If traveling by rail, bus or car

If traveling by train, make sure either you or a friend can get your luggage on board. Don’t rely on porters because when you need one, they may be scarce. This is where arriving early and letting train personnel know you’ll need help may pay off.

Increased screenings or random inspections at train stations or onboard trains are fairly common, sometimes even using K-9 units. Don’t get upset or worried about these measures, as they are being conducted to ensure everyone’s safe travels.

Many trains run into delays, especially along the northeast corridor from Boston to Washington. To reduce stress, have appropriate clothing, food, drink and medications with you. A smart idea is to travel with a neck pillow and a good book or magazine.

Going by bus might best suit your budget, some offer a small senior discount, but it can be noisy. Some patients have noise pollution issues so here it may be a good investment to have headphones, whether to block out noise, or pipe in music to your ears. As you do so, remain alert and keep your belongings close-by, since many passengers will be getting on and off.

Whether plane, train or automobile, make sure you get up and either walk around a couple of minutes every hour or so, or stop at a rest area every hour or so. This will help reduce the pain FM patients feel from being in one position too long. If going by plane on a long flight, stretching, finding ways to move around and doing frequent but simple exercises are crucial to avoid deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Have a happy and stress-free trip!