MY mum has Fibromyalgia & want to know how to ease her pain?

Question

My mum has days where she cant move due to her body becoming stiff. She has a electro pack attached to her back to help stimulate the muscles but this does not help all the time. Is there any treatments for it?

Answer 1

Samuel,
One of the best things for stiff painful muscles associated with Fibromyalgia is warm water pool therapy and daily gentle stretching exercises. Heat pads applied to the most painful areas can be beneficial as can body massage. Your mother can ask to be referred to a physio' clinic where she should get some or all of these treatments. Also it has been noted that Amitriptyline helps to relax the patient and aid sleep which many sufferers say eludes them.

Answer 2

I have fibromyalgia, have had it most of my life (im 35 now) it is totally debilitating and a little understood condition. I live with it every day, and to be honest if I woke up without any pain, I would think I was dead. Common painkillers do not help it at all. I was on amitriptyline for a few years but although they eased the pain a little, I did not like the side effects and hate being dependant on tablets. Exercise has helped me a lot. From being a total couch potato to gentle exercise, to now going to the gym 4/5 times a week (I do not overdo it tho and cannot run due to pain in my knees). When I put on a few pounds I found it was worse, so I try and keep my weight steady, eat heathily and exercise frequently, this does help. I am also worse in the cold and wet weather. I have less problems when I am abroad in the heat so this is obviously a factor in it. There are some really good websites and a Fibromyalgia society. If you visit your doctor/hospital aswell you should be able to get a brilliant book on Fibromyalgia, which is full of great advice and information. I have it, but unfortunately it is at home and I am at work so cannot give you the author of it. I hope this information helps.

Answer 3

Poor Mum.
My Mum had polymyalgia and its sounds quite similar.
She was put on Steroids for 2 years and did recover. At the moment shes visiting her sister in Canada and has gone back to a normal way of life.
Massage can help so much and if you go along and watch you to could do the same for Mum. There are many charitable associations who have a selection of therapists available at far less cost than the normal ones.
Consult a QUALIFIED herbalist, they will know if chemical and herbal treatments will safely go together.
Sit and talk about happy times, recall memories, buy Mum a lovely aromatic bunch of flowers try whatever to lift her spirits.
Pain makes us all so miserable and low, its important that Mum feels she has someone to grumble to, actually tell her, 'Mum if you want to moan and curse I'll listen '.Don't wait for her to ask, just do.
Positive thought and energy always win over bad,
Good luck, you sound like a lovely Daughter.
May you both be surrounded by white light.
.

Answer 4

Fibromyalgia is indeed a painful condition. I've had it for over a decade, and have managed to keep it in check through dietary control, herbal supplements and chiropractic care.

I have found that certain foods exacerbate the symptoms. Specifically, foods high in sugar and yeast. Once i removed these sorts of foods from my diet, my symptom list went down by half.

Some good natural remedies for fibromyalgia pain are:
- Omega-3 Fish Oils. I take 3 of those (which is 3000mg) every morning as a form of pain relief. It helps get rid of some of the brain fog as well, which is quite nice for mental functioning.
- Sun Chlorella. It helps keep you (as my stepmum puts it) "regular". I don't know quite how it works, but i found that when i was taking it, i had loads of energy and was always hungry.
- 5-HTP. Some studies indicate that fibromyalgia is linked to a sleep disturbance. I've tried taking 5-HTP as a sleep aid, and had some positive experiences with it.

I am also a huge fan of chiropractic care. It helps keep my bones all in alignment, which helps them all function better. It can be a bit pricey, but in my experience it's worth it.

Standard disclaimer: as with all things health-related, you may want to consult a medical professional before trying any thing you find on the internet (this post included).

Answer 5

Like you already read in all this comments its very debilitating condition, they have no relieve and everywhere it hurts. When my patients come to me and the first thing they say is i have Fibromyalgia, they want to be treated with care. Very gentle and light massage to ease their discomfort, warm compresses to the area where it most hurt. The electroes are just a temporarily thing, is not a cure, and at times the body just gets use to it that has no meaning to it. Try taking her to a massage therapist and let her relax for an hour and see how it works for her.
Best of luck ^i^♥♥♥
sMT

Answer 6

Has your Mum tried taking a good quality Aloe Vera Gel?
Aloe Vera, along with its nutrional value, is a great natural anti-inflammatory.
Let me tell you for free - it needs to be taken for several weeks before any results could be expected and nobody could guarantee any result at all, this is not a miracle cure!
One company, however, does give a money-back guarantee if the hoped-for results are not achieved.
Let me be up-front and honest, I am a distributor for this company.
http://www.lifestyle-choice.co.uk

My Mum has Polymyalgia which is very similar in its symptoms and I hope your Mum can find some relief without the steroids that my Mum has been on for years!

Answer 7

i have fibromyalgia too. it's very painful, and difficult to treat. there are so many different opinions and ideas, that it's almost impossible to figure out what to do. my suggestion is to do a google search, and get as much info as you can about nutrition and meds that have worked for other ppl. so far, i haven't found any meds that help with the stabbing pains and hot spots. i take valium for the muscle rigidity...if i don't, i seriously cannot move. the cold weather seems to make it much worse. i really feel for your mom, as i know first-hand what she's going through. very best of luck, i hope she finds a treatment that eases her pain soon.

Answer 8

HI SAMUAL,
TRY THIS LINK AND HOPE THIS HELPS.

http://micronutra.com/activive.html?aff=1234&kwgroup=av_activive&utm_source=Google&utm_ad=645097833&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Activive&utm_term=fibromyalgia&gclid=CLO61JiW54kCFQJPQgodTHM1KQ
ALL THE BEST.
KEVIN

Answer 9

Problems unhelped by regular doctors after investigation need to be further investigated.Have you considered the possibility of
lyme disease,or vitamin B12 deficiency?See the site below which is run by doctors, and study the symptom lists for possible clues-maybe then you can get a second opinion.

Answer 10

recommendations
eat a well balanced diet of 50% raw foods and fresh "live" juices.diet shd consist mostly of vegetables,friuts,whole grains,raw nuts and seeds,skinless turkey n chicken,n deep water fish.
4 to 5 small meals daily to keep steady supply of protein n carbo available for proper muscle function.if the body does not hv enough energy, it will rob the muscles of essential nutrients causing muscle wasting n pain.
drink plenty of liquids to help flush out toxins..best choices are steam-distilled water and herbal teas.
limit consumption of green peppers n,eggplant,tomatoes..these foods contain solanine which interferes with enzymes in the muscles n may cause pain n discomfort.
do not eat meat,dairy products that are high in saturated fats,also avoid fried foods,shellfish n white flour products like pasta.
do not consume any caffeine,alcohol or sugar...eating sugar in any form including honey promotes fatigue,increase pain n disturb sleep.
maintain regular exercise..once body is accustomed to regular excercise,symptoms are likely to improve.
take hot shower or bath to stimulate circulation and help relieve morning stiffness.alternate between hot n cold water showering, recent studies hv shown cold showers to be beneficial for relieving the pain of fibromyalgia.

take chlorophyll in tablet form or in "green drinks" such as KYO-Green from Wakunaga of america. Spiru tein from nature's plus is a good protein drink to use between meals to aid in maintaining energy levels n to reduce muscle pain.