Fibromyalgia Diet and Exercise

By Larry Payton

Fibromyalgia is pervasive. If you or a loved one are afflicted, you already know this. Left unmanaged, it can take control of your daily activities, your thoughts, your sleep, and even your interactions with other people. Since fibromyalgia is a long-term chronic disease, most patients eventually come to the realization that it is better to be proactive than to allow further erosion in the quality of their lives. With that in mind, here are 10 things you can do today to start getting your life back in order.

1. Take Back Your Sleep Cycle

Set up a regular routine for sleeping by going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, and make sure your bedroom has an atmosphere that is conducive to sleeping. This means not watching TV or spending time on the computer while in bed. Keep your bedroom dark, quite and cool. Try to avoid spicy foods or too many beverages before going to bed, and never underestimate the value of a good pillow.

2. Eat Right

This is a lot easier said than done, but it is possible. Look around the web and you’ll find a lot of advice about fibromyalgia and diet, but the advice is often contradictory and confusing. What works for one patient may not work for the next. Fibromyalgia is a perplexing syndrome. It’s a diverse disease that doesn’t present the same way in every patient. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up on eating right, though. You just have to do a little trial-and-error first.

Experience has shown that a few foods seem to cause problems for most fibromyalgia patients, so eliminating them is a good place to start. These include coffee, carbonated beverages, alcohol, and foods high in fat. It is important to realize that there is no “Fibromyalgia Diet” suitable for all patients. It will take time and effort discern the most appropriate diet for you. A journal of your dietary habits can really help speed this process.

3. Keep A Journal

Journals aren’t just good for remembering what you had for dinner. Keeping a brief journal of your activities should become an important part of your daily routine. This doesn’t have to be extremely detailed or time-consuming, though detailed journals are usually more effective. As a minimum, list your day’s basic activities, any pain experienced and the approximate time of onset. Eventually, correlations between what you are doing and how you are feeling will become evident. This does require some diligence, but remember that greater effort will mean faster rewards.

4. Know Your Triggers

You may already know some of the factors that cause your fibromyalgia to flare, and your journal will help you discover more. Be cognizant of these triggers, even going so far as to write them down. Learn to recognize and avoid them even when you may be preoccupied. Fibromyalgia is different for everyone; it pays to know your fibromyalgia.

5. Educate Yourself

Fibromyalgia is personal, varying widely from individual to individual. No one knows your condition better than you (not even your doctor), so it is important that you empower yourself with knowledge. A standard treatment protocol does not exist for fibromyalgia. Because of it’s nature, your fibromyalgia must be managed by you.

6. Exercise

This goes against the natural tendencies of most fibromyalgia patients. After all, who wants to exercise while sleep deprived, with sore joints and a migraine headache? It may be counterintuitive, but exercise does benefit most fibromyalgia patients. The key to a successful exercise program is to start slowly, always being careful not to overexert yourself. Strength training, flexibility exercise, and aerobic activities are of particular value to fibromyalgia patients.

7. Start Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This form of psychotherapy utilizes rational analysis to influence our thought processes and ultimately our behaviors. It has proved itself particularly useful for fibromyalgia patients, and best of all, you can do it all by yourself. A quick web search should point you in the right direction to get started.

8. Communicate

Let the people you care about know how you are feeling. Tell them in advance when you are in pain, stressed, or feel your patience waning. Do not hold your feelings inside until you feel compelled to release them in anger or frustration. Your family members want to help you. Remember to let them know important they are to you.

9. Accept Your Limitations

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease and it is not likely to leave you. It may limit the quantity of what you can accomplish, but doesn’t have to limit the quality. Focus on those things that you can do, and pace yourself so as not to become exhausted or frustrated.

10. Congratulate Yourself

Fibromyalgia patients endure a lot, suffering in silence most of the time, but they also accomplish some amazing things in light of their condition. Raising a family, going to work, walking the dog… all of these things take extra effort for the fibromyalgia patient, yet everyday they get done. So, give yourself a pat on the back occasionally. You deserve it.