Fibromayalgia

by Susan Johnson

"If given the right tools, sufficient time and correct instructions, the body can heal itself"

Fibromyalgia! "It's all in your head." "You're fine, nothing's wrong." "It can't really be that bad." "You're just going to have to learn to deal with it." "There's nothing you can do about the pain." Sound familiar? Well, guess what. You don't have to learn to live with it and you're not alone! Approximately 15 million Americans are afflicted with fibromyalgia and the numbers are growing. The good news is you can reclaim your life and start living again!

Fibromyalgia creates pain in the muscles and fibrous connective tissues. As a syndrome, not a disease, it is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness. The difference between a syndrome and disease is that a disease is a condition with a clearly identifiable causative agent. A syndrome is a set of symptoms which define the condition without a single consistent causative agent. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome because the identifiable factors vary even though the symptoms are present. This can be likened to the operation of a car. A car will not run if its gas tank is empty. On the other hand, a car with a full gas tank still will not run if its battery is dead. Thus a whole list of functions must be present for a car to run properly while the absence of any one function is sufficient to prevent the car from running. The human body is infinitely more complex than a car, and many more functions must be working properly to operate efficiently. The body, unlike the car, has an interest in its own well-being. It actually has many self healing and self compensating mechanisms. Fibromyalgia is very real, and can be treated with nutritional supplementation, exercise and stress management.

CRITERIA FOR FIBROMYALGIA

• A history of widespread pain. The patient must be experiencing pain or achiness, steady or intermittent, for at least three months. At times, the pain must have been present:
• on both the right and left sides of the body.
• both above and below the waist.
• mid-body, for example, in the neck, mid-chest, or mid-back.
• Pain upon pressing at least eleven of the eighteen spots on the body that are known as tender points.

Though more common in females between the ages of 30-50, it can afflict anyone and most often when it does attack, it does so in young adulthood. In most cases, symptoms come on gradually and slowly increase in intensity. Because fibromyalgia is a syndrome, it is often difficult to diagnose. Some of the most common symptoms include: widespread pain with tender points; generalized weakness, muscle and joint aches; unrefreshing sleep; fatigue; stiffness; tension headache; painful periods; irritable colon, functional bowel disease; subjective numbness, swelling and tingling; skin redness; complaints of fever, swollen glands or dry eyes; subjective significant cognitive dysfunction, restless legs syndrome and irritable bladder. Keep in mind a fibromyalgia patient can have some or all of these symptoms. They can be triggered (or made worse) by a number of different factors, including immune system dysfunction; disruption of deep sleep, vitamin and mineral deficiencies; biological disruption of energy production; low levels of growth hormone; stress and/or depression; anxiety; traumatic emotional experiences and chronic fatigue.

Some experts believe fibromyalgia may be related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which causes similar symptoms, except in fibromyalgia, muscle pain predominates over fatigue, whereas in CFS, fatigue predominates over pain.
The intensity of fibromyalgia develops and is overcome in stages. Only the most severe stages are recognized as the condition we call fibromyalgia. The more severe stages may require greater nutritional and emotional support, although only a mild exercise program may be possible. When partial recovery has been achieved a more balanced program - nutrition, stress management and exercise should be possible.

Most would agree muscle pain is a common feature of many people's lives. About 11% of the general population suffer from chronic widespread pain. This primary symptom of fibromyalgia is much more common than previously assumed. Those who are suffering with chronic widespread pain were also found to more likely report symptoms of fatigue and depression. Insomnia has also been listed as one of the most common health disorders in America.
Chronic conditions like fibromyalgia are difficult to manage and frustrating. Knowing exactly which of the multiple causative factors may be present can be helpful and even comforting. Putting a face on our fears brings them to a manageable size. Identifying the source of pain helps us focus our energies constructively. It is increasingly apparent, however, that there is not likely to be any one factor that is affecting us but rather a multitude of small contributions. None of these are necessarily significant by themselves, but taken together they can be a tremendous burden. Through a comprehensive, holistic program of diet, exercise, stress management, including adequate deep refreshing sleep, and supplementation, small additive changes can culminate in an optimal personal wellness.

Just as fibromyalgia is real, the possibility of recovery is a reality as well. However, a total commitment is the key to success. Significant lifestyle changes have to be enforced and an uninterrupted course of treatment is imperative to the success of your well-being. 

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