexole (Mirapex) and ropinirole (ReQuip)
So if you are, or know a fibromyalgia princess or prince, don't lose hope. You can have a happily ever after just like Princess Pea. You'll just have to work at it, be ready to experiment and check out more memory foam mattress links to get yourself the best sleep you possibly can.
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Living With Fibromyalgia - Fibromyalgia Symptoms, Diet, Medications, Treatment and More
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