If you live with fibromyalgia, you’re probably more than familiar with the pain, fatigue and stress it places on you, demanding all your attention and consuming your life. At Core Physical Therapy, we specialize in helping patients manage their fibromyalgia symptoms. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your day:
- Get active. It may seem counterintuitive to move when your body is aching, but light exercise helps prevent muscular atrophy, as well as promote a flood of feel-good serotonin throughout your body. Simply add movement to your daily routine – park farther away in the parking lot, walk your dog an extra lap, and channel energy into household chores like vacuuming and mopping.
- Monitor your diet. The right fuel in your body can help compensate for pain and weakness related to the disease. Foods rich in protein and potassium help muscles grow and function efficiently, and limiting intake of processed or fried foods and refined sugars will help prevent energy crashes and grogginess.
- Record your triggers. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed or you’ve managed fibromyalgia for years, writing down a record of different pain and its triggers can help you spot trends to avoid in the future and brainstorm solutions in the short term. Journaling can also be a cathartic way of releasing accompanying emotions.
- Schedule an appointment at Core.
As a fibromyalgia patient, you’re well aware of how your nerves seem to be constantly flared-up. This may be in part because your fascia—the system that surrounds the bones, muscles, nerves and organs is worn out. At Core PT, we use a manual technique called myofascial release therapy that can treat the fascia when it becomes overly stressed.
With these tips from Core Physical Therapy, you can structure fibromyalgia around your life, and not the other way around. Give us a call to set up an appointment to discuss further adaptations for a happier, healthier you.