Fibromyalgia, What is it? How can you do something to help?

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disorder (rheumatism: any disease marked by inflammation and pain in the joints, muscles, or fibrous tissue) Fibromyalgia pain all over is characterized by chronic achy muscular pain that has no obvious physical cause.

The term really means that you have “pain all over”.

The pain is usually described as a burning, throbbing, shooting and stabbing. The pain and stiffness is often greater in the morning than at other times of the day and may be accompanied by chronic headaches, strange sensations in the skin, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and jaw joint pain (TMJ)

Medical doctors feel it may be overactive nerves.

Some people experience pms, painful periods, anxiety, palpitations, memory impairment, irritable bladder, skin sensitivities, sleep disorders and thus chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), malabsorption problems, dry eyes and mouth, a need for frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions, dizziness and impaired coordination.

The main symptom is widespread pain, particularly at certain “pressure points” or “tender points” on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. Other symptoms include fatigue, headaches, irritable bowel, sleep disturbances, and tingling in the hands and feet.

Fibromyalgia pain all over

Lifting and climbing stairs are often very difficult and painful. The most frequent feature is the existence of certain “tender points” nine pairs of specific spots where the muscles are abnormally tender to the touch.

• Around the lower vertebra of the neck]
• At the insertion of the second rib
• Around the upper part of the thigh bone
• In the middle of the knee joint
• In muscles connected to the base of the skull
• In muscles of the neck and upper back.
• In muscles of the midback
• On the side of the elbows
• In the upper and outer muscles of the buttocks.

The symptoms come on gradually and increase in intensity.

The symptoms can be made worse by overexertion, stress, lack of exercise, anxiety, depression, trauma, extremes of temperature, and/or humidity, and infectious diseases. It feels like neuropathy all over the body.

Causes

Sometimes the symptoms clear up on their own; some become chronic and go through cycles of flare-ups alternating with periods of apparent remission.

There is some evidence to the cause being a problem the immune system. An autoimmune problem coming from leaky gut is often found to be present. The development of allergies and other autoimmune disorders is viewed largely (by progressive physicians and alternative practitioners) as a consequence of micotoxins entering the blood stream.

There are studies that show that fibromyalgia is associated with magnesium deficiency.

“Exhausted adrenals can cause you to experience pain in different parts of the body because you are running out of anti-inflammatory hormones (produced by the adrenal glands). A person can go into a chronic stage in which pain and inflammation stay in the body for years. A person can also experience sore muscles that don’t seem to recover after exercise. As this situation worsens, fibromyalgia develops, which is a condition of muscle pain through the entire body. What happens is there is an excess of inflammation throughout the body’s muscles, tendons and connective tissues due to the lack of the anti-inflammatory hormones normally produced by the adrenal glands.
Dr, Eric Berg

Another possible cause by Mike Spearman, DC

“The TV commercials selling drugs for fibromyalgia say they think the nerves are irritated and inflamed causing pain and fatigue. I agree 100 percent. But how do we get rid of the irritated nerves?

A key cause of this nerve irritation resulting in inflammation and pain is millions of tiny, microscopic calcium deposits on the nerves.The trick is in getting these tiny deposits to “dissolve” and stop irritating the nerves.

These deposits are like tiny razor blades all over the body causing the pain of fibromyalgia all over the body. You can also have localized pain which could come from the same calcium deposits.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body involved in many, many functions of the body. When these functions go well you could say the calcium is good calcium. When calcium starts to deposit in the body as calcium carbonate crystals it is bad calcium. There are a variety of supplements that could start to dissolve the calcium carbonate deposits resulting in less or no pain.”

Recommended for the different possible causes:

There are studies that show that fibromyalgia is associated with magnesium deficiency – Read about Magnesium 

Vitamin D & Vitamin F

In order for calcium to be used by the body, it needs vitamin D to absorb it and Vitamin F to move it around. If Vitamin F is not present, the calcium remains in the joints, blood vessels (plaque), nerves, etc.

