What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition of unknown origin but is characterized by chronic pain throughout the entire body of those who suffer the condition. Fibromyalgia is not known to be inflammatory in nature, and has been associated over and over with fatigue, headaches, numbness, cognitive issues, mood swings, dizziness, rigid painful joints, and insomnia, just to name a few. Some related conditions include chronic fatigue syndrome, altered sleep, chronic low back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular syndrome (TMJ), problems with alertness or wakefulness, and tension headaches. The combination of hormonal imbalance, neurological imbalance, emotional imbalance, and biochemical imbalance aggravate the condition.
Even though this condition is little understood, consistently recommend is a multidisciplinary approach regarding the treatment of fibromyalgia. There should be 3 main pillars to treatment for the control and management of patients with chronic pain. These areas are: Emotions, Sleep Habits, and the State of Physical Condition.
1. Emotions
Let’s begin by talking a little more in depth about what we mean by emotions affecting chronic pain. Some of the possible causes of fibromyalgia syndrome are post traumatic stress and chronic depression. Often the emotional pain and stress reported by chronic pain patients can be much more severe than the physical pain. Adding to that, the ignorance of family, friends, and society about chronic pain conditions, their causes, and their treatments only adds fuel to the fire so to speak. It is estimated that due to ignorance of the condition, there is a large undiagnosed population that are not receiving treatment at all. Due to the lack of awareness, patients suffering from these conditions are often constantly interrogated and judged by others making it even more difficult to find solutions to overcome the condition. Negative emotions of rejection, hopelessness, and isolation only make the problem worse, and are a large part of the pain cycle of fibromyalgia. If you know a person with fibromyalgia or a similar condition, it is advisable not to judge them because you cannot see feel or understood fully their condition. On the contrary, support the patient, listen to them, motivate them to continue seeking answers. These actions can greatly impact their progress in getting well faster by not contributing negatively to their condition. On the other hand, if you suffer from the condition, understand that not everyone has the capacity to understand your condition and that some opinions should be considered, and others disregarded. This way of filtering and ignoring certain opinions one way of avoiding aggravating your condition. Remember that when dealing with chronic pain, emotional mental health plays a huge role in the management of the condition. For this reason is recommended, when necessary, that patients suffering from chronic pain conditions seek advice from licensed professionals, psychologists, counselors, and/or psychiatrists to find strategies for the management of negative emotions in addition to the physical treatment modalities discussed further in this article.
2. Sleep Habits
Quality sleep is the second pillar of fibromyalgia management that we will discuss. Lack of sleep can have a significant impact in the mind and body of patients with fibromyalgia. Without adequate rest, our minds do not function well, and our bodies cannot appropriately grow and heal from trauma. For this reason patients should make sure to set aside 7-8 hours specifically for uninterrupted sleep. The best way to be successful at getting this amount of sleep is developing good habits and patterns. For example, establish your times that you’ve set aside for sleep and stick to them. Prepare your room or sleep area ahead of time and make sure you do not do any counterproductive activities immediately before sleeping; for example eating too much, eating foods that create indigestion, having stressful conversations with others, and reading our watching stressful articles or programs. These can all negatively impact your amount and quality of sleep.
3. State of Physical Condition: Nutrition and Exercise
Nutrition plays a crucial role in the treatment of fibromyalgia. The biochemical processes that occur at the cellular level are constantly breaking down and rebuilding tissues in our bodies. In many cases, patients of chronic pain conditions are inundated with pharmaceutical drugs to manage their pain. These drugs often result in toxicity for the patients tissues. Balanced nutrition can help improve metabolic processes and detoxification to mitigate dependency on medications, side effects, and weight gain. Consulting with a nutritionist can help put you on a path of knowing where you are nutritionally and show you how to nourish yourself appropriately to treat chronic pain conditions and improve overall health.
The second part of the physical condition is exercise. Fibromyalgia sufferers should note that there is no turning your back on exercise even though many patients know ahead of time that exercise may temporarily aggravate their condition. To reach a more stable condition, a patient with fibromyalgia needs to exercise. Various studies have noted that regular aerobic exercise shows improvements in pain levels and quality of life. If you have chronic pain, start to exercise regularly. You may experiment temporary muscle soreness which is normal to experience as you build and change your bodies physical state to a more healthy one. After some time doing regular exercise this soreness should diminish considerably. Patients have often said that the soreness after exercise is very different from the normal pain of fibromyalgia and is much more tolerable and manageable. Furthermore they note that when they are exercising regularly, they feel less severe overall pain.
So, How Can Chiropractic Treatments Help Fibromyalgia Patients?
Chiropractic improves the physical state of the body, the third pillar of management of fibromyalgia. One of the theories of the origin of fibromyalgia is the disorder of the central nervous system, where the signals from the body to the brain and from the brain and spinal cord are not functioning one-hundred percent as they could. Chiropractic treatments significantly improve these electrical signals and usually take effect instantly after treatment. By eliminating physical and sensory interferences in the nervous system pathways, chiropractic treatments help re-establish balance and coordination, establishing a better ability for the individual to sense and react appropriately to both environmental and internal stimuli. Chiropractic treatments also help directly in reducing the physical and mental symptoms of chronic pain by reducing muscle spasm, improving joint mobility, improving pain levels, and improving chronic fatigue. Often after receiving chiropractic treatments, the patient begins to sleep better and longer permitting their body to heal and recover from the accumulated stress of chronic pain. While you do your part to eat better, rest more, and exercise regularly, your chiropractor is working to improve the quality of the communication between your brain and body, within your brain, and within your spinal cord. Your chiropractor will meticulously check and correct the function of your joints and muscle activation patterns during each treatment session using various techniques and methods of rehabilitation to correct postural conditions and balance muscle and nerve activation. Chiropractic is an essential method of self-care appropriate for everyone, especially those with chronic pain, to improve the way your body functions, fights illness, and heals itself. Furthermore, patients typically experience a decrease in pain and discomfort, and an increase in overall vitality, optimism, improved athletic performance, and decreased risk of illness through better immune system function.
Finally, regular chiropractic treatments should be part of everyone’s self-care routine, even if you do not suffer from any (known) conditions. We invite everyone to join our practice with an initial evaluation, consultation, and xray exam to assure that you are free from spinal interference and functioning appropriately.
For fibromyalgia patients, a multidisciplinary approach will significantly help you control your condition and live a life of higher quality and balance. Don’t forget that Chirocean identifies with you and we are here to help you, serve you, and educate you about the benefits of chiropractic care and relieving chronic pain. We know it is not easy, but we encourage you not to give up in your search for treatments and your daily battle with this complicated, poorly-understood condition.
Dr. Gabriel Rivera León
Dr. Matthew Butler