Learning to live with chronic pain - By Grace

Since my Fibromyalgia diagnosis, my life has changed significantly. Fibromyalgia is a long term rheumatic condition that causes pain all over the body and extreme fatigue. Other typical symptoms include: muscle aches, low mood, IBS, headaches, ‘brain fog’ and increased sensitivity to pain.

There is no cure for Fibromyalgia and treatment is limited to lifestyle changes and symptom management. Everyone experiences the condition differently but I am learning how to manage my symptoms in a number of ways.

For me, exercise has proved most effective. It may seem strange that exercise helps alleviate pain but I’ve found that keeping my body moving has been hugely beneficial in reducing muscle stiffness and increasing my energy levels. This doesn’t necessarily mean going on long runs or doing heavy weights, sometimes I only have energy to do some stretching. No matter how strenuous the exercise is, it can really help my body loosen up, lift my mood and boost my energy.

That said, knowing when to stop and when exercise is not a good idea is imperative in preventing a long flare up of fibromyalgia. Listening to my body and understanding that I need to rest is often a big challenge. Learning to enjoy resting can be difficult, especially when it stops me from seeing my friends or working. However, I’ve realised the health benefit, and even the luxury, of choosing to lie in bed with a candle burning and a hot water bottle on my painful back instead of a late evening out with friends.

I am always looking for new ways to treat my symptoms and can’t wait to try out Ethical Gifting’s Muscle Wellness Bath Salts, especially on those days when I need to rest and focus on relaxing my body. The bath salts contain a combination of essential oils that can loosen tight or sore muscles, reduce join inflammation and improve circulation.

If you have any questions about Fibromyalgia or have just been diagnosed, feel free to message @thegracefoodfeed and I am happy to chat.