Hi, Stephjo, and welcome! I'm so glad you found us and joined the family. I, too, looked up torticollis. Never heard of that before. It does sound painful. I have neck pain with fibro and that is bad enough! I do hope you can get some relief for that. Perhaps gentle massages (I use them for fibro) or acupuncture might help.
My fibro is mainly in my back, shoulders, neck and usually one or two other parts of my body. The pain moves around and so does the intensity. Fibromyalgia waxes and wanes. You can feel absolutely miserable one day and far better the next. When I am having a bad day I always remember that. Actually, I look forward to each new day with anticipation because it could be a good day. If it isn't, I can do anything for one day!
Be sure to read Fibro 101...the second thread on the forum. There are links to good information about fibro and you will learn a lot there. Good links to start with are called Symptoms and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. Do try to get to all of the links, though. You never know what you will find that will help your particular situation. We are all different with this crazy illness.
You need to know that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another so we have to try things to see what helps us be in control of fibro. I wish it was an illness where everyone could take a certain pill and it always helped. That's not true of fibro. We try many things to help us lead our lives. We do have to learn to accept the fact that pain is a part of our lives but you can do that. Focus on other things and the pain tends to fade in the background.
What's ahead for you? Well, I can tell you that I've had fibro for 24 years and have had a full and enjoyable life in spite of it. I manage to work around fibro to do the things that I want to do. I've done a lot of traveling, raised three wonderful children, and am still going...like the Energizer Bunny! I do have a positive outlook on life and that has helped my hugely. There is a link on positive thinking in Fibro 101 and it has helped a lot of people.
I also take ibuprofen with food, extra strength Tylenol, malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements to help with pain and fatigue. There are links about the supplements in Fibro 101. Added to this, I do gentle stretching exercises (found in Fibro 101), daily gentle exercise (I walk and swim), gentle massages, and I pace myself. All this combined helps me be in control of the pain and I lead a quite normal life in spite of fibro. No way will I ever allow it to take over my life! I'm a stubborn old cuss!
It is important to keep moving with fibro. If you sit or lay too long, you will be stiff as a board and have more pain. That's why I start out my day with a 1+ mile walk. I don't feel like it but I do feel more energized and have less pain by the time I get home. In the colder weather I will walk later in the day, but I always walk. I could barely walk when I started this but I kept it up and I am sure glad I did.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.
Sherrine