By Gina Roberts-Grey
Last Updated: November 14, 2017

If you’re looking for natural ways to fight the aches, stiffness and inflammation of fibromyalgia, supplements can be a powerful weapon against symptoms. From vitamin D to brown seaweed extract, an arsenal of tools can help reduce pain. Here, experts reveal what works and why...
If you’re not including fibromyalgia-fighting supplements as part of your pain-management regimen, you could be missing out.

“The right supplements can help muscles relax, which leads to pain reduction, or even prevent pain altogether,” says fibromyalgia expert Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., director of the Fatigue & Fibromyalgia Practitioners Network and author The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution (Avery).
But when you’re standing in the supplement aisle, it’s hard to figure out which live up to their hype.
Read on for expert advice on the top 6 supplements for relieving fibro pain and other symptoms.

1. Vitamin D

The “sunshine vitamin” isn’t only good for building bones.

It can help fight fibro pain and fatigue, too, according to a 2014 study published in the journal Pain.

For the study, 30 women with fibromyalgia – who were also deficient in vitamin D – were divided into two groups. The treatment group received oral vitamin D supplements for 20 weeks. The control group received a placebo.

Starting after just one week, the treatment group showed improved physical functioning, had less morning fatigue than the placebo group and reported a marked reduction in pain.

The body produces vitamin D when skin is directly exposed to the sun – our best source. But some people don’t produce enough of the nutrient, according to the National Institutes of Health. These include women who are older, dark-skinned or obese.

People with certain disorders, including celiac or Crohn’s disease – as well as those who aren’t exposed to ample sunlight (or who wear sunscreen) – are also likely to be deficient. (Read about 11 natural remedies for Crohn’s management.)

Because few foods contain vitamin D, swallowing supplements is the easiest way to ensure you get enough.

The government’s daily recommendation of vitamin D is 600 international units (IU) for anyone 1 to 70 years old, and 800 IU for people 71 and up – to a maximum of 4,000 IU per day, according to the National Institutes of Health.

But ask your doctor how much you should take to combat your fibro symptoms.