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If you live with fibromyalgia, chances are you’re familiar with the potential for flares, or increases in symptoms that can feel like they come on out of the blue.
Fibromyalgia Traits
Part of the characteristic of fibromyalgia is a variety of symptoms that come and go each day. Some days, on the whole, might be pretty good with better energy levels, less pain, and improved function. Other days it may seem like a chore to perform the simplest of daily tasks.
When you take a bird’s eye view of the progression of fibromyalgia, it is common to see trends in the severity and frequency of symptoms. Periods when you’re feeling worse and symptoms are exacerbated are called fibromyalgia flares and are a notable component of the condition. Different from daily fluctuations in symptoms, flares last longer from several days to weeks.
What are the Symptoms of a Fibromyalgia Flare?
For some fibromyalgia sufferers, the symptoms of a flare period can differ from their regular, daily symptoms. They can also present in a more predictable pattern than day-to-day symptoms. Symptoms of a fibromyalgia flare might include:
- An increase in pain
- Cognitive dysfunction (I.e. difficulty thinking, concentrating, or remembering)
- Poor sleep quality
- Digestive dysfunction (I.e. acid reflux, diarrhea, or constipation)
- Numbness and/or tingling in the extremities
- Swelling in the hands or feet
Potential Fibromyalgia Flare Triggers
Some uncertainty still exists as to exactly why fibromyalgia flares occur. However, there are some known factors that can contribute to these periods of increased symptoms, including:
- Increased stress (physical or emotional)
- Changes in schedule (I.e. vacation or weekends)
- Fluctuations in the weather (temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.)
- Disrupted sleep cycle
- Hormonal changes (for women, changes during the menstrual cycle)
- Dietary changes
- Travel
- Injury or illness
- Overdoing it
If you’re able to identify your own flare-up triggers, it might be possible to minimize your exposure to them and reduce your risk.
Top 3 Tips for Handling Fibromyalgia Flares
Many fibromyalgia sufferers are looking for natural ways to manage their flares and daily symptoms that don’t carry the risks and side-effects of other approaches.
- Meditation – stress is probably the #1 biggest trigger of a rise in fibromyalgia symptoms. Learning a meditation technique (there are many!) can help you cope with the stress, depression, frustration, and anxiety of living with fibromyalgia and reduce your risk of experiencing frequent flares.
- Movement – we get it, there are just some days when fibromyalgia has you feeling like getting out of bed is an impossible task. However, much of the fibromyalgia research shows that maintaining a regular exercise routine can keep symptoms at bay and help to prevent flares.
- Regular sleep schedule – fatigue is one of the major players in fibromyalgia, and a lack of restorative sleep can magnify the intensity of other symptoms. Something to consider is maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can help get your body’s circadian rhythm back in balance and help you to start sleeping better. It’s not uncommon to experience flare-ups in symptoms when there’s been a change in your daily routine, such as travel or staying up late on the weekends.
Natural Healthcare for Fibromyalgia Sufferers
If you deal with the chronic pain, fatigue, brain-fog, sleeplessness, and other symptoms of fibromyalgia, you may be searching for a natural way to attain relief. There is a connection between how well your body’s central nervous system functions and its ability to process pain signals in a normal fashion. People with a fibromyalgia diagnosis experience pain in a different way than those without the condition. With fibromyalgia, it’s as if the volume knob is turned up on the nervous system, causing a person to have a higher sensitivity to things that should hurt as well as ordinary touch or pressure. This process, called central sensitization, involves changes in the central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord) that can be causing a vicious cycle of chronic pain.
Upper cervical chiropractic care is a specific niche within the broader chiropractic field and has been helping many people with fibromyalgia rid themselves of symptoms and find a new normal. Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions can be linked to a misalignment of the vertebra that sits at the junction between the head and neck – the atlas (C1). This sensitive area houses the brainstem, facilitates normal blood flow to the brain, and plays a role in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics. An atlas misalignment can hinder these critical processes, ultimately leading to the development of central sensitization, chronic pain, and other fibromyalgia symptoms.
The good news is that by addressing the root cause of the problem – the atlas misalignment – your body can be given the opportunity to heal. Upper cervical care is unique in that it is very precise, gentle, and tailored towards each patient’s individual needs. This focused approach allows us to home in on the source of the problem rather than simply covering up symptoms on the surface. As a result, upper cervical chiropractic care is uniquely positioned to care for fibromyalgia sufferers in a way that is natural and has the potential to provide lasting relief. To learn more, contact us at Source Chiropractic and Wellness to schedule a complimentary consultation. It may be the first step towards regaining a better quality of life.
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