Seven NATURAL Remedies for FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that can cause widespread pain and tenderness over the body. The pain occurs in the muscles of specific parts including the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. For this reason, it is also called as soft-tissue rheumatism.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) includes insomnia, muscle tenderness, tiredness, fatigue and stiffness. This condition is quite common and up to 1 person in every 25 may be affected. It is estimated that fibromyalgia affects more than 3.7 million people in United States.
Doctors do not fully understand what causes fibromyalgia. It can be seen in anyone, but it seems to be more common in women during middle age and in people with a history of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or some other autoimmune disease. Also overweight or inactive women have an increased risk of developing fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is not a single disease, but a collection of symptoms. Fortunately, these symptoms are not life threatening and do not lead to permanent muscle or joint damage.
Now, let’s take a look at natural remedies which can relieve these symptoms.



1. Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep decreases the symptoms of fibromyalgia. A well rested body experiences less fatigue that comes with the condition.
To get quality sleep, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Make sure there are no light and sound sources that may interrupt your sleep. Wait at least 2-3 hours after a heavy meal then go to bed. Turn off all screens and stay away from devices such as cell phones, lap tops and television for at least an hour before going to bed.
2. Take a hot shower
Applying heat to muscle pain encourages blood flow which relieves stiffness and pain. Take a hot shower to treat fibromyalgia symptoms. Warm up your clothing before putting them on. You can apply moist heat pads on the affected area. Also going to hot springs can relieve all fibromyalgia symptoms.
3. Get a massage
Massage therapy promotes relaxation and increases blood flow. Besides it relieves stress and loosens tight muscles. All these health benefits are helpful for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms. The effects of massage may not be long-lasting, however getting regular massages can relieve the pain from fibromyalgia.



4. Do exercises
At first, it may be tiring to do even the simplest exercises for people with fibromyalgia. But starting with light exercises and gradually increasing the time and efford may help in the long run. Especially swimming, walking or cycling is likely to improve the life quality of people with fibromyalgia.
5. Take vitamin D
Although researchs don’t show a connection between vitamin D levels and fibromyalgia, the patients have reported an improvement when vitamin D intake is increased. So you can try taking taking supplements. We all need an adequate amount of vitamin D anyway. A good sunbathe, eating vitamin D rich food or supplements will definitely help.
6. Take magnesium
Just like vitamin D, magnesium is also another mineral that make people with the condition feel better. Even though it may not be considered as a fibromyalgia treatment, magnesium may help as it relaxes the body and takes away stress.
7. Lower your stress
Patient reports show that stress makes the symptoms worse. Studies find out a correlation between stress and fibromyalgia.
You can do meditation, yoga and tai chi practices to reduce your stress level. Besides, getting new hobbies , spending quality time with family and friends may help patients manage the symptoms.



Resources:
(https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/fibromyalgia/)
(https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315393.php)
(https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/fibromyalgia/what-is-fibromyalgia.php)
(https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/fibromyalgia-treatment/)
(https://www.memorial.com.tr/saglik-rehberleri/fibromiyalji/#quicklink6)