Fibromyalgia is a syndrome most people know little about, unless you or someone you’re close to has it. The description of the disorder characterizes its nature: chronic and pervasive musculoskeletal pain, exhaustion, and widespread sensitivity in localized areas of your body. It’s a set of symptoms that, once they occur together, either signify the disease is present, or indicate there’s a good chance of developing it.
People suffering from fibromyalgia symptoms and chronic pain are desperate for relief. They usually end up trying surgery, physical therapy, and/or pain medications. And often they still say, “I hurt all over!”
Let’s learn more about this unpleasant condition and natural ways to treat fibromyalgia
What causes fibromyalgia?
There are a lot of theories as to the causes of this disorder, but the specific cause has yet to be identified. Here are a few of the educated theories:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Stress, either physical or mental or both
- Low levels of serotonin
- Sudden brain or spinal cord trauma
- Sleep disorders
- Surgery
- Poor physical condition
Researchers agree fibromyalgia results from a combination of issues rather than a single issue. They also agree it’s a disorder of the nervous system, most likely in some aspect of the system’s central processing activities. The list above may actually be factors that trigger or intensify a dysfunction already present in your nervous system.
Confused? You’re not alone. After osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia is the most common musculoskeletal condition, but it’s still often misdiagnosed. This happens because there are so many symptoms! When they occur together, they imply a disorder, but don’t necessarily confirm it.
Additional common fibromyalgia symptoms
- Memory and concentration difficulties
- Headaches
- Numbness and tingling in limbs
- Frequent or painful urination
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Stiffness in the morning
It’s easy to see why sufferers often become depressed or anxious.
Interesting facts
- Women are 10 times more likely than men to be affected by fibromyalgia, which means 75 to 90% of those impacted are female.
- Most of the people affected are between 25 and 60 years of age.
- Although it hasn’t been proven, there’s a theory that fibromyalgia could be genetic, passed from mother to daughter.
- Due to discomfort, insomnia can result, and that can decrease your body’s capacity to repair damaged tissues.
- Other than gender, fibromyalgia isn’t a selective syndrome. Worldwide, it affects people equally across ethnic, financial, and medical communities.
- In spite of the gender predilection, fibromyalgia can also affect men and children.
Help with handling the discomfort of fibromyalgia
Physical Help
Alternative therapies are useful to help manage those uncomfortable fibromyalgia symptoms. According to WebMD “therapeutic massage manipulates the muscles and soft tissues of the body and helps ease deep muscle pain. It also helps relieve pain of tender points, muscles spasms, and tense muscles.”
Recommendations by the American Pain Society include “moderately intense aerobic exercise at least two or three times a week. They also endorse clinician-assisted treatments, such as hypnosis, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and chiropractic manipulation for pain relief.”
Our Garland Chiropractic Clinic’s team of exercise physiologists and licensed massage therapists are qualified to help you with a regimen of focused exercise and therapeutic massage. Along with physical rehab department, Dr. Mixon, our chiropractor, is an expert at treating joint pain through chiropractic manipulation.
Help through nutritional supplements
Magnesium is active in numerous processes. It helps generate nerve signaling, muscle contractions, and healthy bones, and aids in adjusting cholesterol levels released into the blood stream. Also very important, magnesium is an enzyme co-factor and regulates the biochemical reactions of about 350 enzymes. Because of all these important functions, a magnesium deficiency can cause many of the symptoms a fibromyalgia sufferer experiences.
One thing fibromyalgia patients have in common is having a period of experienced extreme stress or a prolonged period of lower stress situations. Stressful situations lead to magnesium deficiencies.
Magnesium can help to combat stress as it is a neurologic system relaxant that alleviates stress and allows you to relax. Every study in which magnesium has been applied has resulted in improvements in the fatigue and pain connected with fibromyalgia.
Malic acid helps ease muscle and tissue pain caused by hypoxia (inadequate oxygen). It also helps the body generate energy more efficiently and it enhances the stamina of our cells.
As a team, Magnesium and Malic acid work together to relieve pain, produce energy, and stabilize moods; beneficial qualities for people with fibromyalgia. Some people taking these nutrients together have noticed symptom improvement within 48 hours; however, for some it may take four to six weeks.
Obviously, Magnesium and Malic acid are essential nutrients for our health. While a relatively large amount of Malic acid is produced and broken down in the human body daily, our bodies can’t produce magnesium. Therefore it’s critical to get magnesium through our diet and/or a daily supplement. According to the Nutritional Magnesium up to 80% of U.S. residents are deficient in magnesium. That’s why we often recommend a supplement for this critical supplement.
For fibromyalgia patients, taking these two nutrients together in a supplement, could deliver a knock-out punch for troublesome symptoms. Here’s one product that we like.
Curcumin is the primary component of turmeric, which makes the spice a rich yellow. It strongly supports the mechanisms in the body that modulate inflammatory responses. In fact, if the dose is high enough, this powerful nutrient can reset anti-inflammatory behavior at the cellular level. Fibromyalgia symptoms of morning stiffness and swelling of joints often improve when curcumin supplements are used.
Remember: when the appropriate nutrients are introduced and nutritional deficiencies are reversed, there’s a positive effect on the pain of fibromyalgia and the anxiety and depression it causes. In this case, supplements of Magnesium combined with Malic acid and Curcumin are an excellent approach to help reduce the impact of fibromyalgia.
If you would like to buy these supplements to try them for yourself, they can be found at our office, or on our nutritional website by following the links below.
Mag Malic by Science Based Nutrition
If you would like more information about Garland chiropractor, Dr. James Mixon, and the ways he and his team of health care professionals can help you feel better, please contact us at (972) 840-2520. Our combination of nutritional medical, chiropractic care and exercise rehab has helped thousands of patients.