Do you find that you fall down more with fibromyalgia? Do you bump into things as you walk? Feel unsteady and as if you no longer have good balance? You aren’t alone.
A 2013 study found that the majority of people with fibromyalgia report falling. This 2013 study followed 18 people with fibromyalgia for 6 months. 17 of them reported at least one fall.
On average they fell twice during the six months, and nearly fell three times. Are you surprised? I’m not. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d followed 18 healthy people for six months and found that 17 of them fell down at least once. Then again, maybe I think that people fall more because I’m used to tripping up the stairs.
The conclusion of this study really cracked me up. (paraphrased) “Nurses caring for Fibromyalgia patients should assess for fall risk.”
Do you fall more since you developed Fibromyalgia? Share on XThis isn’t the only study to examine this issue. Thankfully.
Fibromyalgia and Balance Issues
Another study from 2009 actually compared the fall risk and balance issues between patients with fibromyalgia and healthy people.
34 fibromyalgia patients were compared against 32 healthy people of about the same age. The examined both overall balance and the number of reported falls. Fibromyalgia patients had significantly impaired balance and (probably as a result) had lower confidence in their balance.
Fibromyalgia severity was correlated to balance issues – meaning those with worse fibromyalgia symptoms also had worse balance. Overall, the fibromyalgia patients in this study reported 27 falls over the course of the 6 month period, while the healthy people only reported 2!
That’s a pretty huge difference!
So, how often do you fall down? Have you found any tricks or tips to help keep you upright?
fibromyalgia patients have balance worsens along with other symptoms. #fibrosymptoms Share on X
How can you reduce the risk of falling with fibromyalgia?
Thankfully, there are things we can do to improve our balance and reduce the risk of falling with fibromyalgia.
1 . Slow down
Often with fibromyalgia we feel we are already moving too slow. That combined with feeling like we aren’t accomplishing as much as we’d like with our time, can often result in rushing to do things.
As hard as it may be to slow down even more, it’s necessary and it will not only help you reduce the risk of falling, it will also allow you to get more done while making fewer mistakes.
2 . Use assistive devices
Don’t be afraid to use tools and the help of others to help you move more easily, improve your balance, and reduce the risk of falling.
Whether you opt for a walking stick, a walker, or just a friend’s arm, grab onto something. Try to stay near walls or rails when they are available and use them to stabilize you as you move.
3 . Improve your balance
Activities like tai chi and yoga are both excellent not only for exercise but for helping you improve your balance. Tai Chi has also been repeatedly shown to reduce fibromyalgia symptoms overall.
4 . Choose appropriate footwear
You may find it helpful to wear shoes even when indoors to help you keep a solid connection to the ground. While some may find non-skid socks helpful, I find they are more likely to trip me up as they stick to the floor.
Pay attention to what you have on your feet when you lose your balance and see if there’s a common footwear item that may be adding to your balance frustrations.
5 . Clear the way
Make sure that there is always a clear path through your home so that you reduce your risk of tripping over random objects.
If you have kids who leave toys out enlist their help to keep the area clean so that you don’t trip. If you have pets that often get underway, you may need to find a way to keep them from underfoot.
6 . Keep your home well lit
Additional lighting may be necessary to help ensure that you can see your way clearly through your home. Light sensitivity can make this problematic but changing up the types of lights you use and their placement may help.
7. Remove tripping hazards
Area rugs, runners, and electric cords can be hazardous especially if you already have an increased risk of falling. If you are already at an increased risk of falling, don’t increase it further by keeping these items in your way.
Avoid rugs completely and tack up extension cords to the wall so that they are out of the way (or find placement for things so that they aren’t necessary).
8. Have rails and grab bars installed
Have grab bars installed in the bathroom to help you move about easily. Not only will they help you up from the toilet and assist you in and out of the bath, they will also give you an extra something to grab onto should you begin to fall.
If you don’t have rails on your porch steps or any steps in or outside of your home, have some installed.
Related:
- Symptoms and signs of fibromyalgia
- How can I get medicare disability with fibromyalgia?
- Light sensitivity, migraine, & fibromyalgia
- Neurological signature for fibromyalgia
Sources:
Jones, K. D., Horak, F. B., Winters, K. S., Morea, J. M., & Bennett, R. M. (2009). Fibromyalgia is associated with impaired balance and falls. Journal of clinical rheumatology: practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases, 15(1), 16.
Rutledge, D. N., Martinez, A., Traska, T. K., & Rose, D. J. (2013). Fall experiences of persons with fibromyalgia over 6 months. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(2), 435-448.
Valerie Purcell says
For me, I don’t have any surrounds issues (no stairs, no uneven ground, etc.). I’m not even dizzy 99+% of times. Often I am just standing there, or doing some low key activity and I just fall over. I just seem to fall over – A LOT, now-a-days. I’m approaching 60 & it seems to be getting worse, despite my pain being so much better on the Rx I’ve been taking. It’s weird. It’s so unpredictable.
Brenda Soto says
Great article.
Where I live, the ground is uneven so I use a hiking stick whenever I leave the house. Falls I have taken have added to the need for surgeries over the past number of years.
One thing that wasn’t mentioned is prescription meds. Many fibro patients are using medications which intensify the chance of falls. Everyone needs to check their meds! Then weigh the cost of staying on something that could cause unbalance and/or dizziness.
Verla says
Great content. Thanks for the link to the original research. Happy to see the ages are up to 69 (I think) from 21 years old. Falling is a risk we often dismiss until it happens. Thorough fall prevention strategy.
Cheryl says
When I was in the hospital with severe migraines and I said I had Fibromyalgia they right away categorized me as a fall risk.
Kathy says
A year ago, I was having a lot of problems with losing my balance unexpectedly and having dizzy spells. I attended a physical therapy balance program, which helped immensely. Just a thought if the above tips don’t help.
Julie says
Great tip. Good physical therapy can help with so many things. The program I went through a couple of times was targeted at fibromyalgia patients so they spent a lot of time focused on things like balance and proper posture, etc to help improve moving correctly to avoid further inflammation, pain, falling, etc.