When medication is not enough - Natural pain relief approaches for fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that manifests itself in widespread pain, fatigue and sleep disorders. These symptoms can severely limit your daily life and are often difficult to treat. In addition to conventional medication, many sufferers also resort to natural methods that have a complementary effect and can lead to a better quality of life in the long term. In this article, you will learn which alternative approaches to pain relief can be helpful for fibromyalgia and how you can use them specifically.
Exercise: Gently and specifically reduce pain
Regular exercise may sound daunting to you at first, especially if you are already suffering from constant pain. But targeted, gentle activities can actually be a big help and noticeably improve your quality of life. Even a daily walk of 10 to 15 minutes can make a difference, and over time the duration can be slowly increased. Morning stretching or simple yoga poses also help to relieve tension and improve your mobility.
One form of exercise that is particularly gentle on the joints is aqua aerobics. The buoyancy in the water reduces your body weight and allows you to move much more freely without putting strain on your joints. Nordic walking is also a gentle form of exercise where you use poles to train not only your legs but also your upper body. Studies show that moderate exercise can relieve pain and improve well-being, and all of these activities can be easily integrated into everyday life.
| Exercise | Description | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| walks | Start with 10-15 minutes per day and slowly increase the duration. | Promotes blood circulation, increases oxygen absorption and has a relaxing effect on the muscles. |
| morning stretching | Stretch arms over your head and out to the sides, holding each position for 10-20 seconds. | Relieves tension, improves mobility and can relieve morning pain. |
| leg raises while lying down | Lying on your back, lift one leg straight up, hold it briefly and then slowly lower it. Repeat each side 8-10 times. | Gently strengthens the leg and core muscles and helps to activate the muscles. |
| Easy yoga poses | Simple poses such as downward dog or cat-cow pose gently mobilize the spine and relax the muscles. | Promotes flexibility, strengthens body awareness and calms the nervous system. |
| water exercises | Walking in shallow water or gentle arm movements against the water resistance. Ideal in the swimming pool. | Gentle on the joints, promotes muscle strength and endurance, relieves pressure on the joints through the buoyancy of the water. |
Relaxation techniques: calming the body
Relaxation techniques can also help you to relieve pain and calm your body. Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong combine movement and mindfulness. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that relies on slow, flowing movements to bring body and mind into harmony. Qi Gong is also a Chinese practice that combines breathing exercises, meditation and slow movements to strengthen life energy. These techniques have been shown to be effective in calming the nervous system and reducing internal stress that can increase pain. Tai Chi in particular, combined with breathing exercises, can significantly reduce the perception of pain and improve sleep quality.
There are also targeted relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises that you can easily do at home. With progressive muscle relaxation, you consciously tense individual muscle groups and then relax them again - this puts your body into a state of deep relaxation. A simple breathing exercise that you can try is 4-7-8 breathing: breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and then breathe out for eight seconds. This breathing technique can help you calm your nervous system and reduce stress.
Acupuncture: Harmonizing energy with gentle needle pricks
Acupuncture is another way to relieve pain. This method comes from traditional Chinese medicine and is based on the idea that energy flows in the body can be brought into balance by inserting needles. Many sufferers report a noticeable improvement in their symptoms after regular acupuncture sessions, and studies show that acupuncture can reduce pain in fibromyalgia by around 20%.
In addition to classic acupuncture, there are also variants such as electroacupuncture, in which the needles are stimulated with weak electrical impulses, or acupressure, in which certain points in the body are stimulated by pressure instead of needles. Which of these methods is best for you depends on your personal preferences. Some people find electroacupuncture particularly effective, while others prefer the needle-free variant of acupressure. In some cases, the costs of acupuncture are even covered by health insurance - so it's worth asking.
Dietary Change: Food as Support for Body and Mind
Diet also plays an important role in relieving the symptoms of fibromyalgia. An anti-inflammatory diet can help your body reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system. Many sufferers report relief from their symptoms when they avoid certain foods - such as products containing gluten or dairy products. At the same time, foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can help improve your well-being. According to studies, up to 40% of participants experienced an improvement in their symptoms by changing their diet.
| Groceries | justification |
| Antioxidant-rich fruits | Antioxidants help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and have an anti-inflammatory effect. |
| Omega-3-rich foods | Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in salmon and flaxseed, have anti-inflammatory effects and reduce sensitivity to pain. |
| Green leafy vegetables | Contains magnesium, which can relieve muscle tension and reduce pain sensitivity. |
| nuts and seeds | Provide healthy fats, proteins and minerals such as magnesium and zinc, which promote muscle function and relieve pain. |
| ginger and turmeric | These spices have strong anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce inflammatory processes in the body. |
| foods to avoid | justification |
| Gluten-containing products | Gluten can promote inflammation and increase sensitivity to pain in some people. |
| dairy products | May have an inflammatory effect in some people and increase symptoms such as muscle stiffness. |
| Processed sugar | Promotes inflammation and causes blood sugar fluctuations, which can increase fatigue and pain. |
| Fatty and fried foods | Saturated fats can promote inflammation, which can worsen symptoms in fibromyalgia. |
Psychological support: Changing the way you deal with pain
Fibromyalgia can cause not only physical but also psychological stress. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you to deal with the pain better and improve your quality of life. This form of therapy aims to identify and change stressful thought patterns in order to make it easier to process pain in the long term. Around 35% of participants in a long-term study reported a significant reduction in their pain and an improvement in their quality of life through CBT. With psychological support like this, you can learn to experience the pain as less threatening and to deal with daily challenges with mental strength.
Massage and manual therapy: touch as healing relief
Massages and manual therapies such as osteopathy or chiropractic offer you a beneficial way to relieve muscle tension and improve blood circulation. Around 60% of participants in a study on manual therapies stated that they felt a significant improvement in their symptoms after regular massages. Specific massage techniques such as trigger point therapy or fascia massages can be particularly helpful when deep-seated tensions need to be relieved. Whether your health insurance covers the costs of such treatments depends on the respective insurance company - it is worth asking.
Mind-Body Techniques: The Influence of the Mind on the Body
In addition to physical measures, mind-body techniques such as meditation, mindfulness training and biofeedback can also be helpful. These methods help you experience the pain from a new perspective and give it less space in your everyday life. Mindfulness training and meditation help you to consciously direct your attention and calm your nervous system. Many sufferers report that regular mindfulness exercises help them to deal better with their pain and feel more relaxed overall. Biofeedback, in which the body's own processes such as breathing and heartbeat are consciously perceived and influenced, can also show promising results in pain management.
Mindfulness exercise: The body scan
A simple mindfulness exercise you can try is the so-called body scan. To do this, lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Take a few minutes to focus your attention on your body. Start at your feet and slowly move upwards to your head. Consciously feel each part of your body without judging - just notice how it feels. The body scan can help you to recognize and release tension, while promoting deep relaxation.
Conclusion
There are many different natural approaches that can help you to relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life. The effectiveness of these methods can vary from person to person, but it is worth trying out several approaches and adapting them to your individual needs. A combination of gentle exercise, relaxation techniques and psychological support often achieves the best results. This makes your everyday life more livable despite fibromyalgia and gives you more room for activity and enjoyment.
