Ease fibromyalgia with stress management

Fibromyalgia and stress are a bad combo—see what you can do to avoid flare-ups.

Smooth rocks sit on bamboo in a Zen garden, a relaxing place to practice fibromyalgia stress management and ease flare-ups.

Updated on March 1, 2021.

Fibromyalgia pain and fatigue can be—needless to say—stressful. This can set you up for a vicious cycle because increased stress can make fibro symptoms worse and rob you of sleep. So, if you have fibromyalgia, it's important to find ways to break the cycle. Employing a few simple stress-management techniques can get you there. 

  • Massage for fibromyalgia: Although the findings are mixed on whether massage helps with fibromyalgia pain, it can help reduce stress. In fact, a recent study of fibromyalgia patients showed that mood, sleep, physical comfort and overall quality of life might be improved with some forms of massage. 
  • Mindfulness training: Meditation, deep breathing exercises and progressive relaxation techniques may reduce not only chronic pain, according to research, but also the stress and anxiety that can come with it. 
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This type of talk therapy teaches people how to use positive self-talk to change negative thoughts and behaviors so that they develop more helpful and less stressful responses to problems. For people with fibromyalgia, it can help them change their thoughts and beliefs about their ability to cope with fibromyalgia stress, as well as fatigue, pain and insomnia. 
  • Exercise: Staying active can help reduce fibromyalgia pain. But almost as important, it can help reduce stress and anxiety and may also improve sleep.

More On

Is Fibromyalgia Genetic?

video

Is Fibromyalgia Genetic?
Fibromyalgia remains a mysterious disease. In this video, family medicine specialist Dr. Jennifer Caudle explains what researchers think about about w...
How does it feel to have fibromyalgia?

article

How does it feel to have fibromyalgia?
Learn more about the journey from saying "I have fibromyalgia" to feeling like yourself again.
8 ways to get more exercise when you have fibromyalgia

slideshow

8 ways to get more exercise when you have fibromyalgia
Try these expert-backed tips to fit more physical activity into your day.
How Is Fibromyalgia Triggered?

video

How Is Fibromyalgia Triggered?
Fibromyalgia sometimes seems to strike out of nowhere. In this video, family medicine specialist Dr. Jennifer Caudle talks about what researchers beli...
Does stress make fibromyalgia symptoms worse?

video

Does stress make fibromyalgia symptoms worse?
Fibromyalgia has many triggers that are different for each patient, but stress is one that affects many people. Family medicine physician Jennifer Cau...