Traveling can be challenging as it is, especially if you have fibromyalgia like me. So if you don’t have any physical issues, and want to help a travel companion or partner who has chronic pain issues, here are some tips that might be useful.

Carry the heavy bags/backpack

If you have no physical issues yourself, then you could carry the backpack with the most heavy stuff in it. For example when you make a day trip or short trip. If you carry the backpack with the bottles of water, towels, snorkel gear, GoPro gear, jackets, you name it, it will help your partner from gaining more back and shoulder pains.

What always helps me personally a lot, is if I do not have to walk with a heavy (back) bag. Because that is where I get gigantic shoulder complaints from and thus pain. That is why my girlfriend often carries the heavier things, so I only have to walk with a cross shoulder little handbag. With only my wallet and mobile. Especially the last couple of years, since the pain has gotten worse, this helped me a lot. And we always have a small, lightweight, foldable backpack with us. So if we’re at a market and buy something, or if we need to get rid of wet towels, I can use that bag.

Show understanding & discuss wishes with each other

When someone indicates that he/she is tired or can not handle a particular excursion that you would like to do, please show some understanding. Understand that it is frustrating enough for the person with the disability that he/she can not do something.

Depending on how large your group of travel companions is, you can always discuss if it is an option to do a specific excursion on your own. The one with the pain issues may just find that to be fine. And can go for a relaxing day at the pool. Just talk and who knows, the other person has no problem with it if you want to go abseiling, tubing down a rough river or do a rough jeep safari. Just talk about it openly.

Consider the airconditioning settings

For someone with muscle problems, the cold wind from the air conditioning can cause a lot of extra muscle issues. Which can make the next day extra painful.
It could be the case that you, unlike your partner/travel companion, really want to have the air conditioning set to high. Then make sure that when deciding who takes which bed, you think about the position of the air conditioning. Which bed catches the most wind. Test it if necessary, before you crawl into your bed and don’t want to get up and switch beds.

Also read my article 8 Tips for traveling with Fibromyalgia or other chronic pain or fatigue disorder