fibromyalgia awareness – BACK PAIN BLOG UK…

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TWENTY TIPS FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED FIBROMYALGIA SUFFERERS…

May 19, 2023May 15, 2023 barmac5

If you have been newly diagnosed with Fibromyalgia here are a few tips to help you deal with the condition.

1. Never be afraid to ask for help, be it with the shopping, cooking or cleaning. As most sufferers tend to ‘look fine’ most people do not realise the pain they are suffering inside, so if you don’t ask you won’t get help.

2. If work is leaving you exhausted and in pain, then design a flexible plan that works for you and your boss. Ask about working from home part-time, or setting your hours for earlier or later in the day so you can be more productive, during this busy time.

3. Don’t try to always put on a happy face. Your loved ones need to know what makes your symptoms worse.

4. Rest, rest and more rest, every little helps to recharge your batteries. When you feel that overwhelming urge to sleep try and get forty winks.

5. Support groups can play an important part in the lives of people with chronic illnesses. Whether in person or online, they offer a safe place to talk with others who may share your frustrations and concerns.

6. Tomorrow is another day and with Fibromyalgia tomorrow can be a more comfortable day, so try to not think negative when you are having a bad day.

7. Keep all your ‘helpful’ pain relievers on hand, be it a hot water bottle, pillow, cushion or whatever you have that helps your pain.

8. A useful purchase for going out is a lightweight portable stadium seat which you can find on Amazon.

9. Also a sciatica support cushion can be great to have in your car while travelling. I could not manage many journeys without mine. There are lots to choose from.

10.This is an Adjustable Tripod Walking Stick and seat. If, like me you cannot stand for long in a queue then this is just perfect. The Height adjustable walking stick seat is designed to provide support and comfort and provides a stable and comfortable seated position when you need a break from standing.

11. Have a very hot bath or a hot shower. When it comes to reducing pain, soaking yourself in super hot water may not be your first thought but it can actually provide significant relief. My day starts with me taking my meds then having a hot shower. I feel totally different twenty minutes later. Heat, heat and more heat helps with pain.

12. Try and stay as active as possible which is a hard thing to ask if you are in pain but staying active is a powerful way to reduce daily pain. A walk a day may keep the Doctor away. Ten minutes can make a big difference to your health and well being then increase it to 15 or 20 minutes. Your GP or physiotherapist may be able to refer you to a health professional who specialises in helping people with fibromyalgia work out an exercise plan.

13. Leave the house cleaning until you are on a good day and do it in stages and not all at once. Always pace yourself to help avoid flare ups.

14. Try and get a rest every day. Sleep is very important for Fibro sufferers so if you have had a bad night rest for an hour in the afternoon. I have a daily nap between 3-4pm and if I miss it I feel tired late afternoon which then seems to trigger more pain.

15. Shop online then you don’t need to carry anything but still get your walks in on a daily basis if you can.

16. Keep a trigger journal it will remind you what and when you seem to get your flare ups.

17. Learn how to relax. If you have fibromyalgia, it’s important to regularly take time to relax or practise relaxation techniques. Stress can make your symptoms worse or cause them to flare up more often. There are many relaxation aids available, including books, tapes and courses.

18. Take up a hobby. Find something that really relaxes you. At the moment I am really into adult paint by numbers and find it very very relaxing to do. I also like knitting but do need to pace myself with knitting as it soon affects my arms.

19. Read up on as much information as you can about Fibromyalgia.

20. Buy a Fibromyalgia Awareness Medical Card.

Source: NHS Fibromyalgia News Support Fibro Creaky Joints Amazon

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WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF A FIBROMYALGIA FLARE-UP?…

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022 barmac5

What is the biggest cause of a Fibromyalgia flare-up? Well, apparently it’s The Weather – which I am sure most of us knew that anyway. The UK is experiencing the second heatwave of this summer and I know I am suffering at the moment. How about you?

Fibromyalgia flare-ups are a temporary increase in the number and/or intensity of symptoms. A flare-up can be different from person to person, but for many, it means severe pain, with little to no let-up. A flare-up likely includes debilitating fatigue, even to the point of feeling weak and unable to stand or walk for much length of time. Luckily, worsening symptoms usually have a distinct cause, and with the right approach, they can be treated directly and effectively.

Get to the bottom of intensifying fibro fatigue and discomfort before you try to treat it. Some flare-ups can last a few days to a few weeks and there are a number of causes for them.

Temperature makes a difference in how we feel with Fibro but it can also affect other musculoskeletal disorders. Colder weather seems to make symptoms worse whereas a climate where the temperature remains warmer seems to be less painful for Fibro sufferers.

Arthritis Foundation writes that “People with fibromyalgia do not all experience flares the same way,” Dr Clauw says. “A good way to explain it is that every person with fibromyalgia has their Achilles heel – their ‘thing’ that really gives them trouble. When their fibromyalgia worsens, that particular thing really gets bad.”

