6 Ways to Manage Your Autoimmune Disease

If you suffer from an autoimmune disorder, you probably also struggle with chronic pain. The two often go hand in hand. I understand where you’re coming from as I suffered for decades with autoimmune pain. It wasn’t until I studied the body systems, autoimmune disease, integrative nutrition and digestive disorders that I understood how to take control of my condition. I learned I was not my diagnosis and I took control of my health by learning how to manage my pain, reduce my symptoms, put my disease in remission and even reverse my Fibromyalgia. While it is important to receive treatment from your doctor, you might also want to try these methods for managing your pain:

1. Changing Your Diet

Medication alone is not the only way for patients to manage their symptoms. Making dietary changes and learning how to create healthy eating habits can go a long way towards improving comfort.

Diets that promote increased intake of fruits and vegetables and minimize dairy, red meat and processed foods for those suffering from an autoimmune disorder can be a very effective tool for managing pain because it reduces inflammation.

Speaking with a doctor or consulting with a nutritionist, health coach other healthcare provider regarding any dietary changes that may be of benefit can allow patients to learn a great deal. Health Coaches can offer ongoing support and encouragement to help your changes turn into healthy habits for a lifetime. 

You may also want to try some specific diet plans under the guidance of an allied health professional. You will record your symptoms and see if you notice any changes. Some of these diet plans include:

Autoimmune protocol (AIP)

Gluten-free – 100% adherence is the only way this works

Low FODMAP

Ultimately, you want to reduce (remove) chemically processed, artificial pre-packaged food items and gravitate towards a whole food, plant-based diet with minimal animal products to decrease your overall inflammatory load and increase the amount of vital nutrients you are taking in to fuel your body’s cells and promote health and well-being.

2. Taking Prescription Drugs

While OTC drugs like NSAIDs can often be very effective at reducing pain to a more manageable level, there are several autoimmune diseases which may call for stronger medications. Prescription-strength drugs are typically far more powerful than OTC medications, but these drugs require the approval of a doctor.

There are many different categories of prescription-strength pain killers as well as other classes of drugs that may be able to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms and general discomfort.

Many prescription pain management medications can be habit forming, especially when taken regularly, and patients would be wise to work closely with their doctor or healthcare provider to ensure all drugs are taken safely and effectively.

3. Taking OTC Drugs

While there are many natural ways to help manage your autoimmune disease pain, you should always talk to your doctor about these options, especially if you are trying to incorporate more natural remedies to your prescription pain management plan.

Pain killers that can be purchased without a prescription can often be an important resource for those who are struggling to manage the frequent pain and long-term discomfort caused by autoimmune diseases and other medical conditions. Most of these medications fall into a category known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and often have less side effects than prescription drugs.

Although typically safe for general use, those who are interested in incorporating NSAIDs and other OTC medications into their pain-management strategy should first consult a doctor. Finding the best medications, fine-tuning the dosage and ensuring that OTC drugs are being taken safely are never concerns that should go overlooked.

Speaking with a doctor before taking an OTC medication can be especially important for patients who suffer from drug allergies and those who may be taking other medications which cannot be safely combined. This goes for natural/herbal remedies as well.

4. Lifestyle Changes

While proper diet and regular exercise are both essential to good health, there are other lifestyle changes that could have a positive impact on symptoms and comfort levels. Good sleeping habits can go a long way towards improving comfort, boosting energy levels and ensuring that efforts to reduce pain and manage symptoms are met with greater success. The average person should aim for 8 hours of sleep per night. Those with autoimmune conditions should shoot for 9-10 hours of sleep, if possible. Our bodies do the most healing and repair during our sleeping hours.

Even making an effort to drink more water can be of potential benefit, especially for conditions and medical issues which may be complicated by inadequate hydration. A rule of thumb for adequate hydration, drink half your body weight in ounces daily. So a 200 pound man should drink 100 ounces of water in a day.

Finding ways to reduce and manage stress levels in order to promote greater relaxation can also be helpful. Prayer, meditation, journaling, engaging in a spiritual practice or playing music have all proven to be beneficial ways to channel energy and reduce stress.

5. Alternative Medicine

There are numerous care providers who may be able to offer a range of services to assist those who suffer from an autoimmune disorder. Chiropractic care can often make a real difference for those who suffer from arthritis or related conditions. Treatment options like acupuncture could greatly improve the level of comfort that sufferers will be able to enjoy. Ayruvedic Medicine is another approach to mind, body, wellness that incorporates ancient healing modalities and herbal therapies in an effort to reduce symptoms and improve health and wellness.

While there are no treatments, alternative or otherwise, that can cure autoimmune disorders, regular visits to a masseuse or herbal remedies could end up being valuable tools for those who are seeking to create and implement a more effective pain-management strategy.

6. Getting More Physical Activity

You may think that because of your autoimmune disease you won’t get a lot of exercise, but the opposite is actually true. Staying fit and active is another way that sufferers may be able to minimize flare-ups and ensure that their other efforts to manage and reduce pain are able to be as effective as possible.

Regular exercise can help to alleviate the inflammation which causes pain and the right workout routine can even allow suffers to train their body's natural pain response in order to further minimize discomfort.

Yoga, swimming and other low-impact workout options can often be ideally suited to those who have medical conditions which may limit range of motion or leave sufferers unable to engage in certain types of activities. Simply taking a walk off and on throughout the day to keep circulation moving and the body and mind active can have benefits too! A body in motion stays in motion.

You of course should always listen to your body and not overdo it. If you are having a day with a lot of pain and fatigue, take it easy and practice self-care. Focus more on physical activity when you are having a good day. Try Epsom salt baths to soothe aches and pains and refresh your spirit when feeling overwhelmed or experiencing lots of pain.

Hopefully you have discovered a few tips here to help you manage your autoimmune disease and to take precious care of yourself. Remember, you are NOT your diagnosis. You deserve to enjoy life and if that means taking it easy on yourself and listening to your body more, well that's something we all should be doing now isn't it?