If you have fibromyalgia, the pain, stiffness and fatigue can be especially hard to handle during a long workday. Read these expert tips to hold your own with fibromyalgia at work without exhausting your sick leave... This can also help you get just the right amount of zzz’s – about eight hours per night. “Too much can make it tough to get to sleep the next night,” he says. “And less than that can leave you feeling sluggish in the morning.” If necessary, it’s OK to make occasional use of natural sleep aids or a doctor-prescribed sleep medication, he says. (For more tips, read our article Losing Sleep Over Fibromyalgia?) 2. Dress for the office climate. “Cold can trigger inflammation, which increases pain and stiffness,” Dr. Lyster says. Even shivering can cause pain if you have fibromyalgia, she says. So keep a sweater or wrap at work for days when you’re feeling especially cold, or when the air conditioner is blowing too hard.
“Wear lightweight fabrics and dress in layers so you can stay comfortable no matter what the temperature,” Dr. Lyster says. That way, you can add or subtract items as needed. 3. Cushion your feet. Comfortable footwear can make a big difference. “Slip into sneakers or similar shoes whenever possible – like when you’re at your desk. They’ll keep your feet warm but properly supported,” says Amy Rice, an administrator and physical therapist at the Center for Pain Management in Indianapolis. 4. Take regular breaks. 5. Stretch your muscles. “Stretching helps ease the tension and stiffness in your muscles caused by fibromyalgia at work,” Dr. Lyster says. You should lightly stretch 3-4 times per day, “or whenever you feel stiff,” says Melissa Gutierrez, a yoga instructor in New York City. “Some simple modified yoga poses can help prevent your muscles from getting tight, whether you sit or stand all day at work,” she says. This modified Downward-Facing Dog pose, which makes use of a wall in your office, can help you stretch out your stiff back as well as core (abdominal) muscles, hips and thigh muscles, Gutierrez says.
Start by facing a wall, standing about 3 feet away. Stretch your arms out and lean toward the wall. Once your hands meet the wall, slide them down until they’re at waist height and your torso is parallel to the floor. Slide your feet back so they’re under your hips, creating a 90-degree angle. Push against the wall, stretch your back and breathe deeply. Hold long enough to take 1-2 slow, deep breaths. 6. Make your office fibro-friendly. 7. Don’t overdo things. 8. Rev up in the morning. 9. Keep heat on hand. 10. Manage your stress. How Much Do You Know About Fibromyalgia?Described by Hippocrates in ancient Greece, fibromyalgia is one of the world’s oldest medical mysteries. The disease – a complex illness marked by chronic muscle, tendon and ligament pain, fatigue and multiple tender points on the body – affects about 2% percent of Americans, most of them women. How much do you know about fibromyalgia? Take this quiz and find out.
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10 Products That Ease the Pain of Fibromyalgia Here's our gift guide featuring massagers, canes, and yoga DVDs to help ease the pain of headaches, muscle aches, low back pain, and fibromyalgia What it is: This therapeutic self-massager helps you apply pressure to trigger points, knotted muscle fibers that can increase chronic pain. Why it helps: The oddly shaped device, which resembles a wide cane with short, ball-capped branches, allows you to reach trigger points anywhere on your body. “A trigger point is an area of hyperirritability in a muscle, common in people with fibromyalgia,” Guenthner says. “You can push the little balls on the trigger point and hold the pressure for 30-90 seconds until you feel the tension release.” What it is: A regular handball, which you can buy in a sporting-goods store, provides another easy way to apply pressure to painful muscle aches. Why it helps: It’s portable and convenient. Guenthner suggests lying down, placing the ball under an irritable spot, and use your body weight to apply pressure for 30-90 seconds, until you feel the trigger point release.
