Fibromyalgia and Pain Relief?

  

One thing that Fibromyalgia and Arthritis have in common are intense pain. Granted it's in different areas - Fibromyalgia is located more in the muscles and tendons of the patient and Arthritis tends to be more in the joints and bone segments of the body - but many of the pain relief methods are similar.

Some of the pain relief methods are:
NSAIDS is the most commonly used method of controlling pain. They are non-steroidal anti-inflammation drugs which help relieve pain by blocking both Cox-1 and Cox-2 enzymes.

Over the counter drugs are Aspirin, Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin or Nuprin) and Naproxen (Aleve). Prescriptions drugs include: Daypro, Indocin, Lodine, Naprosyn, Relafen and Voltaren.

I have also noticed that for me it seems to be hormone driven - my pain tends to get out of control (sometimes to the point I can barely walk) about 10 days before my period starts and once it does the pain disappears within hours. This would obviously not be a problem for men that have Fibromyalgia - but possibly it could affect teens whose hormones are going haywire.

Fibromyalgia is becoming known as a condition with "over active nerves". I personally wouldn't call it a disease because it seems to be a problem with pain in the muscles or nerves. It doesn't seem to be caused by a fever or a contagious illness - although it is possible it starts with a high fever, a severe illness or an accident which causes severe pain (think a broken back or stressed/pulled muscles) - something which causes a person to have trouble sleeping, relaxing or healing.

As a Fibromyalgia patient I use pain killers such as: Aleve (all day relief) and occasionally Tylenol.  Most of the prescriptions I've been given have either made me very ill or don't work for me at all. We've ended up resorting to muscle relaxers and other more "natural" methods such as Chiropractics and Shock therapy with a TENS unit.  I also find very, very HOT heat will help to relax muscles and nerves that are out of control.

Another method I use is Chiropractics. My Chiropractor started me using the TENS unit and I also visit him every 7-10 days depending on my pain levels. I don't know as I would be walking very well if I didn't visit him when I need relief. If you'd like a referral for a Chiropractor in your area, I'm sure his office would be glad to help you out. Website

A couple of websites you might find to be helpful as you learn about Fibromyalgia or Arthritis - that I have found beneficial are:

Please note: this article is written based on my own experience. Every patient with Fibromyalgia has vastly different symptoms and extremes of pain so what works for me may not work for them. It's important you find a doctor who is able to and willing to work with you as you research and find new ways that may or may not work for you. NFA has a Healthcare Provider Directory of doctor's who work with patients with Fibromyalgia and The Arthritis Foundation has a downloadable article called Access to Care for Arthritis guide.

Articles you may find helpful:

• The Newly Diagnosed Patient
• Fibromyalgia FAQ's
• Fibromyalgia: David's Story

I hope you find this post helpful.  Thanks for sharing!