Posted by FIBRO GIRL on 12/28/2005, 10:32 am, in reply to "2 NEW YEAR BLOG ITS ALL IN MY HEAD" My doctor told me that I would get better if I We also know that other advantages to exercising However, my doctor forgot to tell me which kinds It is important that if you follow an exercise program. Due to its no-impact nature, water exercise—water Yoga, gentle stretching and walking are Exercise relaxes muscles, helps you to sleep, Many people with FM discount their ability to exercise In an interview regarding the effective treatment of He advises beginning a low-impact exercise I have also been working on learning cognitive-behavioral These “self-management” skills for living with I have learned some strategies for These strategies include: Making sleep a priority. The pain study emphasized practicing good Reducing stress. Living with chronic pain is stressful. I find that when I push myself too hard, I’ve learned to pace myself. When I have a lot scheduled I’ve learned to say “no” to obligations and I’ve become picky about how I spend the precious Making dietary changes. A diet low in refined carbohydrates and sugar and There are great benefits in a high-protein diet, I also advocate taking I’ve experienced good results from taking Hummus contains every amino acid. Tryptophan, the amino acid that is the precursor to Ayurveda is an ancient tradition of medicine The ayurvedic diet is designed to The foods on the diet include vegetables, fruits, I enjoy the diet and have had much more energy, Indulging in pleasures. I’ve often noticed that engaging in pleasurable Serotonin and endorphins are released I’ve learned to think of pleasure for its own sake Enhancing communication skills. The day-to-day grind of being in chronic pain can People in chronic pain can tend to isolate Most things can be worked out if people take I recognize that the strategies that help me This is a complex condition that does not have a Many with these illnesses are bedridden, A bad day I wrote about in my journal entry is They are not lazy, nor are they hypochondriacs With researchers discovering more about the One of the most painful aspects of this illness Now that fibromyalgia is recognized as having my pain is “all in my head” that they are partially correct, as it’s “all in my brain”
They only discovered the fact that I had arthritis
after I tried to get rid of the FM by exercising
and I had an full MRI and they
took me off ALL EXERCISE!
followed an exercise regiment.I got worse!
And, cried many tears of pain, and spent
many frustrated days in bed.
include strengthening muscles, weight control,
and stress reduction.
of exercises would benefit me the most.
That you do it within reason, and carefully.
aerobics, swimming, even walking in water—is
often recommended by rheumatologists for those with FM.
also recommended for people with FM.
I walk nearly every day, my condition permitting.
and improves your state of mind.
However, some days, it must be noted,
I am simply not up to it.
because their muscle pain can become worse after
exertion (also called a “flare up” or
“post-exertional” pain).
fibromyalgia ,Dr. Clauw recommends
a “start low, go slow” approach to exercising.
program for five minutes three to four times
per week and slowly increasing it by one to two
minutes per week. “I try to eventually get patients
to do 20 minutes per day of aerobic exercise,
and tell them it will typically take
three-four months to reach this point,”
he explains in the interview.
Some creative problem solving is called for
when engaging in any activity
that requires exertion.
skills for managing fibromyalgia symptoms.
chronic pain have become automatic in my life.
managing chronic pain.
“sleep hygiene”--going to bed at the same time
every night instead of being sleep deprived all week
and then trying to “catch up” on weekends.
I also try to avoid taking naps as napping can
perpetuate the cycle of lying awake nights.
I have learned to identify stressors in my life and
then brainstorm ways to improve each situation.
I’m inviting a pain “flare-up.”
on my calendar one week, I make sure I also
take time to relax, exercise, or enjoy fun time
with family and friends.
commitments that will send me into overload.
energy that I have in each given day.
high in fresh vegetables, fruits and protein works
wonders for maintaining a good energy level
throughout the day.
rich in amino acids, to enhance serotonin and
other brain chemicals.
amino-acid supplements.
the amino acid DLPA (or DL-Phenylalinine),shown
in clinical studies to reduce pain.
serotonin, can be found in milk, meat, and eggs.
originating in India that emphasizes optimizing
one’s health by eating fresh, unprocessed foods and
taking herbs and spices that are compatible with
one’s constitution. In ayurvedic theory,
fibromyalgia is caused by the buildup
of toxins in the system.
eliminate such
toxins and improve circulation and digestion,
hus reducing pain symptoms.
fish, chicken, nuts, lentils and yogurt.
and less pain since eating this way.
Although clinical trials have not been undertaken
to research ayurvedic medicine's impact on
fibromyalgia,there have been some preliminary
studies on theayurvedic treatment of chronic disease
and cancer that have had promising results.
These are described on the Web site of the
National Cancer Society.
activities reduces my pain.
when one engages in something pleasurable,
and these chemicals have a pain-reducing effect
on the brain. For me these pleasures include talking
and laughing with friends, creative writing,
listening to and making music, walking,chatting on
Wellness Train,
and preparing and eating healthy food
as an essential part of my treatment plan.
be hard on relationships. It’s hard for family
friends to understand.
themselves and forget that other people have
problems too. I have found that social support
is critical to my well-being.
responsibility for their feelings and actions.
may not be helpful to others with fibromyalgia.
“one-size-fits-all” treatment.
unable to work, and suffer with acute symptoms.
typical of what these individuals feel every day.
As time marches on, I have more and more bad days.
suffering from a psychological need to get attention.
Most are formerly active, high-functioning individuals
who would do anything to get their lives back.
This is why research for fibromyalgia and
related illnesses is key.
brain’s role in chronic pain, new medications are
currently being tested. Dr. Clauw states, “Perhaps
the most promising thing for patients is that the
pharmaceutical industry is getting much more
interested in FM than in the past. The pharmaceutical
industry ultimately will be responsible for putting
fibromyalgia ‘on the map’ both with respect
‘legitimization’ of this illness,
and finding more effective treatments.”
was feeling that I had to hide my symptoms
from others because of the fear of being
seen as a hypochondriac.
physiological rather than psychological causes, I hope
more people suffering with these symptoms will
tenaciously seek the right doctor and right treatment
for them. Although it took a long time for me to get a
correct diagnosis, I now know I am not alone in the
struggle and I have hope. I can now say with
complete confidence to anyone who may say
Love Fibro Girl
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