Following on from my previous post about the connection between endometriosis and fibromyalgia, I thought it was best to take this a step ahead and see how we can improve our quality of life and treat fibromyalgia, especially if you have endometriosis or period pain.
If you prefer to watch a video version of this blog, then you can right here on my YouTube channel:
How to Treat Fibromyalgia if You Have Endometriosis?
Medication wise there are over-the-counter pain killers and then there are specific sleep medicines and fibromyalgia drugs that are supposed to reduce pain and calm over-active nerves by dampening pain signals.
Please Remember: My focus here is more on the holistic things you can do and all of this depends on how fibromyalgia hampers your life, so for example, if because of fibromyalgia you are unable to sit or stand for long periods then certain things on this list may not work for you, or someone you know who has fibromyalgia because no two fibro patients are alike.
Here’s my list:
1. Exercises for Fibromyalgia
This is not just great for those with fibromyalgia, but it helps improve hormone levels for those with endometriosis too.
Here are five specific exercises – please make sure you consult your doctor as to what form of exercise will work best for you, because we all battle varying medical issues that it’s best to get the right advice before you go ahead.
Yoga
Originated in India, yoga is a form of exercise that stimulates and relaxes the mind and body.
Practicing yoga reduces pain, fatigue, aids in improving sleep, relaxes the mind therefore reducing depression.
Plus yoga isn’t rigorous, it’s slow paced and helps you to tune your body by improving its alignment.
In 2010, during an eight-week study with 53 women, it was found that yoga helped manage fibromyalgia symptoms better than those who did not take part in yoga.
Please do ask your doctor before you go ahead with yoga as additional medical issues may restrict you from certain poses. For example, I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTs) which can easily make me dizzy so I need to be extra careful in forward bending exercises and I need to be extra vigilant to not hyper-extend.
Relevant Read:
Once cleared by your doctor, I would recommend this online class, ‘Foundations of Yoga for Fibromyalgia’ that runs for six weeks teaching you the required tools for handling fibromyalgia through yoga.
Pilates
Pilates is non-impact and gentle on the body. It is geared towards exercising muscles by isolating them and focussing movement only on those muscle(s).
This aids in stretching, strengthening and toning the body.
By focussing on the core area, pilates allows us to reduce impact on the back and limbs.
If you’re not someone who is very active, please consult your doctor and physiotherapist and ease into pilates, because pilates may look easy and gentle but this then opens us up to over-doing it.
So take it easy and don’t forget to make sure to always let your instructor know of your pain areas and be vocal about what is and isn’t working for you (well, this advice goes for any type exercise when facing a chronic illness).
Read Here For:
- Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Natural Pain Relief – My Journey
- Does Being Grateful Help Improve Chronic Illnesses? (with video)
Tai-Chi
Tai-chi is a Chinese martial art – but it isn’t quick or taxing on the body, in fact it improves balance, muscle strength and flexibility.
The benefits remind me of yoga, but the practice is very different as tai-chi is about slow movement – one pose gliding into the next. It helps to unblock and improve the body’s energy flow, also known as ‘qi’.
To understand more about tai-chi, I’d suggest reading what the Harvard Medical have to say, and also having a look at this study done on 226 people which explains the beneficial effects of tai-chi for those who had active fibromyalgia pain for nine years:
“Some patients with fibromyalgia, however, struggle with exercise programs. This study showed that tai chi appears to be as effective or better for managing fibromyalgia, that a longer duration of tai chi results in greater benefits, and that patients are more likely to attend tai chi classes”
Aerobic
In general the benefits of aerobic exercises isn’t just limited to agility and strength but it also helps break down fat by burning the extra calories we store up.
But as I was mentioning earlier, it’s extremely important when taking on any form of exercise when having a chronic condition like fibromyalgia is to understand how active you currently are, what your pain levels are, what areas are stiff for you and what your movement goals are.
I specifically mention this under aerobic exercises, which can be anything from the treadmill, elliptical machine to swimming because you don’t want to get caught over-doing it as this form of exercise can be most strenuous.
Again, as always, consult your doctor and physiotherapist – let your physio ease you into various levels of exercise.
Walking
I could have mentioned walking under aerobic exercises, but I deliberately didn’t.
I wish to emphasise the importance of starting simple.
If like me you were stuck in bed for many months with minimal movement, even a five minute walk will help improve muscle function.
