Fibromyalgia is a condition that is not completely understood, and one for which there is no cure. A person suffering from this condition will often experience widespread pain throughout the body, will require pain management for fibromyalgia. This may involve taking medications, participating in a regular exercise routine, stretching regularly, or participating in activities such as yoga to help ease the pain. Altering one's diet may also contribute to pain management for fibromyalgia, as some people may experience more severe symptoms after eating specific foods or imbibing certain drinks.
The first step in formulating a plan for pain management for fibromyalgia is to identify the most severe symptoms. The symptoms of this condition can vary from patient to patient, though some of the most common symptoms include deep muscle pain, fatigue, headaches, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression. It helps to prioritize which symptoms are the worst for a particular patient and work toward developing strategies for dealing with the individual symptoms. A person who frequently experiences muscle aches, for example, may benefit from muscle relaxants, but he or she may also respond well to regular exercise, stretching, or yoga. Pain management for fibromyalgia is often a trial and error process; different management techniques may be tried until the patient finds one that works.
Sometimes psychotherapy is an effective technique of pain management for fibromyalgia. This may include seeking counseling from a mental health professional who may be able to help redirect some of the stress, anxiety, or depression associated with this condition. Anxiety can be a symptom of fibromyalgia, but it may also be a cause. Addressing the cause of the problem can lead to pain relief from fibromyalgia in general. This may not always be the case, but if it is, symptoms will be greatly reduced; if it isn't, at least one symptom of the condition will be treated aggressively.
Pain specialists are medical professionals who focus exclusively on the reduction of pain and its underlying causes. Visiting such a specialist is one form of pain management for fibromyalgia; the specialist may be able to target specific symptoms and come up with treatment options for those specific conditions. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but very often there are various treatment options for the individual components that cause the pain. The pain specialist can try a variety of different techniques that may go outside of the practices of a general doctor.