Where can you get Vitamin F? Essential fatty acids –

Vitamins F, an essential fatty acid, is composed of two fatty acids—linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linoleic acid (LNA)—with linoleic acid being the most complete fatty acid.

There are two basic categories of EFA’s (essential fatty acids)—omega-3 and omega-6—which include linoleic acid and gamma-linoleic acid.

Omega 6 is commonly gotten from the food we eat including vegetable oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise, nuts & seed, chicken, beef, pork, dairy products, eggs, even fast food has Omega 6.

But for Omega 3, we suggest Cod Liver Oil.  Read here why this type of fish oil

Exercise’   Along with physical exercise, the exercise is needed for optional health as that how calcium and vitamin is absorbed. D reduces risk Vitamin D can be gotten by being out in the sun.

Treatments:

The typical treatment strategy offered by medical doctors is some form of pain medication, and perhaps psychotropic drugs like antidepressants. There is spotty effectiveness of traditional pain relievers for fibromyalgia pain.

They do not, however, address the cause of your problem.

Sleep: Because people with fibromyalgia often have trouble sleeping, sleeping well should be first on your list of essential treatment strategies. It’s important to realize that even if you lead a very healthy lifestyle, if you’re not sleeping properly, you will definitely experience negative health consequences, despite all your other efforts. You can read here about Sleeplessness

Important as you will sleep better, get regular exercise. Unfortunately, and understandably, people suffering from fibromyalgia pain tend to shy away from exercise. But research shows that a combination of aerobic activity and strength training can actually improve fibromyalgia symptoms.

You don’t want to do exercises that worsen the condition. If the exercise aggravates your pain within a few hours or the next day, you have done too much and need to back off or switch to something else.

You will want to strive for a combination of aerobic, anaerobic and sprint type exercises strength training. Take into consideration your own tolerances. For more information on exercise, you will want to Exercise.

Eat Right: This includes avoiding processed foods and getting more whole foods both organic and locally grown. You want to stay away from anything that produces mycotoxins.

In some cases, it appears that Magnesium can help. The body can become deficient in magnesium. See Magnesium & Fibromyalgia  A Literature Review   Read this study and then read more about Magnesium, what it does for the body

Foods not to eat

Certain foods are known to aggravate fibromyalgia symptoms includes and also harbor fungus is:

• Corn
• Wheat
• Dairy
• Citrus
• Soy
• Nuts

Alternative Methods for the pain

Acupuncture – Fibromyalgia Relief Using Accupuncture

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 90% of people with fibromyalgia use some form of complementary or alternative medicine.

Overactive Nerves:

Although there is no explanation on why a nerve would be overactive, one can assume that the nerve is not as healthy as it should be. Read what you can do to get relief.

You can read more about what is a Healthy Nerve

Is it Fibromyalgia or Neuropathy?

There was a recent study done. Subjects diagnosed as having fibromyalgia were given a series of tests. There was a control group of people without fibromyalgia. None of the study groups without fibromyalgia were found to have neuropathy (nerve damage) But, half of those diagnosed as having fibromyalgia did have nerve damage.

Here is an article about this study. Half of Fibromyalgia Patients Have Evidence of Nerve Damage

And (SFPN) Small Fiber PolyNeuropathy ID’d in Fibromyalgia Cases

Here is the Abstract of the Study:

Objective evidence that small-fiber polyneuropathy underlies some illnesses currently labeled as fibromyalgia
Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RECOMMENDED:

If it is neuropathy: We always recommend building health and nerves are no different.  The healthier the nerve the less symptoms.

Take a Quiz: Am I doing everything I can to daily help my neuropathy?

Find out what lifestyle changes will help, take the quiz and get our suggestions and get our assistance on what you can do.

Take Our Quiz 

For Nerve Health– Nerve Support Formula

If it is Not Neuropathy, read Adrenal Insufficiency