When we first mentioned on our social media channels that we were starting a blog series about the different treatments/techniques/lifestyle changes Spoonies make to help them manage their Fibro symptoms, lots of responses came pouring in! Last week we talked about massages, and over the next couple of weeks we'll be talking about a different treatment each week, and one of the top responses we got from our followers was light stretching/yoga for managing Fibro pain, so we're tackling that topic in today's blog.
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Like most people with Fibromyalgia, I do a lot of different things to manage my Fibromyalgia symptoms, and one thing I like to do at least once a month is get a nice 60 or 90 minute full-body massage. I find it helps loosen-up my muscles, eases my pain, and also usually helps me get a good's night sleep afterwards since I schedule my massages in the evenings and then go home and go to sleep right afterwards.
There is a lot of information out there about how massages can help relieve Fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms (seriously, a quick google search will bring back about 6,090,000 results) and I would have to agree. I first started experiencing chronic pain when I was 14, and just a few years later I discovered massages, and I've been going regularly ever since. I want to talk about something I posted on our social media sites this week, because I think talking about the intricacies of living with chronic illness is important. A lot of time, people with a chronic illness or chronic pain will not do things because they know doing things will cause their symptoms to get worse. But you know how sometimes you have to do things even though you know doing it will cause your symptoms to flare? Or how random things will make your symptoms flare up? Or how you get a flare for no reason at all? So... why not occasionally do things that you want to do even though you know you’ll get a flare for doing it? Because as much as I avoid things for fear of making my Fibromyalgia symptoms worse, I also do things even though I know without a shadow of a doubt, I'll pay for it with a flare.
Maybe my inner rebel just never grew up, maybe I'm just determined to not let my diagnosis run my life, but last weekend I said “hell with it, I’m doing it anyway” when I got a chance to do a trapeze day- and I’m not gonna lie, every single muscle hurts and I messed up one of my toes and my symptoms are flaring, but it was such a fun experience and I don’t regret it at all! I spend my life in pain, and sometimes for me, it’s about doing things anyway- because if I’m going to hurt anyway, flare anyway- I may as well have a few fun stories to tell, right? Check out this story (including pics of me swinging in the air on my trapeze day) on our Facebook page, and share your own stories of fun things you're proud of yourself for not passing up with us in the comments! - Heather, Fabulous Fibro-Fighter and FSC Founder I like to keep busy while I’m resting. Yes, I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but here me out: I have been crazy busy lately, and I know that I need to rest so I can continue to do all the things I need to do, but resting can be so boring! One of my favorite “resting but keeping busy” things to do is craft. Pinterest has changed the craft game, and I couldn’t be happier! Like I said, I have a hard time resting and often get bored or restless, but I am also more than happy to sit and chill and try to make that cool thing I saw on Pinterest- which is easier on my body than other things so I call it a win.
Yesterday I fell on cobblestones, and today I’m in bed- and I’ll probably be here for a while; I feel like I got into a car accident. Someone who didn’t have Fibromyalgia would maybe be a little sore after falling on a hard uneven surface, but probably wouldn’t be laid up in bed for days. A lot of times, even a small physical injury exacerbates Fibromyalgia symptoms or can even cause an all out flare, which isn’t great for obvious reasons.
As someone who has recently moved to a new town, is trying to figure things out and find my groove - I have been out a lot more than I usually am, and I am paying for it. Having Fibromyalgia means things are different for me now. Planning on going out means also planning some time in. I spend a lot of time at The FSC talking about self-care, and incorporating it into your regular routine, and it's something that a lot of people with chronic illnesses do- and I am no exception. I know if I do something, I'm inevitable going to have what I call an "activity hangover" which will require some good old-fashioned rest time.
I have been more tired than usual lately- and as someone who's usually tired, that's pretty darn tired! Every once in a while, I have a day where I spend more time sleeping than I do being awake, and I recently had one of those days. When my body is telling me that it needs to rest, I try to listen, and rather than beat myself up about "wasted time," I think of it as taking the time to recover so I can continue to be my best self.
One thing that Fibromyalgia has taught me is how important it is to not only make sure you're doing what it takes to make it through today, but to also make sure you're doing what it takes to make it through tomorrow, and the day after that. Self-care has become self-preservation. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't do all of the things I'd like to do. I've been seeing doctors about chronic pain and other discomforting symptoms since I was 14 (my Fibromyalgia diagnosis came about 13 years later), so the disconnect between what my mind thinks I can do and what my body thinks I can do has pretty much always been there- but it doesn't make it any easier to manage. In this side-hustle/all-go-no-quit/glamorize-the-grind culture, it's not always easy to say, "No, I can't take that on, I need to take it easy for my health right now," and in this economy, it's not always possible. This the rock and hard place I find myself in this week.
When you have something like Fibromyalgia that can affect your physical/mental activity levels, it's important to find things you can do when you aren't feeling your best- because being bored and upset about not being able to do what you aren't able to do/used to be able to do/etc. isn't good for your mental health. Focusing on the things we can do that we enjoy is a great way to keep yourself grounded and away from what I call "the dark and swirly place." Gratitude over attitude, as I like to say! If you need some ideas on things you can do when you don't feel up to doing much, here's a list of some of my favorite Fibro-friendly activites:
When you have something like Fibromyalgia, it can be hard to do certain things; like physically keeping up with certain (high energy) people, or feel like you're able to really enjoy something without the worry of what it will cost you tomorrow - things like this often come up around holidays and I wanted to share what I did to celebrate the Fourth of July: Nothing. That's right. Nothing. I didn't feel up to the physical, emotional, or sensory activities that go along with the holiday, so I opted to stay at home- and it was fabulous! I chose to not feel guilty for cancelling plans because I did what was right for me, and I'd like to encourage you to cancel plans guilt-free when you feel like you need to. Not everyone will understand every time, but that's okay because you're taking care of yourself!
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