Fibromyalgia affects 4-6 million people in the United States (2-4% of the population) and 75-90% of these individuals are women. For those affected by this chronic pain condition, life can become very difficult and frustrating. Imagine feeling pain everywhere with every movement, each and every day. People with fibromyalgia also often struggle with constant fatigue, depression, and brain fog.
An Invisible Condition
The medical community has no clear explanation as to the exact cause of fibromyalgia, nor is there a cure. This leads to a general confusion and misunderstanding as to what fibromyalgia is and some are not convinced it even exists. This can create feelings of uncertainty, confusion, and hopelessness for those living with fibromyalgia.
What adds to the challenge of living with this condition is its “invisibility” — nobody can see the pain being experienced. It can be difficult for friends and family members to relate to the general challenges that come with widespread pain when they can’t see it, as well as the health conditions and challenges that often accompany fibromyalgia. And constantly explaining the impact of fibromyalgia – from the fear of movement, to the lethargy, to the general loss of interest in life – can be exhausting and increase feelings of sadness and isolation.
Managing Widespread Pain
A person with fibromyalgia who decides to seek medical care is often confronted with a difficult and stressful experience. Knowing where to begin and finding the right specialist can be daunting.
Because fibromyalgia can’t be diagnosed with a definitive test, it is very common that a person will see multiple healthcare professionals and each one may offer a different opinion or diagnosis. In fact, a recent survey found around 25% of patients have to see more than 6 healthcare professionals before reaching a diagnosis.
After seeing a number of healthcare providers a patient may finally receive a definitive diagnosis and begin treatment. But what is the usual treatment? It usually begins with medication!
Medications can be a useful strategy in the effective management of fibromyalgia. However, medications often come with side effects that can impact quality of life. And for a fibromyalgia diagnosis, there are usually multiple medications prescribed to manage the variety of symptoms and side effects, only increasing the complexity of managing a medication regimen.
Cost is another factor. These medications can be expensive. For example, one study showed that 74% of surveyed patients spent between $100 and $500 for over-the-counter fibromyalgia medication each month, even with medical insurance!
What’s more is that medication does not always resolve the pain or improve a person’s ability to go about their daily lives (often called physical function). In fact, most people on a stable regimen of medications still have persistent symptoms or issues with function.
Because of these limitations, some people with fibromyalgia would prefer to find integrative therapies and strategies that are non-invasive and have fewer side effects. This approach can be tricky because in today’s world of health and wellness, a simple internet search can produce hundreds of options but very little information on the research and evidence they are based on.
Looking beyond medication for relief
There is hope for a non-medication pain management approach. Two high-quality research papers, both published in 2022, offer insight into what types of activities are effective for managing fibromyalgia. These articles reviewed more than 20,000 studies to determine if non-drug therapies actually work for those suffering with fibromyalgia.
Both papers found strong evidence that many non-drug treatments do help to improve all of the following: pain, fatigue, disability, function, sleep, and depression. Some approaches performed better than others in certain categories, and many have improved results when combined together. See the research article links below if you would like more detail.
What activities were evaluated?
The reviews looked at a variety of activities, and found the following to be highly effective:
- Almost all forms of movement and physical activity, including: strength training, stretching, mind/body practices like Tai Chi, aerobic activities, aquatic activities, exergames, and dame, among others.
- Multimodal therapies and multidisciplinary therapies
- Psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques
- Pain Education
- Manual therapy, massage, and needling therapies
- Bathing in mineral waters, known as balneotherapy
Beginning a new habit
The other good news is that many of these skills and tools can be learned with little or no cost. Others might already be familiar and easier to start with right away. If you or someone you know is impacted by fibromyalgia, here are a few tips to help begin a new healthy habit process:
- Pick one thing that interests you. Are you interested in walking, meditation or self-massage?
- Set aside a regular time of day and physical space to start the habit.
- Start small and build slowly. It is easier to build the habit this way. It is also more important to be comfortable and consistent than make big gains all at once.
- Track or log your progress to validate your gains.
- Be kind and loving to yourself even on those bad days when pain flares – those are a normal part of growing and progressing.
Bennett, Robert M et al. “An internet survey of 2,596 people with fibromyalgia.” BMC musculoskeletal disorders vol. 8 27. 9 Mar. 2007.
Hernando-Garijo, Ignacio et al. ‘Effectiveness of Non-pharmacological Conservative Therapies in Adults with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review of High-quality Clinical Trials’. 1 Jan. 2022 : 3 – 20.
Kundakci, Burak et al. “Efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions for individual features of fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Pain vol. 163,8 (2022): 1432-1445.
