Treatment Options

Helping Yourself

If you have fibromyalgia (FM), here are some practical steps you can take to help improve your condition:

• Make sure you regularly get enough sleep (at least 8 hours per night) If you have trouble sleeping, be sure to assess the nature of your sleeping problem. You can learn more about sleep disorders by returning to the "Conditions and Treatments" tab on DrugDigest. Also, to help assess the presence of a sleep disorder, take our interactive quizzes that can be found in the "Interactive Tools" tab on DrugDigest.

• Develop a daily exercise or activity regimen that you can tolerate. This will help to improve your overall health and the pain associated with FM. The most important thing is to recognize your limitations and not to exceed them as this can worsen the condition. Avoid excessive activity or exercise. Remember, exercise in moderation does help.

• Avoid situations that cause you stress. Stress has been shown to worsen FM symptoms and trigger pain episodes. Use techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga to help you relax.

• Eat a healthy well-balanced diet with a daily multi-vitamin and avoid alcohol, caffeine, and candy.

• Acupuncture may be an extremely useful addition to FM treatment efforts. The frequency of acupuncture sessions ranges widely from patient to patient, but appears to improve quality of life.

• Behavior modification training, including coping skills, relaxation exercises, and self-hypnosis may provide relief for some patients.

• If you smoke, consider quitting. You can learn more about Smoking Cessation by returning to the "Conditions and Treatments" tab on DrugDigest. Also, to help assess the severity of nicotine addiction, take our interactive quiz that can be found in the "Interactive Tools" tab on DrugDigest.

• Develop a daily journal for your condition. This information can be shared with your physician to help guide your treatment. It will also help you to understand your condition better and give you more control over your symptoms. Write down a daily report of your symptoms and how you feel that day. You can also write a daily report of your activity and exercise routine.

• Get the support and encouragement of friends and family in dealing with your condition. You can't overcome fibromyalgia alone. Consider joining a fibromyalgia support group with others who are dealing with the same condition. Here are some websites that may help you to find a support group:

  http://www.fibrohugs.com/

  http://www.immunesupport.com/supportgroups/

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  Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.