Fibromyalgia: What is Causing Your Pain?

Have you heard these words?: "You have Fibromyalgia". Or perhaps you know of some one who has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. So, exactly what is Fibromyalgia? The word Fibro means fiber, Myo means muscle and Algia means pain. So the shortest definition of Fibromyalgia is muscle fiber pain. The pain is further described as pain that covers one of the four quadrants of the body, that migrates from area to area, and the intensity varies and changes. Often the pain is described as "dull, achy, throbbing, stiffness, sharp and stabbing". Just as people vary who have this condition, the pain varies in its description, depending on the individual.

Literature states that there is pain and stiffness in the morning and it gets progressively better throughout the day. What I have encountered in my practice is that almost 100% of patients with Fibromyalgia say that they experience pain, stiffness and fatigue which gets progressively WORSE throughout the day. Also, the pain is usually affected by changes in the weather and temperature.

Other symptoms of Fibromyalgia may include IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Many of my Fibro patients have this symptom where they either cannot have a bowel movement or sometimes they have diarrhea for no obvious reason. Often patients tell me they cannot sleep or have difficulty going to sleep and or staying asleep. Then there is the accompanying depression and anxiety that Fibro patients often experience. Another symptom I hear about is something that has been coined "Fibromyalgia Fog". This is when, for instance, you are in the middle of doing something and all of a sudden you stop and think "What was I just doing?" Perhaps you just have difficulty concentrating or enjoying activities you used to love. People often chalk these episodes up to "senior moments" when, in fact, it can be a symptom of Fibromyalgia.

Often, the Fibromyalgia patients I see have been through the medical route and come into my office as a last resort, with a laundry list of medications prescribed to them by their M.D. Pain meds, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety drugs, and on and on. You see the problem is: number one, there is no definitive test to diagnose you by medical standards and number two, they don't really know what is CAUSING your condition so they just chase your symptoms and prescribe medicine to make you feel better. But what about the side effects of these medications?

Take muscle relaxants for instance. Do you think they can make those pills just work to relax ONLY the specific muscles that are hurting you? Or do you think those muscle relaxants are going to relax ALL of the muscles in your body. Umm...let's see, the answer is ALL the muscles and the problem here is that your HEART is a MUSCLE! Just watch any given drug commercial on television and listen to the list of side effects they are required to tell you about. It is scarey! Now imagine mixing a bunch of those drugs together--what danger are you dealing with then?

Research shows that in Fibromyalgia, there is an imbalance between the hormonal system and the Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System is "automatic" meaning it controls all of the systems in our bodies that we don't have control over such as heart beat, breathing, our reproductive system, and urinary system...you get the picture.

So what can you do if you or some one you love suffers from Fibromyalgia to help fix the CAUSE of this problem instead of chasing the pain? Research has adequately proven that chiropractic care, specifically upper cervical care (neck) can greatly reduce or completely get rid of the pain, depression, anxiety, IBS, etc. Why? The reason is obvious when you understand that chiropractors work with the nervous system. We are not "back pain" doctors, even though we are thought of in that way 90% of the time. We are, in fact, nervous system doctors which brings us back to Fibromyalgia being caused by an imbalance between the Autonomic Nervous System and the hormonal systems in the body. It is really common sense.

When a Doctor of Chiropractic adjusts your spine, they are in fact removing nerve interference caused by spinal misalignments. Now, you may not think you have any misalignments in your spine, but most of us do. Usually, our first one occurs during the birthing process (you've seen it when the doctor pulls on the baby's head and neck to get it out). Car accidents, falls, and any physical traumas dating as far back as childhood can also cause misalignments in your spine which can have a negative effect on your nervous system. Research has shown that most Fibromyalgia patients have had some sort of spinal trauma, such as whiplash from a car accident, triggering the onset of this condition, sometimes years later. Spinal trauma usually causes misalignments in the bones (vertebrae) of the spine and if left untreated, may cause problems for you later in life.

In my practice I have seen patients get tremendous relief from Fibromyalgia symptoms by receiving gentle chiropractic care combined with a healthy diet and exercise. I have seen patients throw away their drugs because their Fibromyalgia pain gets better after they have been under care for a while. I have seen them begin activities they enjoy--ones they haven't been able to do for a long time. I have seen them literally get their lives back. Fibromyalgia can be a debilitating condition which stops you from experiencing life like you used to, but there is hope if you are willing to try the natural approach of chiropractic care. If you would like more information about chiropractic and Fibromyalgia, please visit http://www.bretonchiropractic.com/