Treatments & Beneficial Information | Get Help for Fibro

Fibromyalgia Treatments Page Overview

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Introduction

You may find living with Fibromyalgia can be overwhelming.  Each person with Fibromyalgia will experience it differently, but remember that you are not alone and there is support available to help you manage your condition.  From navigating daily symptoms or longer-term symptom relief, there are a variety of fibromyalgia treatments and management techniques that can help you with the often challenging symptoms.

Drug Treatments for Fibromyalgia

Many people with Fibromyalgia use a combination of medications to help relieve their many symptoms, such as chronic pain.  Common medications to help with Fibromyalgia symptoms that people may take care:

  • Nerve Pain medication may be prescribed – to reduce chronic nerve pain
  • Low-dose antidepressants to support mood, anxiety and sleep – including:

    *Citalopram     – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication used to treat anxiety, depression and other low mood disorders
    *Amitriptyline – used to treat Fibromyalgia and arthritic conditions, helps to relax muscles
    *Duloxetine – a type of serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) medication, used to treat depression and other mental health disorders, which can also help reduce pain in some medical conditions
    *Pregabalin – used to treat anxiety, epilepsy and nerve pain, sometimes given to people with Fibromyalgia 
  • Medications for chronic muscle pain
  • Other over-the-counter medicines for pain relief and fatigue, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen,  pain-relieving gels applied to the skin give temporary relief for some.

Remember to consult your doctor or GP on the best medicines to take to manage your symptoms.  It is important to consider the side effects of the drugs you are offered as these may outweigh the potential benefits (see pain management section below).

Some people with fibromyalgia use a TENS machine (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to help relieve chronic pain.  This is a small, battery-operated device sends gentle electrical pulses into the body via sticky pads.

These pulses may help reduce pain signals and promote relaxation.  They are widely-used to relieve body pain for a variety of conditions.

TENS machines can be bought at many pharmacies and can be used at home to help with pain management.  

Always speak with a healthcare professional before starting new therapies or devices.

Physical Therapies for Fibromyalgia Relief

For people living with Fibromyalgia physical therapy and occupational therapy can be key for symptom management and improving their quality of life.

 

Physiotherapy for Fibromyalgia

Physiotherapy in this sense focuses on gentle movement and tailored exercise plans to support your body without triggering a fibromyalgia flare-up. A physiotherapist can:

  • Create a fibromyalgia exercise program that gradually increases activity levels
  • Help prevent muscle deterioration and improve flexibility
  • movement to help to support better sleep and mental wellbeing
  • Advise on posture, mobility aids, and techniques to reduce exacerbating your symptoms

You can ask your GP for a referral to a local physiotherapy service. Even if exercise with Fibromyalgia feels like the last thing you want to do, small steps can make a big difference.

Occupational Therapy for Daily Living with Fibromyalgia

An occupational therapist may help people with Fibromyalgia to adapt everyday tasks in a way that reduces pain and conserve energy. An occupational therapist may:

  • Recommend tools and techniques to make daily activities more manageable
  • Support independent living by adapting your home or routine
  • Help you navigate fatigue and physical limitations with practical strategies

If you’re finding aspects of daily life difficult, contact your local social services department to ask about an Occupational Therapy assessment.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

These therapies can help manage fibromyalgia flare-ups and some people feel improved wellbeing and a sense of relaxation through complementary therapies such as:

  • Acupuncture – involves insertion of very thin needles into the skin to stimulate nerve endings and release endorphins into the body for natural pain relief.
  • Reflexology – involves massage of the feet concentrating on certain parts of the foot that are thought to be linked to other areas of the body
    i.e. massage of the big toe may relieve headaches.
  • Reiki – a type of healing that involves a practitioner placing their hands on the body to relieve stress and pain, with the belief that this creates a flow of healing energy.
  • Homeopathy – involves a practitioner prescribing diluted natural remedies to cure conditions, but has been found scientifically disproven.
  • Aromatherapy – can be undertaken at home and be self-taught; involves using highly concentrated essential oils in massage or as an inhalant, to relax and provide stress relief.
  • Adapted and gentle movement to ease stiffness and increase mobility
  • Lymphatic drainage massage for pain relief and relaxation

Such approaches can be particularly beneficial for those with other health conditions.  For example, you may like to explore the Alexander Technique; a program that trains people to improve their posture and movements in order to relieve pain and stress.

