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3. Hot and Cold Therapy
Simple heat and cold packs can do wonders for a fibro flare, as long as you know how to use them. Fibromyalgia leads to severely knotted muscles in very specific areas, and knotted muscles need a different approach than merely sore muscles. First, you need to relax the muscle gently so it can be stretched (this is where the heat comes in), and then numbed a bit with a cold pack to constrict the blood vessels, reducing the pain and swelling. In other cases, either heat or cold alone can be useful: muscle spasms typically respond better to hot, but inflammation should only be treated with a cold pack.
If you’ve been struggling with symptoms, consider the benefits of having a pet and how they counter the physical and emotional problems you face every day.