Coping with Fibromyalgia During the Holiday Season

When the holidays come around, many look forward to finally relax and unwind after all the stress that they have felt over the past year. But, for some who have fibromyalgia, this can be difficult and the feeling of fatigue that they often feel can be inescapable. Whether it's a holiday or not, they can feel it whenever and wherever. Sometimes, this feeling can even debilitate them enough to stay home rather than spend time and celebrate with their families and friends.

This chronic pain disorder known as fibromyalgia has been affecting people’s lives since the early 1800s. ^[1] General fatigue, the widespread pain felt in the muscle and bone, and tender points are among its most common symptoms. It can also cause depression, headaches, troubles with sleeping, and much more that can absolutely bother and cause more pain to the person. However, fibromyalgia doesn’t have any cure. To manage the pain caused by the condition, it is better to take medications, change lifestyles, and take care of oneself to reduce the symptoms.

Most people relax during the holidays by traveling to places or by reuniting with their families, but for people who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, holidays can be hard because of their painful symptoms. Though the day of can be relaxing, leading up to a holiday and preparing for it can be stressful. Some patients wind up staying in their room to rest because of the disease's intense symptoms. With all the pain and exhaustion that the illness can cause, possible solutions to reduce it can become harder to achieve. However, fibromyalgia is already there and happiness is not. So, to a relaxing and pleasant holiday with fibromyalgia, here are some few things that might help the patients:

Being stress-free during the Christmas season

Having an illness like fibromyalgia can bring headaches and other aches in the muscles and joints of several patients. However, they should not feel defeated from this illness for it will cost them even more stress. With the holidays around the corner, baking some treats and preparing the house decor might be a good way to relax if patients feel up to the task to adorning their rooms with the bright Christmas colors. Decorating the house with colorful lights and assembling the Christmas tree can be a good start. Also, baking treats like cookies and pies can be entertaining, particularly when it comes to decorating them with icing.

With a little bit of tiptoeing to put a star at the tree’s peak and bending over to check the treats inside the oven, stretching is already being done. According to the randomized controlled trial conducted by the Department of Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy of University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, stretching the muscles is the best aid to improve the quality of life of fibromyalgia patients. ^[2]

The internet is very broad that Christmas designs for the house’s interior and ideas on what foods to serve are easy to search with just one click. Christmas should be celebrated joyfully, and it can start by being ready and planning your stress-free holiday! And, if you need assistance, maybe a family member and a friend can also help to relieve any stress that you may feel.