Fibromyalgia Mate tārūrū
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes tiredness and widespread muscle pain. Fibromyalgia can have a big impact on your quality of life and can affect you long term. It is not life threatening.
Causes of fibromyalgia
The cause of fibromyalgia is not known.
The muscle pain is not due to damage in the painful parts of your body. Rather, pain signals are sent to your brain despite there being no tissue damage.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia
If you have fibromyalgia, you can have many symptoms. They can vary with time and be different from other people with the condition.
Pain
The main symptom is usually chronic (persistent) widespread pain in your muscles. You may also have particular tender spots known as trigger points.
Fatigue
Another common symptom is fatigue. Fatigue is the feeling of being tired all the time, even after you have rested. Fatigue can vary from mild to severely affecting your ability to function.
Other symptoms
Other symptoms include:
- poor sleep
- problems concentrating and remembering things
- headaches
- irritable bowel syndrome.
Depression and anxiety are also more common in people with fibromyalgia.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia
Your healthcare provider will ask you:
- about your pain and symptoms
- how long you have had symptoms
- if you have noticed any patterns
- where you are feeling pain
- how strong the pain is.
They may ask how you are feeling and if you have any issues with your mental health, including depression and anxiety.
There are no specific tests to confirm fibromyalgia. Your healthcare provider may send you for a blood test. This is to rule out other health conditions that could explain your symptoms.
Treating fibromyalgia
The main treatment for fibromyalgia is learning ways to manage your symptoms. Ways you can do this include:
- physical activity
- behavioural therapy
- relaxation techniques
- pacing yourself.
Medication
Most pain relief medications are not useful for fibromyalgia. But some people find that pain-modifying medications can provide relief, for example:
- amitriptylineexternal link
- nortriptylineexternal link
- gabapentinexternal link
- pregabalinexternal link.
Psychological therapies
Psychological therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can help you cope with living with your symptoms. They can also help if you have depression or anxiety. A psychologist can provide this type of treatment.
Find a psychologist — New Zealand Psychological Societyexternal link
Physical activity programmes
A physiotherapist can help design a physical activity plan that best suits you.
Find a physio — Physiotherapy New Zealandexternal link
Activity plan
An occupational therapist can help you plan your daily activities to reduce the impact of your fibromyalgia.
Find a therapist — Occupational Therapy New Zealandexternal link
Self care with fibromyalgia
There are many things you can do to help manage your fibromyalgia.
Being active can reduce your pain and improve your mood, muscle tone and blood flow. It can also help you sleep.
It is important to be careful with how much activity you do as well as the type of exercise.
Being active with fibromyalgia
Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, tai chi or mindfulness. To learn more about mindfulness meditation consider a phone app. Smiling Mind has a free app. Headspace has a free app for an introductory 10-day programme.
Sleep can be difficult when you have pain but there are things you can do to get a better night's sleep.
Pace yourself by planning your activities with rest periods as needed.
Pain management: pacing and goal-setting — Healthtalkexternal link
There is no special diet that will help fibromyalgia. But eating well may help you keep your energy levels more consistent and reduce fatigue. Eating well can also give you more energy to stay physically active and help to improve your overall health.
Living with an ongoing painful condition is difficult. Talk about it with whānau, friends and your healthcare provider. You can get support from Arthritis New Zealand and their arthritis educators and online support groups.
Fibromyalgia — Arthritis NZexternal link
Being active with fibromyalgia
If you are active, you will feel less pain and stiffness from fibromyalgia. You will also notice that your mood, general health and sleep are better too.
It is important to be careful with how much exercise you do and when. Doing too much, too soon could cause a flare up. The key is to start gently and progress slowly.
There are 3 types of exercise that are important for fibromyalgia:
- stretching exercises — to increase your joint mobility and decrease your stiffness
- endurance exercises — to improve the amount of activity you can do
- strengthening exercises — to increase the strength of your muscles and bones (strong muscles reduce the work your joints need to do, so you have less pain).
For specific advice and support with being more active, talk to your healthcare provider. They may be able to refer you to a physiotherapist to develop an activity plan. You will need to pay to see a physiotherapist.
Tips for being active with fibromyalgia
Exercise at the time of day that works best for you. You may find you have less pain and stiffness between 10am and 3pm.
Do some gentle stretching exercises but be careful not to overstretch. You should feel a mild pulling but not pain. You may find yoga, tai chi or some types of warm-up exercises helpful.
You only need to do 30 minutes of activity a day to keep healthy. You can do this in short bursts of 5 to 10 minutes throughout the day to help manage any fatigue.
If your pain or fatigue is getting worse, stop what you are doing and rest. Try again on another day, for a shorter time. Do not give up.
For strengthening exercises, talk to your physiotherapist or personal trainer. They will help you work out which exercises are right for you. Make sure you rest between sets of strengthening exercises. Only lift light weights or use resistance bands.
Find a physio — Physiotherapy New Zealandexternal link
Find exercise professionals — REPsexternal link
For endurance exercises, find one you enjoy, for example walking, swimming or cycling. Start gently, for 5 to 10 minutes at a very slow pace. If you do not have a flare up, gradually increase the time, speed or intensity over the next few weeks.
Over time, you may find you can start doing other activities you enjoy, for example jogging, hiking in the hills, golf or gardening. Start gently each time you try a new activity and gradually increase it.