WELCOME Glad you re here! 5 Steps for Fighting Fibro Flares and Getting Back to Your Day With Justine Cécile FYI: Make sure you get to know your Fit & Fab with Fibro family through the facebook forum! Visit: https://www.facebook.com/justinececilecoaching I am thrilled you downloaded this document. I want nothing more for you than for you to learn how to feel fantastic every day, and these five steps will help. These five steps can change your life. I can say from personal experience that by being aware of how my body and mind are reacting and when the onset of a Fibro Flare is coming on, by following these simple steps, I feel in control and feel physically and mental better more often. Fibromyalgia is real and is manageable, but once in a while you may experience the dreaded Fibro Flare. The steps outlined below will help you fight them off naturally so you can go on with your day. You may experience chronic pain all day - every day, often or maybe just once in a while. Fibromyalgia expresses itself differently for every person. However, a Fibro Flare is different. It is the sudden onslaught of many aches, pains, stinging needles, spasms and other imbalances. It is a wave of symptoms that overtakes you and can cause you
to not only experience a higher degree of pain and confusion, but set off anxiety over how bad will it get and how long will it last. Everyone with fibromyalgia has experienced these flare ups. And whenever they show up, they always ruin your plans. So what can you do in a pinch to help you move through a Fibro Flare? As long as you are still in the onset phase, here are 5 steps you can take just as you notice one building up steam; Step 1. If possible, remove yourself from the environment you are in and change your focus. For instance, if you are sitting at your desk and you feel your right should start to burn and the feeling of stinging needles begins, stand up and walk away from your desk. This is to distract your mind. Get your brain to focus on something other than the shoulder that is tightening up. I suggest preparing hot water for licorice or ginger tea and then head outside if possible or find a place where you can be alone for a few minutes. Step 2. Move your body, particularly the affected area. a. If you have shoulders and neck tightness try reaching down to touch your toes and then stand up extending your arms up and wide to expand the chest. Breathe in and you lean over and exhale as you stand up. Smile before coming back down. This may be hard to do the first couple of reps, but you will loosen up the shoulders and chest pretty quickly. b. If your legs are bothering you, try walking. But add in a skip or a hop here and there. The act of skipping helps to force more blood and oxygen into the legs as well as lift the spirit. You don t have to do this for long. Aim for 20 reps of touching your toes or two minutes of walking.
Step 3. Breathe and visualize for 2 5 minutes. I know you might be at work and don t have time for all of this, but try to get at least two minutes of this exercise in. It takes at least two minutes to switch your nervous system from a flight or fight response to the calm and repair mode. You can do this standing, sitting or even leaning over. Whatever feels best. I personally like hanging over leaning back against a wall for balance and releasing my hamstrings while doing this. It also sends more blood and oxygen to your brain helping it to calm down and produce more endorphins. Endorphins are opiate-like compounds produced by the body which can aid in decreasing stress both physically and mentally. Once in a comfortable position, breathe in slowly for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5, and then breathe out slowly for a count of 8. As you exhale visualize the muscles releasing and relaxing. Feel and know they are calming down. Repeat this for 2 5 minutes.
Step 4. Apply heat. You can use an instant heat patch or a reusable pad. You can also use a neck and shoulder wrap that is heated in a microwave. The patches and pads are less noticeable and usually stay hot/warm longer than the shoulder wraps. Keep the heat on as long as possible, before going to the next step. Step 5. Apply a Salonpas Pain Relief Patch. They can stay in place up to 8-10 hours and work wonders. They do have a strong smell at first, but it dissipates rather quickly. As an alternative to the Salonpas patch, you can also apply creams or gels such as dōterra s Deep Blue, an essential oil blend, or Biofreeze. If you re interested in learning more about essential oils, please contact me at client-services@justinececile.com. I can help you find a blend that works best for you. Keep the patches, pads and gels close at hand in the car and in your office for easy access. Follow up with the tea. Both licorice and ginger with lemon teas help to combat inflammation. These five steps are designed to lessen the degree, delay or even stop a Fibro Flare so you can get on with your day. But, if you are able, you should find a way to take more time to relax; slip into a hot bath with Epsom salt, magnesium oil and/or a blend of calming essential oils. Have a massage with a practitioner trained in cranial sacral therapy. Try acupuncture. Or just lie back on a heating pad with a good book and a cup of licorice or ginger tea. It s impossible to avoid Fibro Flares altogether, but if you catch them early often you can ease through them. Just remember that there are usually several factors involved in igniting a Flare, and it is worth your time and effort to look back and examine the environment you were in before the onset. You might be able to identify the triggers that sparked your current flare up, and avoid them in the future. And very often, flares occur when your body is trying to get your attention. They make you slow down and pay attention. So don t forget to ask yourself if you have been ignoring you lately.