Trying new treatments for Fibromyalgia

I have decided to lay off the medications for a while and try what are sometimes called Complementary or Alternative Therapies.

These include:

• Ayurvedic medicine
• Homeopathy
• Naturopathy
• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Magnet therapy
• Shiatsu
• Herbalism
• Meditation
• Aromatherapy
• Bach Flower Remedies
• Chromo therapy
• Diet therapy
• Hydropathy
• Reiki
• Yoga

First of all I am going to investigate the ancient Chinese system of Acupuncture in which fine needles are inserted in the skin at points along lines of energy called meridians. .Has anyone tried acupuncture for their fibromyalgia? I would love to hear from you.

I am trying acupuncture to reduce the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia.

This is amazing information about Fibro and Acupuncture: A trial, conducted by the Mayo Clinic, found that acupuncture "provided significant improvements in a variety of symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, with the effects of care often lasting several months". ACUPUNCTURETODAY

In this trial 50 patients who had tried other treatments for relief, without success, either had acupuncture or simulated acupuncture. They were not told which treatment they received. After 6 sessions they reported improvement in symptoms of pain, anxiety and fatigue. I personally do not get anxiety but have decided to try acupuncture for my pain and fatigue. I will keep you posted.

I would love to know what alternative therapies you have tried. I have sometimes used homeopathy, magnets, meditation, diet, and my favourites myofascial massage and hydrotherapy.

I am trying alternative therapies to reduce the pain of fibromyalgia.

You might also like to read: Homeopathy for Fibromyalgia

Learning Curve with Fibromyalgia

I am always learning a lot about Fibromyalgia even though I thought I knew a lot about it.

I was diagnosed with Fibro a long time ago. When I was first diagnosed I was under the misunderstanding that Fibro or FMS was the same as CFS - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  I learnt very early on that it wasn't true.

I was also one of those people who judged people with Fibromyalgia. This judgement came from lack of understanding about the condition. So now I have been on both sides of the coin - both the judger and the judged.

I also believed that Fibromyalgia had a stigma about it and that it was a diagnosis given when doctors could not find anything else wrong. I now know that it is a true condition.

I believe that it is difficult to educate the general population about Fibromyalgia. People just don't really want to know and they are overwhelmed with so much information about so many different things.

I believe that understanding is rare but Fibromyalgia is not.

 "Fibromyalgia is one of the most common types of chronic pain disorders. It is estimated that more than 5 million people in the United States have fibromyalgia." FIBROCENTER 

I believe that with any chronic condition you have to constantly educate yourself about your disease.

This year I have learnt new things about Fibromyalgia including - Fibromyalgia Patients Have Decreased Brain Connectivity in some regions of the brain, that CBD oil and low dose naltrexone (LDN) are both being used in treating Fibromyalgia. 

Learning to live with a fibromyalgia diagnosis is often overwhelming at first, and the learning curve can feel steep. You're not just managing pain - you're adjusting to a new way of understanding your body, energy, emotions, and lifestyle. Here’s a breakdown of what the learning curve typically looks like, and how to navigate it with more clarity and confidence.

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📉 The Learning Curve of Fibromyalgia: A Realistic Overview

🧠 Stage 1: Understanding the Diagnosis

“What is happening to me?”

• Common Feelings: Relief (finally a name for the symptoms), disbelief, confusion, grief

• Key Challenges: Accepting it’s chronic, navigating misinformation, dealing with stigma

• First Steps:

  • Learn about central sensitization (your nervous system is overreactive to pain/stimuli)

  • Understand that it’s real, even if invisible

  • Find a doctor who takes it seriously

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📋 Stage 2: Tracking and Identifying Triggers

“What makes it better or worse?”

• Common Symptoms: Widespread pain, fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbance

• Key Tools:

  • Keep a symptom journal (sleep, activity, food, pain levels)

  • Identify flare triggers: stress, overexertion, weather changes, poor sleep, certain foods

• Start slow: You don’t have to figure it all out at once

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⚖️ Stage 3: Lifestyle Adjustment and Self-Management

“How do I live with this?”

• Learn pacing: Avoid the “push-crash” cycle of overdoing it on good days and crashing after

• Start low-impact movement: Gentle yoga, walking, tai chi

• Focus on sleep hygiene: Crucial to managing symptoms

• Experiment with diet: Some find symptom relief by reducing gluten, sugar, or processed foods

• Mind-body techniques: Meditation, mindfulness, CBT, or ACT can help manage the emotional toll

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🧩 Stage 4: Treatments and Trial-and-Error

“What actually helps me?”

• Medications: Low-dose antidepressants (e.g. amitriptyline), gabapentin, pregabalin, or duloxetine may be helpful—but effects vary

• Supplements: Magnesium, CoQ10, vitamin D—talk to your doctor

• Topical pain relief: Tiger Balm, lidocaine patches, Voltaren gel

• Professional support: Pain specialists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, or therapists who understand chronic illness

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💬 Stage 5: Advocacy and Mental Resilience

“How do I build a life with this?”

• Learn to say no without guilt and prioritize energy

• Find a support system: Online communities, local support groups

• Manage flare-ups with compassion, not blame

• Deal with the invisible illness issue: Some people won’t understand—you don’t need their validation

• Explore purpose and joy beyond productivity

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🌱 It’s Not Linear

• You’ll move back and forth between stages.

• Flare-ups can knock you down even when you think you have it handled.

• Self-kindness is the most important skill you’ll ever learn in this process.

If you are new to Fibromyalgia you may be interested in the following information so you can start your learning curve:

• Fibromyalgia symptoms
• Fibromyalgia what is it?
• What is a spoonie?
• Natural Treatments for Fibromyalgia
• Medications used in Fibro
• 6 Strange Signs of Fibromyalgia
• Top Tips for Fibromyalgia
• Fibro and diet

NEW BELIEF: No 1. You can teach an old dog new tricks if they are willing to learn.

Finally Facing Fibromyalgia

It has been 10 years now and nothing has changed except that I am finally facing the diagnosis of the dreaded Fibromyalgia. It is a chronic pain condition which means that I have had constant pain for over 3 months and in all four quadrants of the body. 

When I say facing it I mean accepting it. This has taken me a long time. 

All my symptoms fit.

These are the main symptoms of Fibromyalgia:

I don't have headaches or irritable bowel syndrome or painful menstrual periods but I have all the other symptoms listed plus some.

I cannot ignore it any more. So I am definitely accepting it. 

So I wonder what will be different in my day to day life ??

How will I explain Fibromyalgia to my family and friends?

What will I try to help my symptoms?

What will actually work to reduce my symptoms?

You can follow along with me here on my blog to discover what works to help Fibro, FMS, Fibromyalgia, FM, the most misunderstood invisible illness (or whatever you want to call it!)

As an update here are just a few of the things I have tried to help reduce my fibromyalgia symptoms:

Tramadol

Acupuncture

Nutrition

Exercise

Tiger Balm for quick flare up pain relief

Hydrotherapy: my all time favourite treatment.

What have you tried? I would especially love to know what works for you to reduce some of these pervasive and annoying fibro symptoms.