Posted by MERM on 5/26/2009, 10:45 am
LIFESTYLE
Every fibromyalgia patient is forced to make certain lifestyle changes and adaptations. The key is to make the changes that will help you develop an environment that allows you to function at the best level possible and gives you the best opportunity to improve both physically and emotionally.
One of the most important changes any FM patient can make is learning to live within your “energy envelope.” Each day evaluate your energy level and imagine putting that allotment of energy into an envelope. Each time you expend energy, mentally remove that portion of energy from your envelope. When your envelope is empty, it’s time to stop. It’s often tempting to keep going, especially if you’re having a good day. But if you try to push beyond your energy envelope one day, you’re likely to crash and feel worse for several days. Learn to separate what needs to be done from what you would like to get done, and focus on the necessities first.
Other important lifestyle changes include:
Practicing good sleep hygiene. Poor sleep is one of the biggest problems for fibromyalgia patients, but unfortunately most do not have good sleep habits. In fact, Dr. Lucinda Bateman says 80 percent of her patients actually make their sleep worse.
Improving your diet. If possible, consult a nutritionist or dietician to determine which foods are best for you. When energy levels are low, it’s easy to fall back on fast food or frozen dinners, which seldom have the best nutritional value. On the days you cook, make extra and freeze your own nutritional meals to have on hand for the days you have no energy. Or if you’re not able to cook at all, maybe a friend or family member would make extra and freeze it to share with you. (
Organizing your home to conserve energy. For example, keep a set of items you need regularly next to the chair, sofa or bed where you spend most of your time (i.e., phone, pencil, paper, nail file) so you don’t have to keep getting up to get them. Or always put your keys in the same place so you don’t have to search the house every time you need to go somewhere.
Mental Health
Living with a chronic illness like fibromyalgia is difficult at best. The physical distress and hormonal imbalances coupled with drastic lifestyle changes can easily result in depression and anxiety. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication and/or refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist, who can help you learn to cope with all the changes.
If your insurance doesn’t cover mental health treatment and you cannot afford it, check with your local mental health center. They usually offer treatment on a sliding scale based on your income.
Many FM patients find that support groups offer them the encouragement and support they need.
vast number of different modalities are used in the treatment of FM. Some are quite traditional, while others are somewhat unusual. Many are controversial. It’s impossible to predict which treatment is best for you because what works for one person may or may not work for another. Study the various options and be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before beginning any new treatment.
A few other treatment modalities you’ve probably heard about include:
Physical Therapy – Carefully supervised physical therapy may be helpful for fibromyalgia, but it is essential that the therapist be very knowledgeable about the illness and care be taken to avoid doing too much at one time.
Biofeedback – This mind-body therapy designed to teach you to use your thoughts and will to control your body. It is based on the idea that people have the innate ability to influence many of the automatic functions of their bodies and has been confirmed by scientific studies. A biofeedback specialist uses special monitoring equipment to measure responses, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, skin temperature and brain activity. Using these measurements, he teaches you to recognize your reactions to thoughts so you can learn to control those reactions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT is one of the more controversial fibromyalgia treatment modalities because it is basically a psychological technique and is strongly supported by those who still insist on believing that FM is primarily a psychological problem. The treatment focuses on maladaptive patterns of thinking and the underlying beliefs. For example, a person who is depressed may have the underlying belief that he is worthless. While CBT is certainly not a cure for the physical illness fibromyalgia, it can be a helpful tool for treating symptoms like depression and anxiety. postedbyMERM wellnesstdrainresearchtreamDirector
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