What Makes Fibromyalgia Symptoms Worse?

What makes fibromyalgia symptoms worse? Perpetuating factors! What are those? And how do you manage them? I have you covered here.

Previously, I had only considered perpetuating factors in the management of myofascial pain syndrome. In fact, managing perpetuating factors helps all chronic pain and fibromyalgia symptoms.

We are in the the middle of the brain fog friendly series for the simplest way to manage fibromyalgia.

Today we are discussing perpetuating factors in fibromyalgia.

Summary of Series

While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, I do believe we have loads of management options at our disposal. In this post, I will share the simplest way to manage fibromyalgia. With loads of resources for you to explore further as needed.

Here’s the gist of it:

There is no definitive cause which means there is no cure.

Also, no one treatment helps everyone.

So what should we be focusing on?

1. Learning what we can (this helps us to do the rest)
2. Reducing or removing perpetuating factors
3. Managing our whole of life stuff (gentle movement, good nutrition, sleep, stress management etc.)
4. Targeting symptoms

Today: What Makes Fibromyalgia Worse: Perpetuating Factors

Perpetuating factors are those things that trigger or flare symptoms.

We need to figure out our perpetuating factors and do what we can to reduce or remove them. This won’t always be possible.

What can be perpetuating factors?

• Weather
• Stress
• Physical activity
• Hormonal changes
• Overdoing it
• Changes in treatment/new treatments
• Poor sleep (yes, hard to manage, but we try!)
• Other illnesses (whether transient or longer lasting)

How can we manage them?

1. First we must identify them.
2. Then we try to avoid or minimise.

For example, sleep is very important to managing fibromyalgia. But I have a baby who wakes frequently. There are many things I can do to support his sleep, and I do them. But, ultimately, he will learn to sleep when he is good and ready.

What CAN I do? Ensure I get my Yoga Nidra rest in the day. This is like six birds with one stone, Yoga Nidra helps with the immediate need for rest, improves sleep (when I am allowed it), reduces stress, tension and other symptoms and helps balance the central nervous system. Win-win-win-win. In one relaxing package. But I digress.

Another example, sitting at a computer (no matter how ergonomically friendly I set it up) upsets my neck, shoulders and back. So I have to limit how long I spend on the computer with reduced work hours, loads of breaks and targeted stretching.

Quick hint: Ask what CAN I do, when it feels impossible. There will always be something.

The Simplest Ways to Manage Fibromyalgia Summary

I know that none of these things are that simple. But I hope that having the framework of learning, reducing or removing perpetuating factors, looking at whole of life stuff and then targeting symptoms helps you to get a sense of what to do next.

As you may have noticed, I have created a ton of resources of all of these areas. So if you need more help be sure to go through these links and the rest of the blog.

If you want a shortcut with the worksheets that can help you with your plans, check out the Melissa vs Fibromyalgia eBook and worksheet bundle.

There is a lot of information here, so the simplest way to get started is to choose ONE area and focus on that area only for the time being. Sleep is great. Yoga offers a toolkit that is not only practical but tackles loads of different areas at once. Or creating a symptom management toolkit is a great way to help you remember to do those things that help you every day.

Good luck friend and let us know how it goes.