I started with five minutes every day for a week, then I increased it to seven minutes, then ten and now I’m able to do 30 minute walks (as of December 2022). This has improved my activity levels and put me in a better position to take on some of the exercises above.
It’s just essential to listen to your body and prepare it gently. We don’t want to set ourselves back by inviting flareups which don’t help us psychologically either.
2. Physiotherapy
Fibromyalgia causes joint pain and muscular tenderness – all of this can lead to stiffness in the body, this is where a physiotherapist steps in.
A therapist can help improve your pain levels by opening up and releasing stiff muscles and joints – this helps to increase the range in which your joint moves.
What we tend to forget is that stiffness in one joint or muscle can cause spasm, and further stiffness in surrounding muscles and joints so if we tackle the primary joint, we save ourselves from a ripple effect of pain.
Physiotherapy offers us a range of treatments, from manual therapy, taping (see video below), aqua-therapy, wax-therapy, ultrasound therapy and even the use of resistance bands to help build strength after the stiffness has been reduced.
Here’s a short video on the wax-therapy I got for ligament issues of my finger:
View this post on Instagram
What I’m trying to get at is that a physiotherapist can do so much to help you improve problem areas and when those problem areas are being tackled, it makes carrying out the suggested exercises so much easier.
3. Diet for Fibromyalgia
Whether you have fibromyalgia, endometriosis or both – an anti-inflammatory diet plays quite a helpful role in controlling pain.
What we must remember is that every single thing we do to help us is a piece to the puzzle our body is throwing at us, so a well informed diet, especially after consulting a nutritionist who understands your medical issues, and looks at your current diet is essential.
I personally made six changes to my diet which have helped me immensely – not just with my pain levels, but also helping me to feel light, rather than feeling this heaviness in the chest while eating which would contribute to my fatigue.
Here’s my endometriosis friendly diet which also helps my fibromyalgia: 6 Changes I Made to My Diet
Further Relevant Read:
4. Vitamins
The additional nutrients of vitamins and minerals needed when fighting a chronic condition like fibromyalgia may not always be extracted through our diet especially because of the deterioration in food quality.
Therefore, there are some vitamin essentials that may need to be taken.
Please remember to always consult your doctor and your nutritionist before adding any vitamins, minerals, protein powders etc to your diet – each patient needs to be assessed based on their needs, so please seek professional medical advice.
But to help you get started when speaking to you doctor and nutritionist, you can use the following as a guide:
Curcumin – turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and its main ingredient is curcumin, which is known to reduce symptoms of pain, dizziness, cramps, paresthesia and improve levels of fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia.
Vitamin D – many of us do not get an adequate amount of sun which helps to keep our bones strong. Therefore, if after being tested your Vitamin D levels are low, you may need supplements that will not just strengthen your bones, but will reduce inflammation and improve muscle strength.
Coenzyme Q10 – helps to convert food into energy and is also known to help symptoms of those with fibromyalgia.
To arm yourself with the exact information, here is the link where I have got this from, please do read it thoroughly as it explains the studies done on the suggested vitamins and supplements.
5. Meditation
Meditation is a technique used to calm the mind and develop mental clarity.
(I really believe I should do a separate post on how I meditate and how beneficial meditation can be – so I’ll make a note of that.)
But for now, I cannot stress enough how meditation can help calm the mind, reduce anxiety and help to reduce and even eliminate depression if done for a sustained period of time.
Many feel overwhelmed by the idea of meditation – I was too, yet it’s very easy to get started.
You’ll need to begin by sitting in a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. If thoughts entertain your mind, you’re not to engage or converse with it. Let the thoughts come and go.
Start by doing this for five minutes every day and slowly add two minutes at a time.
6. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is when very thin needles are inserted at specific points in the body.
“A study in the Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine found that people with FM who received acupuncture benefited from pain relief for at least two years, compared to those who didn’t. For those who cannot tolerate the needles, acupressure may be an option.”
Please note: FM = Fibromyalgia
I’ve always felt that it’s better to try alternative therapies for a at least three to six months – it’s usually better than taking heavy, sleep inducing drugs. But that’s obviously my opinion for my body – you have to take a call for yours with the help of your doctor.
7. Pillow & Mattress
I cannot stress enough how important it is to sleep on a mattress you’re comfortable on.
