I cannot remember a time when my body wasn't in pain. When I was young, I thought everyone's bodies felt this way. Aching all the time, craving massage, repellant to abrupt temperature change. I was thirteen when I was eventually diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is widespread musculoskeletal pain thought to be caused by over-active nerves. It took many doctors to finally reach this consensus. Most insisted I was just allergic to gluten or out of shape or needed more calcium. It's very rare for a child to have fibromyalgia, so I'm not a usual case.

However, none of those things would explain my tears at night when I could not sleep because the pain was so bad. Besides the constant pain, my other side effects include intense fatigue, headaches, nausea, and memory issues ('fibro fog"). There is no cure. However, if like me you live with this or other types of chronic pain, there are ways to cope with it.

#1: Massage

For me, massage has definitely been the most effective way to reduce my pain. I set aside money for a massage when the pain is practically unbearable. Other than that, a cheaper version is at home massage. There are objects you can use to roll out particularly sore muscles. If you don't want to buy one, you can also use a tennis ball.

#2: Heat

Baths are your best friend. For cleanliness purposes, I am a shower girl, but regardless I still take baths nearly daily. Add Epsom salt to help ease the aches. When just one area is flaring up the most, heating pads are also very useful.

#3: Medication

Though there is no cure for fibromyalgia, there are a few medications on the market to help ease symptoms. I won't make any recommendations, since each body chemistry is unique.

#4: Sleep

A symptom that affects me significantly is the fatigue that accompanies being in constant pain. I have to sleep around nine hours every night since my quality of sleep is so poor. However, the quantity is not most important but having a regular sleep pattern. Try to set a bedtime and wake-up time and stick to it. If you experience trouble actually getting to sleep and staying asleep, there are a few relaxation techniques. I spray my pillows and sheets with a eucalyptus and mint mist . You can also try ASMR or nature sounds.

#5: Aromatherpay

Like I said, the eucalyptus and mint spray is amazing. When I really need to relax and get my mind off of the pain, I light incense or diffuse lavendar oil.

#6: Exercise

Listen, exercising with chronic pain sucks. Like, really, really sucks. HOWEVER, once it stops sucking you will feel a million times better. Slowly integrate activities into your life. Something as simple as walking your dog can help. You just need to keep moving. It's easier if you can find something you genuinley enjoy. For me, that was cheerleading. Find something that works for you! (tip: yoga is a great starting point).