Healthy Habits: Tips to Combat Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain

 Did you know that Fibromyalgia affects more than 4 million Americans? That is about 2% of the adult population in the U.S. 

With the start of May comes the start of Fibromyalgia Awareness Month… a month to raise awareness and educate others about Fibromyalgia and the effects it has on those struggling through it.

Jaya Jaya Myra, former immunologist turned mind-body wellness expert and bestselling author, battled debilitating Fibromyalgia and chronic pain for years before discovering holistic, fully natural methods to combat and completely heal herself and life. Now, she doesn’t have a trace of fibro anymore and rarely (if ever) gets sick, either!

“Fibromyalgia is not a lifetime illness, or something insurmountable, even though it can feel that way. After allopathic medicine failed me, I found natural ways to reclaim my life and health and I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. Small, simple changes to mind-body wellbeing can go a very long way to reclaiming your health.” says Jaya Jaya Myra. 

Here are Jaya Jaya Myra’s top 5 mind-body tips to combat fibromyalgia and chronic pain in daily life

Tip #1: Ditch the Dairy 
Dairy products all cause a tremendous amount of inflammation in the body. Even if eating dairy doesn’t cause GI problems or bloating, it’s a major culprit for brain fog, headaches and body pain in general. Try replacing dairy products with a vegan alternative and you’ll likely notice a huge difference in how your body feels.

Tip #2: Adapt a Daily Mindfulness or Meditation Practice
Meditation and mindfulness not only reduce stress and promote calm, but they also help to balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Oftentimes, people struggling with chronic pain have their sympathetic nervous system kicked into overdrive, which keeps the parasympathetic nervous system, the one responsible for rest, healing and regeneration, switched off. Balancing the two can help the body heal itself and reduce pain and fatigue naturally. I attribute meditation to over 85% of my journey healing from fibromyalgia and highly recommend it to anyone suffering from chronic pain.

Tip #3: Adaptogenic Herbs for Adrenal Support
Both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine have adaptogenic herbs that are very useful for helping support the adrenals and anything else in the body that needs some extra support. Adaptogenic herbs have a host of benefits and basically help wherever help is needed. Oftentimes, people battling fatigue need extra adrenal support, and herbs like reishi, chaga and ashwagandha can help tremendously! So can ditch things that tax the adrenals like excessive caffeine and refined sugar. 

Tip #4: Move, Every Single Day
It’s important to get up and move, every single day! This doesn’t mean doing an intense aerobic workout either. A short walk, daily yoga and other simple things can help improve overall mind body wellbeing that helps the physical body feel better too. Make to get outside, get some fresh air and get moving each day. This helps keep the head clear and relieve pains in the body.

Tip #5: Cultivate Purpose and Beauty in Life
There is a direct connection between purpose and health, both mental health and physical health. Not only can finding and living your purpose support hormones and immune health, but it also increases energy and motivation. It’s important to create beauty and meaning in life, and this should never be underestimated because these intangible concepts have very tangible connections to physical health and wellness. The more beauty you create, the healthier you will become.