There is little scientific evidence to show that some of these therapies are effective.  However, some people with Fibromyalgia including our members find such treatments help them in some way.

If you are considering embarking on any complementary therapies, you should discuss this with your GP beforehand.

Mindfulness and meditation to reduce stress and improve sleep.

It can be difficult to relax when experiencing chronic pain, and find mindfulness can help people to find a sense of wellbeing despite their symptoms.  Mindfulness focuses on being present in the moment.  It is founded in meditation but you do not need to be spiritual or religious to give it a try!

Many online resources that give details of mindfulness activities and techniques to try.  Possible activities to try are:

      • mindful breathing
      • meditation exercises
      • mindful colouring
      • body scanSome people like to use mobile phone Apps such as Headspace and Insight Timer for relaxation tools and techniques.

Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Support

 
It is important that everyone looks after their mental health, not just people living with Fibromyalgia but this often gets overlooked. You may find that living with Fibromyalgia affects your mental health.  This is totally understandable due to the challenging symptoms and having to adjusting to living with Fibromyalgia.

You may consider the following to benefit your mental and emotional wellbeing:-

  • Peer-to-peer support and online communities like our Facebook Group
  • Creative outlets like, crafting, journalling, doodling or art

Chronic pain is difficult to live with and the fatigue caused by Fibromyalgia may affect your daily life and mood.  If you are finding it difficult to manage your symptoms and are experiencing feelings of hopelessness, sadness, anger, anxiety or stress (which are totally normal feelings to have), you may wish to seek support through talking therapies such as counselling or psychotherapy.

Sources of psychological support:

  • your GP may be able to refer you to a local service
  • find a private local therapist
  • contact the mental health charity MIND – Local MIND
  • Various online resources available if you search online 

    Pain Management and Fibromyalgia

    Fibromyalgia sufferers have chronic (long-term) pain.  Chronic refers to the duration of the pain and not to the severity.

    You might find yourself asking why can you not be prescribed stronger painkillers?  Public Health England found that long-term prescribing of opiods for chronic pain but for most people they are ineffective when used long term; after a few weeks opioids start to lose their efficacy, meaning patients need increasing doses to achieve the same pain relief.  The drugs may also have significant unpleasant side effects such as constipation, inability to sleep, loss of concentration and skin infections to name a few.  Most Fibromyalgia sufferers also try drugs such as amitriptyline, pregabalin and gabapentin which also have a range of challenging side effects.  Research has shown that Gabapentin only helps 12% of Fibromyalgia patients. 

    Due to these reports, pain management clinics (your GP may refer you to one of these or you can ask to be referred) advising patients to learn ‘self-management’ skills instead of taking drugs.  We are being advised to pace ourselves, take up mindfulness, join a support group, try hydrotherapy, etc.  It is often a case of trial and error to see what combination of which therapies and treatments you find beneficial.

    Since there are millions of people in the UK living with chronic pain, and so there are pain management classes, techniques, workshops and programs that may be available to you

    Self Management

    Much of living with a condition like Fibromyalgia involves self-management to prevent flare-ups and over exertion resulting in worsening of symptoms.  A common management technique people with Fibromyalgia learn to use is known as ‘Pacing’ (click for more information)

    Looking after youself with Fibromyalgia

    Lifestyle Adjustments

     

    • Dietary adjustments to support gut health and reduce inflammation are important
      More to come on this topic.

    Fibromyalgia and Exercise

    More to follow…

    Finding What Works for You


    Did you know…Some people find pain-relieving drugs, complementary therapies and exercise help improve their quality of life living with Fibromyalgia…?

    Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all treatmen  for Fibromyalgia.  The best fibromyalgia management plan is a case of seeing what medication, lifestyle and therapies that meet your needs and help you the most.  Explore, adapt and listen to what your body is telling you.