Treatment plans for those with fibromyalgia are not of the “cookie cutter” variety. They are individually tailored to fit the specific symptoms for the particular patient being seen by the doctor. There will be one main treatment plan that your primary healthcare provider will devise with your input and then each of the medical team members will have their own treatment plan that is specific to the role that they play in your fibromyalgia treatment. Other medical team members may include other doctors and specialists, nutritionist or registered dieticians, chiropractors, occupational or physical therapists, and psychiatrists.

The goal of fibromyalgia treatment is to minimize the effect your fibromyalgia symptoms have on you and your life. The goal is also to improve your general health. One way of being able to develop a well-rounded treatment plan is to make use of “brain mapping”. Brain mapping is a diagnostic procedure that is used to help identify discomforts so that appropriate treatment can be determined. Symptoms for fibromyalgia can come and go and can also change in intensity over time. Treatment for the condition is an ever-changing and ongoing process. Your condition will progress and change and so should your treatment plan.

The procedure known as brain mapping uses abnormal electrical activity in your brain records them and uses a color-coded map of electrical brainwaves to pinpoint specific areas within your brain that are acting abnormally and may be contributing to your symptoms. It has been found that using brain mapping has been useful in reducing fatigue and pain symptoms in fibromyalgia patients.

Sometimes your doctor will ask you to explore various alternative treatments to see if you will respond in a positive way. Treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, trigger point injections, quaifenesin therapy and nerve blocks are all common therapies used in patients with fibromyalgia.

If sleeping problems are a part of your symptom history, your doctor may ask you to try progesterone therapy or other sleep treatment.

Hormone therapy including progesterone therapy has been used for 30 years to treat minor but common symptoms of fibromyalgia. Progesterone is a female hormone. It has been used to reduce irregular or heavy menstrual periods, and to reduce feelings of fatigue, reduce mood swings, and reduce fluid retention. Hormone therapy including using progesterone has been shown to be successful when treating symptoms of fatigue, reduced memory or concentration, depression, irritability, weight gain or fluid retention.

There seems to be a connection between not getting enough quality sleep and symptoms such as muscle pain and migraines so sleep therapy could be an important addition to your treatment plan. Fibromyalgia patients often are diagnosed with sleep apnea and treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), dental appliances, surgery, or bruxism. Sometimes restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a cause for sleepless nights. If that is the case then, dopaminergic agents, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, or opioids may be added to your treatment plan. Use caution when ever using medications, ask about risks and side effects before taking any medication.

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