What Are My Treatment Options for Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition associated with widespread pain and tenderness, along with sleep problems, fatigue, and issues with memory and concentration, sometimes referred to as “fibro fog.” While researchers don’t know what causes fibromyalgia, they do know it tends to run in families, it’s more common among women, and it also happens more often among people with autoimmune diseases and mood disorders.

There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but its symptoms can be managed with the right combination of therapies. At Revival Infusion Madison, Sarah Wilczewski, CRNA, APNP, offers ketamine infusions to manage the condition, relieve pain, and improve the patient’s overall quality of life. 

Learn more about ketamine infusion therapy, as well as other options that can help you manage your symptoms more effectively.

Medications

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition, and several medications help patients find relief. Depending on your symptoms, you might benefit from over-the-counter pain medication, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. 

Because fibromyalgia is often associated with depression, antidepressants may improve those symptoms and help you sleep better, too. Muscle relaxants and anti-seizure medications work by reducing muscle- and nerve-related pain.

Physical therapy

You may not think exercising is a good idea if you're sore and achy. However, low-impact aerobics can help your symptoms by improving circulation, reducing muscle stiffness, and improving your coping skills so that pain feels less intense and invasive. 

Therapists customize every routine, including activities most likely to help you find relief. Many people also find that combining physical therapy with medication helps.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can be beneficial in learning how to manage the stress of dealing with a chronic illness, and it can also help with the cognitive symptoms of fibromyalgia. 

During therapy, you’ll learn stress-reduction techniques, along with tips on how to improve your sleep and improve overall coping skills. Regular therapy can also help you manage symptoms of depression and anxiety that often accompany fibromyalgia.

Ketamine infusion therapy

Traditionally used as an anesthetic, today ketamine is widely used to help patients manage both chronic pain and mood disorders, like depression and anxiety. Infusion therapy uses doses far lower than those used for anesthetic purposes.

Ketamine works on nerve receptors involved in pain signaling and mood regulation. It also helps establish new nerve pathways to help “rewire” your natural pain responses to reduce fibromyalgia symptoms. Improved nerve activity can also help dispel brain fog symptoms, enhancing memory and mental clarity.

Infusion therapy is performed on an outpatient basis in our office and takes about an hour. During that time, you’ll recline and relax while the IV infusion delivers your custom dose of ketamine.

Find relief for your fibromyalgia symptoms

Managing fibromyalgia can be challenging, but with the right combination of treatments, you can find a solution to help you feel better and enjoy an improved quality of life. To find out how ketamine infusion therapy can play a role in your treatment, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Revival Infusion Madison in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, today.