Treating Fibromyalgia

Physical and Behavioral Therapies

• Physical therapy (gradual aerobic exercise and stretching regimen)
• Application of heat to painful areas
• Massage, acupuncture, relaxation training may be helpful
• Trigger point therapy for co-existing myofascial trigger points
• Biofeedback
• Cognitive behavioral therapy

Lifestyle Changes

• Eating a healthful diet
• Learning to cope with physical and mental stress
• Regular, moderate, low-impact exercise with your doctor's approval
  • Try gentle exercise that does not strain painful areas, such as:
    • Walking
    • Biking
    • Swimming, preferably in warmer water
• Regular stretching exercises
• Maintaining a regular sleep schedule

A team of experts studied fibromyalgia and recommended the following:

• Approach that focuses on medication and other treatments
• Heated pool treatments with or without exercise
• Individual exercise programs
• Cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of counseling
• Other therapies (eg, massage, relaxation, physical therapy)
• Tramadol, paracetamol, or other weak opioids
• Antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, duloxetine, milnacipran, moclobemide, pirlindole)
• Medications for pain relief (eg, tropisetron, pramipexole, pregabalin)