How to Treat Fibromyalgia with Guided Imagery

Many patients with fibromyalgia turn to alternative medicine for treating their disease. They might try things such as herbal remedies, acupuncture, and even guided imagery. What exactly is guided imagery, how does it help fibromyalgia, and does it work? Guided
imagery is a natural means of treating fibromyalgia.

Guided Imagery

Imagine guided imagery as being a dream state wide awake. In guided imagery, the participant takes a guided imagery tour, directed either by a person serving as a guide or via a CD recording. Generally, a patient with fibromyalgia is asked to find a relaxing spot, either in a reclining position, such as an arm chair, or lying down on the floor. Eyes should be closed to enhance relaxation. The person or audio recording will remind the patient to relax and will guide her through relaxation techniques. The person with fibromyalgia is guided to visualize imagery while on this “guided tour.”

Benefits

Fibromyalgia is often made worse by stress, resulting in more severe muscle aches and general pains. Guided imagery serves well to reduce this stress by taking the patient on a relaxed imagery tour, where muscles can relax during the session. It is considered to be a natural or alternative treatment for fibromyalgia. By participating in guided imagery, a patient with fibromyalgia can learn to relax his muscles and body’s response to stress. This can be used on a personal basis later in the person’s life to help reduce stress and relax muscle groups. There are CDs that can be bought for a fibromyalgia patient to use at home.

According to the Academy for Guided Imagery, there are added benefits to using guided imagery as an option for fibromyalgia. Some of these include less stress,improved immune function, and relief of depression. The Academy for Guided Imagery states several studies that show that guided imagery is effective in treating fibromyalgia. One study in particular was conducted in 2006. A group of fibromyalgia patients received guided imagery or cognitive therapy.
Another group received operant – behavioral therapy or therapy meant to change lifestyle and stress. Both groups of fibromyalgia patients were given surveys at six and 12 months.The two groups reported improvement in pain and general functioning on both surveys. It is encouraging that the guided imagery group received as much improvement as the more tradition treated group. More consideration should be given for using guided imagery to treat fibromyalgia,

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