There are obviously many other triggers that can create a flare-up which include – physical or psychological stress, hormonal changes, travelling, changes in treatment, diet or poor sleep.

There are five “major weather factors” that can affect our bodies. They are temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation and wind. We may not be able to control what the weather does, but we can take some steps to try and head off a #fibro flare before it occurs when it is time for a seasonal change.

Researchers have been unable to determine why the changes in weather affect sufferers, however, there are some possible explanations. Firstly, changes in temperature can affect sleep patterns. Getting plenty of sleep is really important if you have fibromyalgia, and even small shifts in your sleep pattern can aggravate the condition. Secondly, as the seasons change, the amount of light you are exposed to can throw off your circadian rhythm (body clock), making you feel low and more tired than usual. Lastly, there may be a connection between low temperatures and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which appear to be connected to pain intensity.

Make a note in your diary of a particular treatment that helped or medication or piece of equipment like a tens machine that helped. Knowing that there is something you can do, use or otherwise for your flare-up, will get you through the worst days and back to controlling it as you normally do.

Do not push yourself. Go slow. Be gentle with yourself. If you can’t do the laundry for a few days, that’s okay. Also, if you can’t get the house cleaned this week, that’s okay.

If you have to cancel plans, that’s okay, do not feel guilty about it. Treat yourself the same way you would a friend that was going through a hard time.

Source: Arthritis Foundation

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THE BEST TIPS FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED FIBRO SUFFERERS FROM OTHER SUFFERERS…

May 7, 2022 barmac5

Fibro Blogger Directory is a brilliant site for any newly diagnosed fibromyalgia sufferer. CONNECTING the fibro blogging community, inspired by all the fibro bloggers and their stories.

Blogging is a powerful tool and by connecting we can be a stronger voice in raising fibromyalgia awareness. At Fibro Blogger Directory they aim to:

Connect fibro bloggers
Help raise awareness of Fibromyalgia
Provide information to the world wide web and other media about fibro bloggers
Offer Directory members support through link ups, the newsletter, opportunities to promote your posts, and our private facebook group where we discuss and help each other with blogging.

They also have a private Facebook page which has daily links with its members from Twitter Tuesday to Sunday Sharathon.

The month of May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month and Fibro Blogger has put a post together which has lots of other Fibro Blogger members posting their unique tips for newly diagnosed fibro patients. The posts are unique and will help anyone suffering from this debilitating condition.

Check out some tips below –

Accepting Fibromyalgia including top tips for coping

The Complete Introduction to Fibromyalgia 2022: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

How to make an easy immune boosting, pain fighting juice

You just have to flex with fibro

Here is Mel Sandor’s quote “I would tell anyone who is diagnosed today to ask what would the doctor do next? What should they do next and what doctor should they see next. I would also ask for any words of wisdom from their experience.”

What You Need to Know After a Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

10 Chronic Pain Distractions For Less Stress

Do You Know Fibro

Tip #1 from Donna Gregory @ www.fedupwithfatigue.com: Don’t blindly accept your diagnosis

My first advice to anyone newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia is to question your diagnosis. Fibro is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning all other possible medical conditions have to be ruled out by your physician. Are you sure he or she did that?

Too often physicians label someone with fibromyalgia because it’s the path of least resistance.

But I would encourage you not to blindly accept your diagnosis. Here’s why: A Canadian study found that up to two-thirds of fibromyalgia patients have been misdiagnosed.

The implications of that are huge. That means millions of fibromyalgia sufferers are living with undiagnosed conditions, some of which are probably treatable!

It’s also important to realize fibromyalgia is NOT a disease in and of itself. It is a syndrome, which means it’s a collection of symptoms of unknown origin. It’s important to dig deeper into your symptoms with the help of a knowledgeable medical provider to try to find the underlying cause of your illness. Many things can cause fibromyalgia symptoms, including undiagnosed infections, mold exposure, thyroid dysfunction and others.

Tip #2 from Donna Gregory @ www.fedupwithfatigue.com: Find the right doctor (and that’s probably NOT your primary-care physician or rheumatologist).

Medscape’s 2016 Physician Compensation Report found doctors average around 15 minutes per patient visit. That works if you’ve got something simple like the flu or toenail fungus, but if you’re living with a complicated chronic illness like fibromyalgia, it’s not going to cut it.

Instead, seek out medical providers who practice functional medicine, which takes a more systematic, whole-body approach to healthcare. Our chronic pain, digestive troubles, migraines, exhaustion and the myriad of other fibro symptoms we experience are all linked and should be treated as such.

IFM.org has a physician locator to help find functional medicine practitioners in your area. Other fibro sufferers who have had good results with naturopaths, osteopathic doctors and even chiropractors.