Personally, I have found that spongy, soft mattresses add to my musculoskeletal pains, whereas a harder mattress took away the morning aches I’d have because of my mattress and left me with my usual pains to deal with.
Basically, it didn’t add to my issues, whereas earlier it did.
The same goes for my pillow – something too soft caves my neck into awkward positions causing neck and jaw issues along with migraines.
Here a memory foam pillow has worked better for me – but again, nothing very soft.
Read Here For:
- Is My Pain Real or Imagined? How to Get Rid of Self-Doubt When Having a Chronic Illness
- How To Make the Most of Social Media for Chronic Illness Patients
- Tips: How to Manage School Work, Bullying and a Chronic Illness
8. Occupational Therapy (OT)
Looking at the long list of responsibilities of an occupational therapist, the one that stands out for me the most and I feel is most essential is when an OT evaluates your home and work environment.
They help to identify improvements that can drastically create a better quality of life for you, for example showing you how to make things more effectively accessible around the house.
Even as something as simple as explaining how to get up, how to move, what precautions to take or even how to wear clothes that reduce strain on problem areas is what an OT helps with which in turn gives the patient more confidence to function and hopefully improve independence levels too.
9. CBD Oil
CBD (cannabidiol) is a chemical found in the marijuana plant.
More and more patients are getting inclined to using CBD oil for pain relief and the reduction of inflammation.
Do remember that CBD oil needs the presence of fat in order to be absorbed in the skin, therefore it requires a carrier oil like coconut, hempseed, olive oil or even ghee to help it penetrate.
But if you’re not looking to apply it and want other alternatives, then I found this resource that lists additional ways in which you can take CBD oil.
If you’re still looking for more information on CBD and fibromyalgia then this resource from Healthline seems most helpful to me.
10. Aromatherapy
Now who doesn’t like a pleasant soothing smelling room – well you may not if you are triggered by smell like I am some times.
But in all honesty, natural scents like lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon have never troubled me, in fact they help relax or uplift my mind or even help my sleep (depending on the aroma chosen).
Aroma oils are believed to help fibromyalgia patients with their sleep, fatigue levels, muscle spasms, restless legs syndrome and more.
So for example, peppermint oil is analgesic, antispasmodic and an anti-inflammatory, whereas lavender oil can help with sleep issues.
I believe that once you clear up any allergy issues or other triggers with your doctor, aromatherapy can provide a comfortable and a fragrant form of complementary therapy that can work well at the end of an exercise routine – it can help ease the muscles and hopefully aid you in maintaining a routine.
I have allergy issues because I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). If you’d like to know more about this then you can here:
11. Counselling
Chronic illnesses don’t just trouble the body’s balance, but the mind’s balance too.
Speaking to a professional helps reduce and remove the mental clutter we harbour for various reasons.
Patients are constantly gaslighted by doctors, friends, family and even those with no significance, and then of course the pain plays its own tricks on the mind – it can really hurt the mind, leading to anxiety, depression and a loss of personality.
Counselling helps to release the stresses that come from all this.
A healthy mind is another piece to the puzzle – another important & essential way to help the body towards health.
What we must remember is that we need to figure out our own formula – we need to create our own combination of a helpful diet, therapies and exercises which then needs to evolve based on our progress or adapt when we face a sudden flare up.
That’s really it from me and my list.
If you believe this has been helpful to you or maybe helpful to someone you know then please pass this on – the idea of putting together all these posts that I do is to help build awareness on what we can do to help ourselves.
Thank you for reading… O’ and if you feel I have missed out on a treatment that works for fibromyalgia patients, then please do share in the comments section below.
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I am a patient and have created this platform to share my experiences. This is all purely informative and in no way am I providing medical advice. Please consult a medical professional.
So agree that exercise, when done carefully, can be so helpful. I started with walking too, building up from five minutes to more. I found it helped a lot with muscle strength and it encouraged me to stretch as well afterwards. And yes to physiotherapy too. I had to see a few different ones but then got the help I needed.
This is a great list Shruti!
The different exercise ideas are so important – doing something exercise-ish can be so healing, but it’s important to be able to know your body well enough that you can keep from overexerting yourself.
I love your advice on vitamins and food too – the ‘best’ treatments do vary, but thinking about and considering what your specific needs might be is so important!
These are great tips and exercises for all states Shruti, thank you. I’ll be trying some of these out myself!