3. Moist heating pad What it is: A pad that relaxes your muscle aches with soothing heat. Moist heating pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including rectangular ones for your back or oblong wraps for neck and shoulders. You can also get moist wraps for knees, ankles and elbows, and moist booties and mittens for aching feet and hands. Electric versions heat automatically; non-electric pads have sponge liners that you wet and then heat in a microwave. Why it helps: “Heat relaxes muscles, and moisture reduces the skin’s natural resistance to [absorbing] heat,” says Scott Glaser, M.D., an interventional pain physician in Chicago. “If you overuse heat, you can have permanent discoloration from increased blood flow to the skin,” Dr. Glaser says. Apply the pad to a painful spot on low heat for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Using these pads can be helpful before stretching painful muscles, observes Shannon Rock, an occupational therapist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“Moist heat increases blood flow to the area, which helps prepare the tissue for stretching,” she says. What it is: Another form of temperature therapy. Like heating pads, ice pads come in many shapes, including rectangles, cervical collars and shoulder, leg and foot wraps. Why it helps: “Ice is a great aid in controlling fibromyalgia pain in a localized area,” Dr. Glaser says. “The signals of cold from your temperature receptors crowd out pain signals.” Apply ice for no more than 20-30 minutes at a stretch, several times a day. Try it: Elasto-Gel Cervical Collar Wrap, www.icewraps.net What it is: Short for “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation,” it’s a device that sends harmless electrical current to muscle aches. Why it helps: “Sensations from the current crowd out input from the pain nerves,” Dr. Glaser says. A physical therapist can recommend a home unit and teach you how to use it correctly. 6. Knee and head pillow
What it is: Specially curved neck-support pillows and leg wedge pillows. Why it helps: If you’re lying on your side, placing a pillow between knees keeps legs separated and allows the spine to stay in a more neutral, comfortable position, Guenthner says. The same is true if you’re lying on your back and place a pillow under the knees. “It allows the joint to bend a little,” Guenthner says. “When the joint is fully extended, it puts more pressure on the joint and muscles, which increases pain.” Try it: Knee Lift Pillow; Better Neck Adjustable Memory Foam Cervical Pillow; While specialty pillows may be more comfortable, you can use any bed pillow, Guenthner says. 7. Lumbar support pillow What it is: A pillow that supports your lower back when you sit. Why it helps: “It keeps you in good spinal alignment [when you’re seated], so your back isn't too bent or arched, and your shoulders are directly over your hips,” Guenthner says. “If you slump, you put more strain on your muscles and body, which adds to muscle irritation.”
What it is: A gel keyboard pad that supports the wrists. Why it helps: If you’ve got fibromyalgia, even your wrist and arm muscles can hurt. “Fibromyalgia patients have a higher rate of carpel tunnel syndrome,” a painful nerve condition involving tingling and numbness in the hands and wrist, usually the result of repetitive movements, says Dr. Glaser. “A gel keyboard pad is a pain management tool that keeps wrists in a neutral position, which rests the muscles and tendons in the forearm [that extend] to the hand,” occupational therapist Rock says. 9. Lumbar support belt What it is: A wide belt that stabilizes the spine. Why it helps: It helps control pain by improving posture, protecting your back, and allowing knees and hips to do most of the work when lifting something. These belts can reduce back pain and chronic fatigue in people with fibromyalgia, Dr. Glaser says. But he advises wearing one no more than half the time you’re active to prevent spine muscles from weakening.
What it is: A plastic bench with an arm handle and back that allows you to sit in the shower. Why it helps: “People with fibromyalgia have chronic fatigue and muscle aches,” Rock says. “A shower bench [conserves] energy. If you have back or leg pain, it helps to be sitting rather than standing.” 11. Elevated toilet seat What it is: This seat clamps onto your regular toilet seat, lifting you about 6 inches higher than normal. Some models also have arms you can hold on to. Why it helps: The raised seat saves energy if you have pain in your legs. “It definitely makes it easier to get up and down,” Guenthner says. Try it: Medline Locking Elevated Toilet Seat With Arms, Medline What it is: This strange-looking contraption makes it easy to put on socks without bending over. You slip a sock over it, put your foot inside and pull on the long straps. Why it helps: “By using it, you prevent lumbar or hand strain,” Guenthner says. 13. Automatic can opener