Healthy Living

How to Handle a Fibromyalgia Flare-Up

How to handle a setback

Many fibromyalgia patients disregard their flares in the initial phases of their condition, causing more painful flare-ups in the future. Resisting the effects of a flare-up only further disrupt the malfunction occurring in the body during the effects of fibromyalgia. It’s best to let the flare pass naturally, avoiding the repercussions of what could become a more serious condition. Researchers have found that it is not wise to fight a flare-up because “While you may manage to do this from time-to-time, you are actually doing yourself no favors at all. Your symptoms may subside slightly, but you will find that you don’t quite recover to the same level as before.”

Essentially, while fighting a fibromyalgia flare-up, the individual who is fighting this symptom of the condition is only growing weaker as a result of the strain that they put on themselves. Although unnecessary, this strain can be seen as an indication of something else coinciding with the condition, which could be will power. Flare-ups are seen as uncomfortable aspects of living with a chronic health condition, when in fact these symptoms are also an indication of larger issues. For instance, “a flare up is essentially your body’s way of saying it is not coping. If you keep on pushing, which is what I did for a long time, flares will occur more often and eventually your body will reach a point where it is in a constant flare.”

The flares themselves are egregious in how they rob others of comfort and leisure. Constant flares would drastically deplete the quality of life held by those with the condition of fibromyalgia, causing a less than desirable lifestyle.