21 Natural Ways to tackle Fibromyalgia

First, I recommend that you go to your doctor and get exmanined, have blood tests and get a prescription. While under the control of your physician, you can contribute to your fibromyalgia treatment by following the steps below.

How to increase your response to treatment and end your pain:  

1.Exercise

All aerobic activities that increase the heart rate using large muscle groups. Aerobic exercise is an effective way to reduce pain and fibromyalgia symptoms. Walking is the best; the easiest and the most natural exercise. Fibromyalgia patients get easily tired and their fatigue lasts longer; only walking for at least 1 to 2 months without trying strenous exercise is a better idea. When the pain decreases and fatiguegets better; running, swimming, cycling, dancing, zumba and all the other activities are beneficial. Exercise, increases serotonin dopamine levels, reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, reduces appetite, helps to lose weight and reduces insulin resistance.  

2.Practice yoga and meditation

Yoga raises serotonin, dopamine, GABA and BDNF levels. Together with meditation and breathing exercises, yoga also reduces sympathetic dominance by activating the vagus nerve and parasympathetic system. It helps your sleep, reduces your depressive symptoms, pain and fatigue.

3.Do your office stretching every day

The biggest problem of students and office labourers are sitting at their desk for hours leading to bad posture, neck, shoulder and back pain. Patients who do 5-minute stretching and strengthening regularly every day will see a 50% reduction in their pain at the end of 10 weeks.

4.Spend time in nature under the sun

Your vitamin D levels and serotonin levels will increase, you will be surrounded by probiotic bacteria.

5.Consume quality animal protein

The protein, amino acids, glutamine, taurine, tryptophan content  will be good for pain and serotonin metabolisms. Fish and seafood also reduce inflammation with their Omega-3.

6.Go gluten free

Consuming gluten/wheat increases your pain by causing leaky gut, increasing inflammation, causing insulin resistance, and disrupting the balance of intestinal bacteria and fructose/fructan intolerance, resulting in increased inflammation throughout the body and changes in serotonin metabolism.

7.Do not consume mono sodium glutamate and aspartame

These food additives and artificial sweeteners, increase the excitability of the brain and cause increased pain and reduce sleep quality. Aspartame also disrupts serotonin metabolism by competing with tryptophan.  

8.Minimize your sugar and refined carbohydrate intake

All simple carbohydrates are sugar; they cause insulin resistance, increase inflammation, neuro-inflammation and pain. Sugar and sugary foods also disrupt the balance of intestinal bacteria and cause leaky gut.

9.Consume less Omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids

Omega-6 fatty acids, taken at the same amount with omega 3 fat the body do not harm the body. However, the ratio can be up to 30 times in the Western diet; this is where the problems come from. Omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation and lay ground for many chronic diseases, cause atherosclerosis and widespread pain. Patients who reduce the consumption of Omega-6 see reductions in their pain severity. Omega-6 can come from trans fats, refined seed oils, poultry and meat from grain fed animals.  

10.Consume Omega-3 and Omega-9 unsaturated fatty acids

Omega-3 and Omega-9 unsaturated fatty acids reduce inflammation, leading to better pain control. Eat plenty of olives, olive oil, oily cold water fish, shellfish, walnuts, avocados and nuts.  

11.Eat plenty of vegetables

The non-digestible fibers we consume feed our intestinal bacteria. The higher your fiber intake, the more beneficial intestinal bacteria. Your serotonin levels increase, your intestinal permeability decreases. In addition, the indole-3 carbinol content in the cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage family contributes to the reduction of pain in patients with fibromyalgia. Vegetables are also an important source of antioxidants and phytonutrients, good for you, your bacteria and your mitochondria.

12.Eat foods with high antioxidant and phytonutrient content

Foods with high antioxidant and phytonutrient content reduce oxidative stress while contributing to the growth of intestinal bacteria. Don’t forget to include broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, red grapes, currants, other grapes, red onions, okra, asparagus, cocoa / chocolate, mulberry and vine leaves in your diet.

13.Get your Magnesium

Magnesium. Takes part in protein synthesis, DNA and RNA synthesis, neurotransmitter synthesis for intercellular communication, transmission between muscle and nerve cells, use of glucose, production of energy and antioxidant glutathione production. Magnesium-containing foods are: green leafy vegetables, red meat, offal, nuts (especially pumpkin seeds), saltwater fish, yoghurt and kefir, legumes, avocado, okra, dried fruits, bananas and bitter chocolate.  

14.Get your selenium

Selenium is an anti-oxidant mineral that has important functions in the immune system and thyroid. Increasing selenium levels in patients with chronic pain and fibromyalgia helps. Apart from chronic pain, low selenium can cause fatigue, brain fog, thyroid gland dysfunction, hair loss and frequent viral diseases. Best sources of selenium are: Egg yolk, fish, shellfish, sunflower seeds, nuts (especially Brazil nuts and cashews), red meat, liver, turkey / chicken, legumes, spinach, bananas and mushrooms.  

15.Get your Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid we get from the proteins we eat, it used for the serotonin production. Tryptophan deficiency causes serotonin metabolism disorders, fibromyalgia, diffuse pain, migraine, sleep disorders and depression. Tryptophan is mostly found in animal products: red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, bone broth. You can get tryptophan from pumpkin seeds, nuts and legumes.

16.Take vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 is the cornerstone of serotonin metabolism; Low levels cause low serotonin levels; causing depression, crankiness and pain. Vitamin B6 is present in all animal protein-containing foods alonside with tryptophan; vegetarians or vegans can also support their serotonin metabolism by consuming bananas, legumes, carrots, spinach and whole grain foods.

17.Consume fermented food

Yogurt, kefir, fermented pickles, kombu tea, miso soup, sauerkraut; the common feature of all of them is that they are plenty of probiotic beneficial bacteria. Useful bacteria directly stimulate the production of serotonin in the intestine and elevate the levels of serotonin in the blood and brain.

(Patients with histamine entolerance can pass this item)  

18.Drink green tea

Green tea is good for serotonin and GABA levels which help you’re your fibromyalgia pain.

(Patients histamine entolerance should not overdo it)  

19.Reduce alcohol and coffee consumption

Alcohol and coffee, reduces the sensitivity of serotonin receptors, increases sympathetic dominance and cause a stress response, disrupt sleep quality and cause DAO inhibition. Alcohol also causes leaky gut, which can contribute to your pain.

20.Do some gardening

Bacteria in the soil halps increase the levels of serotonin. Gardening is also an aerobic activity. You will also be meditating by staying at the moment during your time spent enjoying your gardening.

21.Get a massage

Body massages increase the levels of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin in the body. When all these neurotransmitter levels are increased, the pain decreases and the sleep gets better.