Creating a Symptom Management Toolkit the Easy Way

Creating a symptom management toolkit is so important for helping us to get proactive with managing the myriad of symptoms that come with fibromyalgia. I share about this all the time.

We are in the the middle of the brain fog friendly series for the simplest way to manage 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 we are discussing targeting your symptoms.

Why is it last?

Because if you have done the rest of it right, this should be easier. (EasIER not easy).

Target your symptoms

First step: Make a daily symptom management plan (fatigue, pain) and a flare plan.

My top treatments are

• Low Dose Naltrexone
• Recovery Factors Supplement
• Yoga
• Pacing

If you need help with your toolkit, I made the Make Your Symptom Management Toolkit Micro Course here. It is the step by step guide to help you make your plan in the easiest way possible.

If you have started to work on sleep, reduce and remove perpetuating factors, and work on the bigger root causes, this should be the small daily bandages.

1. Write a list of all of the things that help you (if you need help, see some of the links above)
2. Put those things on a list and state when you will use them.
3. Then, create a list for when the symptoms suddenly get worse (a flare). These are your power moves that you save for when they are needed most. Learn more about flare plans here.
4. Use these lists as you need!

Number four might be the trickiest. Actually doing the things when you are in pain, exhausted, overwhelmed is hard. But having them written down will help you with that.

If you would like four side-effect free tools that can fit into your symptom management plans join this free challenge

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.