Holistic / Natural Treatments for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes a lot of people a great amount of pain. The main characteristic of fibromyalgia is physical pain in the muscles of the body with a hypersensitivity to touch. However, there are many other problems associated with fibromyalgia as well including problems with the respiratory system, problems with food digestion and processing and the experience of an overwhelming sense of fatigue.

Treating fibromyalgia is difficult because of the nuances of the condition and the many different symptoms that can show up as a result of the condition. However, it is possible for people interested in holistic treatments for fibromyalgia to do a number of different things that may naturally alleviate the symptoms of the condition, reduce suffering and improve the person’s overall sense of wellbeing.

For most people, a holistic approach to treating fibromyalgia will require some trial-and-error to see which natural healing options work best for the specific set of conditions that are suffered by the individual. Some of the natural treatments that fibromyalgia patients may seek to try include:

• Essential Oils. A very effective method of naturally treating fibromyalgia is to use a combination of different essential oils rubbed into the body on a daily basis to manage your pain. The combination of aromatherapy benefits and light massage of the muscles with these healing oils can go a long way towards reducing muscle pain and may alleviate some of the other symptoms of fibromyalgia that you experience. You’ll want to use a combination of essential oils that includes an oil for relaxation and oils for pain relief. The most common oil for relaxation is lavender although others may be used as you see fit for you. An oil that is good for pain relief is peppermint oil. Work with an aromatherapy specialist to find the set of oils and the schedule of application that makes the most sense for your condition.

• Natural Pain Relief Creams. Many people like to use creams that are applied topically to the body to reduce pain. (Icy Hot and BenGay are examples of these types of Muscle Rubs). People who are interested in natural healing should turn to product like capsaicin cream which provide the same muscle-numbing effects as those other products without including the chemicals that you don’t want to use when treating yourself with holistic care.

• Vitamins. There are a few different vitamins that you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting plenty of when trying to find natural cures for fibromyalgia. Vitamin B12 has been found to be very helpful in reducing the symptom of fatigue for people who need to get on with their days despite being tired from the condition. Vitamin D may assist in reducing the pain felt in the muscles. Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamin, has also been found to resolve symptoms for some patients. Some people who have fibromyalgia may have problems associated with adrenal gland function in which case Vitamin B5 and Vitamin C are good choices. Speaking with a vitamin specialist who understands the complications of fibromyalgia is the best bet for finding the right set of vitamins for your condition.

• Magnesium. It has been suggested by some studies that getting more magnesium in your diet could reduce some of the problems associated with fibromyalgia because of the benefit of magnesium on energy generation in the cells. Whether or not this works hasn’t really been proven but it might be worth to add some magnesium-rich foods (seeds, nuts, leafy veggies) to your diet to see if this reduces fibromyalgia symptoms.

• Ascorbigen. This is a dietary supplement that some people may find improves the body’s ability to cope with the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

• Boswellia. This is a natural herb used for anti-inflammatory purposes. This herb and others that serve the same purpose can naturally reduce the body’s problems with pain.

• SAMe. This is a compound that occurs naturally in the body but can also be taken in the form of a medication for those people who are suffering from fibromyalgia. Some people with the condition have reported that additional intake of this compound has alleviated their fibromyalgia symptoms and helped them to naturally get the condition under control.

• 5-HTP. This is a natural supplement that some people have used to reduce fibromyalgia symptoms in the body. It serves the purpose of naturally increasing the body’s serotonin levels which may have the benefit of reducing physical pain. This is another one of those things that is still being studied but definitely might be worth a try when trying to manage fibromyalgia symptoms.

• Exercise. One of the best natural things that you can do to treat fibromyalgia is to make sure that you get regular exercise. This is a lot easier said than done since exercise is probably the last thing that you want to do when you’re sore and tired. However, it has proven to be highly effective in reducing numerous symptoms of fibromyalgia and generally helping patients to feel better in their daily lives. Work with a physical therapist who understand fibromyalgia to set up an exercise routine that is right for your condition and fitness level.

• Fibromyalgia Massage. Massage can be terrific for alleviating many of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, particularly the pain in the muscles that is such a strong characteristic of the disease. However, the hypersensitivity to touch makes it so that an inexperienced massage therapist can do you more harm than good. You’ll want to make sure that you work with a massage therapist who is specifically experienced in providing massage services to people with fibromyalgia and sensitive muscles.

• Stress Reduction Exercises. It is believed that some people who suffer from fibromyalgia experience the condition as a direct result of stress in their lives whereas others may simple find their symptoms exacerbated during times of stress. As a result, any natural stress-reduction techniques that work for you may reduce the presence of fibromyalgia symptoms in the body. This may include everything from working with a talk therapist to using aromatherapy techniques to relax to meditating to simply going on vacation. Anything natural that you do to relieve stress could be a benefit when dealing with the conditions of fibromyalgia.

• Natural Cures for Specific Symptoms. Because there are so many different symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, you may find that other natural cures help with specific problems that you are having. For example, many people with fibromyalgia suffer from common ailments like headaches and insomnia, both of which have numerous natural cures worth trying to reduce those specific problems in the body.

Fibromyalgia doesn’t have a cure but the symptoms can be treated and they can certainly be treated naturally by those people who are interested in holistic healing.