Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and localized tenderness. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but there are several treatments that can help alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life. Here are some ways to help manage fibromyalgia pain:

• Medications: Medications can help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and improve sleep. Common choices include:

  • Antidepressants: Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) may help ease the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. Your doctor may prescribe amitriptyline or the muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine to help promote sleep.

  • Anti-seizure drugs: Medications designed to treat epilepsy are often useful in reducing certain types of pain. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is sometimes helpful in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms, while pregabalin (Lyrica) was the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia.

• Exercise: Regular, gentle exercise can help ease pain, stress, and other fibromyalgia symptoms. Its important to be physically active if you have fibromyalgia. This can be difficult if you’re in pain, but regular exercise has been shown to help reduce pain and improve overall quality of life. Your GP may offer you an exercise program, depending on what’s available in your area. It may be a supervised exercise program either on your own or in a group. The type of exercise should be something you enjoy and can continue doing long-term.

• Therapies: A variety of different therapies can help reduce the effect that fibromyalgia has on your body and your life. Examples include:

  • Yoga and tai chi: These practices combine meditation, slow movements, deep breathing, and relaxation. Both have been found to be helpful in controlling fibromyalgia symptoms.

  • Massage therapy: Massage is a time-tested way to ease muscle pain and reduce stress. People also use massage to help improve range of motion and deal with depression and anxiety. More vigorous forms of massage may help relieve deep muscle pain from fibromyalgia.

• Self-care: There are several self-care strategies that can help manage fibromyalgia pain, including:

  • Heat and cold therapy: Heat, especially moist heat, may relieve soreness and stiffness from fibromyalgia by boosting blood flow to the places where you hurt. Apply a warm, moist washcloth to the painful area or try taking a shower or soaking in a bath. You also can reduce the deep muscle pain of fibromyalgia with a cold pack.

  • Stress reduction: Stress can make fibromyalgia symptoms worse. Stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

No single treatment works for all symptoms of fibromyalgia, but trying a variety of treatment strategies can have a cumulative effect. Its important to work with your doctor to find the best treatment plan for you[[3]](...