Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) are different diseases but they can occur together. Here’s the difference:

Rheumatoid vs Arthritis Symptoms

• RA can impair your muscles and joints, while the pain from fibromyalgia does not damage them.
• Fibromyalgia patients have trouble sleeping while RA patients do not.
• RA is slowly progressive, while fibro is episodic.
• Without treatment, RA symptoms worsen. Serious cases can damage major organs.
• If your joints are red and swollen, you have RA.

Source: Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis vs Fibromyalgia

Dealing with chronic pain can drag you down physically and emotionally. It can make your quality of life much less than it should be.  Here are several things you can do to help you feel better:

• Get evaluated by a physical therapist that has experience with Fibromyalgia.  
• Engage in exercise. It has been scientifically proven that mild to moderate physical activity can lessen the feelings of chronic pain. It can strengthen your muscles, lubricate your joints, and improve your mental outlook so that you can tolerate the pain for the rest of the day. Try a mild to moderate exercise like walking or bicycling that can engage your muscles without putting a lot of pressure on your joints. Additionally, a recent study showed that short bursts of daily movement throughout the day helps improve chronic pain, like that seen in Fibromyalgia. This means taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking more and anything that involves short periods of movement throughout the day.
• Have a massage. A massage can help alleviate aches and pains and make you feel brand new again. Use a massage therapist who understands your chronic pain and who can do their job without exacerbating any of your pain. There are many types of massage therapy, some of which are better for chronic pain than others, a professional will know exactly what to do.
• Join a support group. Many hospitals, HMOs, and community centers offer support groups for those who deal with chronic pain. You can hear from others in situations similar to yours and can learn tips for dealing with pain you may not know about. You can also share your feelings about your pain with those who understand exactly what you have been going through and find comfort in the support you receive and also give.
• Eat healthy. Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats are simple choices that keep you from eating processed foods that cause inflammation in the body that promotes chronic pain. A healthy diet filled with whole food has been associated with decreased inflammation and a relief of chronic pain symptoms.
• Avoid processed foods. Foods that have been made in factories have trans fats and other preservatives that can build up in your system, worsening your pain, weighing you down and causing weight gain that makes chronic pain worse. They also prevent you from maintaining a healthy weight, which helps your joints be less stressed. Always read product labels and look for foods that are free of fat and preservatives.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Keeping your body mass index between 19 and 25 is associated with less pain and an easier time of getting around to perform activities of daily living. You can achieve a healthy weight with calorie restriction and exercise.
• We at the Hobson Institute work on slowing down your breath and restoring gentle nose breathing but you may also want to take part in meditation. Meditation induces the relaxation response that helps alleviate chronic pain, and may make it occur less often. Mediation also reduces stress, which is known to make pain worse. Meditation takes just a few minutes and can be easily learned. It can be done just about anywhere and by anyone for better health, overall emotional, physical and mental health on top of its pain management benefits.
• Practice guided imagery. Imagine yourself in a beautiful and different place while focusing on your breath. You can imagine yourself in a lovely meadow, on a rustic beach or in the gentle forest. See, hear and smell what you would if you were actually there and your worries and pain will gradually recede. Guided imagery is a type of meditation that works better for some when compared to other forms of mediation. Various guided imagery is available on CD.
• Practice yoga. Yoga involves doing different kinds of poses while focusing on your breath. These poses, known as asanas, help induce the relaxation response, strengthen the joints and muscles, improve flexibility, and calm nerves, all of which supports healthy and effective pain management. It can be done by just about anyone at any fitness level and can be modified for those people who suffer from chronic pain. Restorative yoga is especially useful for those who live with chronic pain.
• Practice Tai Chi. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that is used in Western health circles to improve balance and flexibility. It is a slow form of meditative movement that is low impact and ideal for those who suffer from various chronic pain conditions. You can learn it from a master or purchase a DVD that will show you how to do it. It can lessen your stress level and improve your experience of chronic pain. Tai chi can be done by those who are healthy enough to tolerate mild exercise and is best done in the morning.
• Practice Qi Gong. This is another form of meditative movement with roots in Chinese martial arts that has turned into a healthful activity for anyone at any fitness level. You can even practice this in bed if you feel you can’t get out of bed because of your pain and will help you feel better. Qi Gong DVDs that teach the process can be purchased online.

Fibromyalgia symptoms may appear differently in men than women. People have always considered fibromyalgia symptoms to be milder in men than in women.

In reality, they may be as widespread in both genders, and recent studies indicate that the severity of symptoms may be the same in all people.

According to a  2017 report,  men may be less likely to consult a doctor than women. They may also feel stigmatized as “wimpy,” “whiney,” or “lazy,” when they complain of fibromyalgia symptoms, such as tiredness and muscle pains.  The report’s author says that remaining undiagnosed may make disability claims from employers harder for men to access than women.  Also, the impact of less available support may impact a family if a man, rather than a woman, is a primary income provider.