Stress and Fibromyalgia

It is not known if stress alone can cause fibromyalgia, but it is known to make it worse. Most fibromyalgia patients are chronic “over doers.” It has been noted that many of the young women diagnosed with fibromyalgia lead busy, tense and stressful lives. Also men who are chronic “over doers” and have occupational strain are susceptible to fibromyalgia, even though women are more often affected. There is a vicious cycle between stress and the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia. Stress can make the pain of fibromyalgia unmanageable and in turn can cause more stress and anxiety.

A person suffering from fibromyalgia needs to learn their boundaries and get much needed rest. Studies have shown that early life stress, such as the loss of a parent or childhood abuse can predict chronic pain and fibromyalgia. The pain may be manageable in relaxed conditions, but much worse under stressful conditions. Your body can even manifest physical pain when you are mentally stressed. Some suggestions for reducing stress when dealing with fibromyalgia are doing some sort of light physical activity, like taking a walk, listening to relaxing music, helping someone else to get your mind off your own problems, and learning to just say “no.” This may involve canceling unnecessary activities that cause stress, especially when you are at your limit.

Identifying stressful situations in your daily life and working on ways to make them less stressful can help. Seeing a counselor or going to a stress management class may help you to cope with stressful situations that, in turn, cause the pain to increase.