The term “fibromyalgia” comes from “fibro” which stands for tendons, “myo” for muscles and “algia” for pain. In other words: pain is everywhere! It affects mostly women in their late thirties or in their forties. Morning awakening is usually accompanied by complaints of generalized pain and poorly restorative sleep.
Fibromyalgia is often diagnosed as a component of a chronic fatigue disorder, where the affected person experiences pain as being more pronounced than fatigue.
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia occurs when there is a multitude of symptoms such as muscle pain, muscle fatigue, stiffness, chronic neck and shoulder pain, non-restorative sleep, headaches, numbness. It usually comes after eliminating other diseases that might cause some of these discomforts.
It is often checked if there is pain at the eighteen neuralgic points on the body. If there is pain at least at eleven of these points, it can be concluded that fibromyalgia is involved.
Causes:
Some studies point to food sensitivities or allergies as an aggravating factor in fibromyalgia. At the heart of the disease, hypersensitization of the nerve fibers due to inflammation and cell deterioration is believed to be occurring. This would explain why eating certain allergenic foods would cause inflammation that would exacerbate the sensitivity of neurons.
Treatment and complementary approaches:
Fibromyalgia is treated naturally through several approaches that target the body, mind and combination of both, applied simultaneously and combined to achieve the best outcome for the affected person. Light exercise, massages and a healthy, balanced diet are preferred, focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products and legumes. The affected person is asked to avoid junk food (obviously!), excess meat products and sugar. On the food side, we also check whether there are allergies or sensitivities. Often, a nutritional supplement is suggested.
Rest and proper stress management are paramount. Care should be taken to balance lifestyle as much as possible and to eliminate (or greatly diminish) any source of stress. Since rest is essential, healthy sleep patterns should be adopted and supplemented as appropriate.
Acupuncture has had good results in fibromyalgia, thanks to sensitive points stimulation.
Many natural and effective supplements can help soothe the symptoms of fibromyalgia. A qualified naturopath will want to discuss these possibilities with her patient. Finding the right combination of mind-body approaches for the patient is teamwork. A teamwork that is worth the cost, according to several fibromyalgics who successfully managed to control their symptoms through natural methods.
