Is it really possible to be comfortable with fibromyalgia? Not really, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make yourself as comfortable as possible. Suffering from fibromyalgia is a hard thing to get through with all of the chronic pain throughout your body, and becoming comfortable will be difficult. But by choosing the right clothes and bedding among other times, you should hopefully be able to comfort yourself as much as you can in the day and night.
Pillows and Bedding
You need to sleep comfortably at night. Even for people who don’t suffer from fibromyalgia, this is critically important. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll be more likely to develop the flu or cold, will be unable to produce antibodies, increase your chances of developing heart disease, and will make any current chronic pains or diseases you have considerably worse.
Anyone who has suffered from fibromyalgia will tell you that waking up in the morning is equal to enduring the worse pain. You have a loss of balance, you’re tired and stiff, and the fibromyalgia symptoms flare up the most. If you don’t want to feel in this way in the morning in addition to getting a good night’s sleep, there are some things you should know about bedding.
Many mattresses and bedding materials produced today are permeated with fire retardant chemicals. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the makers for most bedding materials probably didn’t have fibromyalgia patients in mind. The fibers on fire retardant materials can aggravate your skin, and pads such as pillows with synthetics will only deliver the same results.
A fibromyalgia patient should sleep on bedding and pillows that give support to the fibromyalgia pressure points (located primarily on the neck, chest, shoulders, elbows, lower back, and knees). This will regulate your body temperature and result in no chemicals irritating you. But what kind of material should you use?
The answer is wool that is both organic and natural. This differs from synthetic materials that are not natural and not breathable. Organic wool has natural fibers that will allow your skin to breathe while also keeping you warm. When used as a bedding material, it will prevent skin irritation.
Though organic and natural wool is probably your best bet, excellent alternatives are cashmere, alpaca, silk, or cotton. All of these materials are very soft and natural. Your body temperature will adjust to them and your pressure points will be supported. The only thing to watch out for is to make sure that you aren’t allergic to any of the materials.
Clothing
Anyone can get hot and cold during the day, but it’s an even bigger issue for patients with fibromyalgia. This is because the internal temperatures of fibromyalgia patients aren’t the same thing as everyone else. For example, whereas a person without fibromyalgia may only be swearing a long sleeve shirt for protection from some chills, a patient with fibromyalgia may have a full jacket or coat on.
Patients with fibromyalgia have to be very careful about control their temperature. They should lawyer accordingly and put on and take off certain layers throughout the day. For example, start out with a simple T-shirt, and then add a sweatshirt, then a jacket, and then a coat when you get cold. When you begin to feel warm, peel off a lawyer.
Fibromyalgia patients can swell throughout the day. As a result, your clothes should never be tight. Wear clothes that are either loose or can stretch. This will ensure that you’re as comfortable as possible when it comes to wearing clothes.
In addition to being particular about the clothes during the way you wear, you should also be conscientious about the pajamas or nightwear you put on as well. While having proper bedding is important, so is having proper nightwear. For instance, you should not wear heavy pajamas. Even for instances where you feel very cold at night, heavy pajamas will make you noticeably uncomfortable. Go for light pajamas that allow your skin to breathe. In order to stay warm, simply use plenty of blankets. Following the clothing rule, you can add or take off layers of blankets as you see ft during the night. It’s a whole lot easier to pull off or on a blanket instead of having to change pajamas in the night.
Last but not least, when it comes to clothes, you’ll need a good pair of shoes. Considering that you use your feet to get around every day and your feet are carrying all of the weight, you need a good pair of shoes to support that weight. Any problems that develop in your feet can lead to a multitude of problems, such as poor posturing and aching in your body. Purchase a pair of shoes that are properly fitted and that feel very comfortable. A type of shoe that seems to work well for many people with fibromyalgia is slip-ons.
Decrease the Weight You Carry
An additional tip that you should pay close attention to is to decrease the amount of weight you carry every day. Whether it’s a purse, a backpack or a suitcase, decrease the weight. Yes, it’s convenient to carry everything you need with you. But carry a lot of weight around puts a lot of strain and stress on your body and will do nothing to alleviate the pain that comes with fibromyalgia symptoms. On the contrary, it will likely make the pain worse. Poor balance, posturing and neck cramps are just a few of the things that can develop with carrying a lot of weight around.
To lessen the weight you carry, only take your essentials with you. Things you can do without should be kept in your car so you can take a short trip over when you need them. Hopefully during work, you’ll be allowed to go to your car whenever you need to.
Further reading
A new nonpharmacological method in fibromyalgia: the use of wool:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19388862
Clothes and Bedding for Fibromyalgia:
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