What is Fibromyalgia and its diagnosis criteria? 6 Life Changing Ways to Help Improve Symptoms
Fibromyalgia is the third most frequent musculoskeletal condition, and its prevalence increases with age. Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be a frustrating process, and likely before that diagnosis there have been a couple years of unexplained pain and symptoms, multiple doctor visits and plenty of medical tests. Symptoms that are disproportionate to physical findings are common. For example, having significant hip pain without any signs of joint degeneration, tears or fractures.
Fibromyalgia is a common pain condition in which the main symptoms include aching or muscular pain, and fatigue, all of which can be severe. The pain symptoms can present as muscle twitches, cramps, or burning sensation. Other symptoms may include; lack of energy, trouble sleeping, depression, anxiety, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, memory or trouble concentrating “fibro-fog”. These symptoms can disrupt activities of daily living.
Even though there is not a specific known cause of fibromyalgia, this condition usually has an onset after a stressful event such as a physical trauma, surgery, infection, or significant psychological stress. Other causes may include chronic stress, viral infection, depression, or disruption of stage 4 (REM) sleep.
The diagnosis criteria currently as of 2022 is clinically based on symptoms and elimination of other conditions through medical tests. The muscle pain can be a reflection of tenderness in the muscles, areas around tendon attachments, and other soft tissues such as ligaments and fascia, for at least 3 months. New causes being considered suggest fibromyalgia may be a centrally mediated (brain) disorder of pain sensitivity; some believe the pain is due to an overactive sympathetic nervous system, the part of the body that activates the fight or flight response.
Doctors typically prescribe a combination of pain medications, antidepressants or anti-seizure medications to try and control or manage the symptoms. In addition, traditional physical therapy and mental health treatment are commonly utilized. Some medical doctors treating fibromyalgia have begun to embrace the value of low impact exercise, strengthening, mindfulness practice and medication to lessen the use of medications due to negative side effects that can occur. However, with all of these treatments, people still suffer with uncontrolled symptoms from fibromyalgia.
If you or someone you know is suffering with fibromyalgia, you might be wondering what other options are out there?Alternative practices provide other solutions to work on the underlying causes. This condition can be treated through posture therapy, NAET allergy treatments, acupuncture and other holistic techniques, which can alleviate its symptoms without using medicine.
In my opinion, as an experienced physical therapist, posture therapist and NAET practitioner, there are many aspects that are involved in the cause of fibromyalgia. It is like a perfect storm with its own set of influencing factors and can be different from person to person.
From a posture therapy perspective, the postural deviations affecting head position, change in upper back and pelvis can result in the body systems being impaired and running sluggish. In addition, these misalignments cause improper tension on muscles and their fascial covering, which may cause the body to try to compensate and the nervous system to overreact - like a car engine overheating. Common posture patterns seen with many fibromyalgia patients are a forward head, rounded upper back, rounded and drooped shoulders, and tucked under the pelvis.
From a NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique) practitioner perspective, most chronic illnesses have inflammation as part of the cause. I believe Fibromyalgia does as well. A common problem is gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, or a dysfunctional microbiome, which increases inflammation in the body. A leaky gut may cause inflammation due to the immune system attacking particles from food and other toxins leaked into the bloodstream. The inflammation can lead to pain in muscles and joints. NAET treatments can help address the disruptions or energy disturbances that alter the body’s normal operations. When there are many disruptions in the body caused by foods, chemicals, and environmentals a full disease process like fibromyalgia can occur. NAET allergy treatment can help reset the body to recover its proper performance by clearing imbalances. Most people notice fundamental benefits in pain relief, sleep, and improved energy as they continue through the treatments.We have seen incredible success with the NAET approach in terms of reducing and eliminating patient pain.
Tips to alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms:
Posture Alignment Therapy focuses on gentle stretches and exercises to correct misalignments in the musculoskeletal system, which can help correct posture, allowing people to alleviate muscle pain symptoms. Therefore, improving people's movement for activities of daily living and improving their overall health and quality of life. Book a Posture Therapy Consultation
Implement NAET allergy treatments - www.points2wellness.com for more information. While waiting to begin NAET treatments you can start to decrease or eliminate some common inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, processed sugar especially high fructose corn syrup and soy, which may worsen your gut health.
Low-impact cardiovascular exercises such as walking and water aerobics can help increase the blood flow throughout the muscles to reduce stress and, at the same time, increase cardiovascular fitness.
Strengthening exercises progressed gradually - Begin with light resistance exercises using small weights, bands, body weight or machines. Start gradually a few times a week. The first time could almost feel like not working out and progress a little more repetitions, sets or resistance. Invoking significant muscle soreness from overworking is not always beneficial to those with active fibromyalgia.
Flexibility - Muscular tension caused by fibromyalgia may limit the joint’s ability to move through its natural path. Implement stretching or gentle yoga to help improve or recover the intrinsic joints’ mobility, or its ROM (Range of Motion).
Meditation can be an effective piece of treatment for fibromyalgia. Since one of fibromyalgia's causes is chronic stress, relaxation techniques such as breathing, mindfulness practices, and Yoga may help alleviate this.
In summary, Fibromyalgia is a complex condition yet commonly occurring in today’s world. Diagnosing it can be challenging and living with it can be overwhelming. There are many things to actively work on to help in controlling it and reducing or eliminating the symptoms.