Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWaistbandsBrasSocksFabric
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Waistbands
Bras
Socks
Fabric
Fibromyalgiacan make your skin sensitive to the clothes you wear.For some people with this condition, the simple scraping of fabric against the skin can set off burning sensations or sharp, stabbing pains. This reaction is known asmechanical allodynia.
Bras, waistbands, ties on bathrobes, or anything that places pressure on your skin can triggerfibromyalgia pain. The pain may be generalized (all over) or be limited to areas around yourtender points.
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images
Loosen the Waistband
Find the Right Bra
An underwire bra may support you nicely, but if you have fibromyalgia, it may cause more grief than gratification. Here are some alternatives to consider:
Consider getting a bra fitting. Many women either underestimate or overestimate their cup size. Both cause trigger pain if a bra is too tight (and places excessive pressure on the skin) or too loose (and rubs back and forth against the skin).
Inflammation Relief If You Have Fibromyalgia
Wear the Right Socks
While many people with fibromyalgia have chronically cold feetand will buy long heavy socks to keep them warm, it is important to remember that tender points are often centered around the inner knee.
Placing pressure on these points, particularly with elastic socks, can end up triggering pain in the same way as a tight waistband.
There are several ways to overcome this:
The 8 Types of Fibromyalgia Pain
Select Softer Fabrics
The texture and weight of a fabric can make a big difference if you have fibromyalgia. Heavy wools may look fashionable and keep you warm, but, over the course of a day, can drive you mad with their abrasive texture.
Some of the better fabric options include:
Look for shirts with the tags printed on the fabric instead of sewn in. If there are tags, cut them off and trim any loose edges.
How Fibromyalgia Is Treated
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Lastly, if you’re in the privacy of your own home, take off everything that’s not comfortable and find something that is. More is often less when it comes to dressing for fibromyalgia.
What to Eat When You Have Fibromyalgia
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lolignier S, Eijkelkamp N, Wood JN.Mechanical allodynia.Pflugers Arch. 2015;467(1):133-9. doi:10.1007/s00424-014-1532-0Rowe PC, Underhill RA, Friedman KJ, et al.Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis and management in young people: a primer.Front Pediatr.2017;5:121. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00121Larson AA, Pardo JV, Pasley JD.Review of overlap between thermoregulation and pain modulation in fibromyalgia.Clin J Pain.2014;30(6):544-55. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e3182a0e383
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lolignier S, Eijkelkamp N, Wood JN.Mechanical allodynia.Pflugers Arch. 2015;467(1):133-9. doi:10.1007/s00424-014-1532-0Rowe PC, Underhill RA, Friedman KJ, et al.Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis and management in young people: a primer.Front Pediatr.2017;5:121. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00121Larson AA, Pardo JV, Pasley JD.Review of overlap between thermoregulation and pain modulation in fibromyalgia.Clin J Pain.2014;30(6):544-55. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e3182a0e383
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Lolignier S, Eijkelkamp N, Wood JN.Mechanical allodynia.Pflugers Arch. 2015;467(1):133-9. doi:10.1007/s00424-014-1532-0Rowe PC, Underhill RA, Friedman KJ, et al.Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis and management in young people: a primer.Front Pediatr.2017;5:121. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00121Larson AA, Pardo JV, Pasley JD.Review of overlap between thermoregulation and pain modulation in fibromyalgia.Clin J Pain.2014;30(6):544-55. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e3182a0e383
Lolignier S, Eijkelkamp N, Wood JN.Mechanical allodynia.Pflugers Arch. 2015;467(1):133-9. doi:10.1007/s00424-014-1532-0
Rowe PC, Underhill RA, Friedman KJ, et al.Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis and management in young people: a primer.Front Pediatr.2017;5:121. doi:10.3389/fped.2017.00121
Larson AA, Pardo JV, Pasley JD.Review of overlap between thermoregulation and pain modulation in fibromyalgia.Clin J Pain.2014;30(6):544-55. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e3182a0e383
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