Fibromyalgia

Do you have constant pain or do you know someone who does? Are you fatigue all over your body for months at a time? Do you lose sleep because of this feeling of exhaustion? Are you developing headaches? Do you suffer from cognitive problems such as forgetting names or mixing them up? These could be symptoms of fibromyalgia.

So what is fibromyalgia really?
It's a chronic pain condition that is said to be caused by an abnormal response to stress. It's a muscoskeletal pain and tenderness all over the body. The common signs of fibromyalgia are overall pain & tiredness, restless sleep, numbness, higher sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and muscle spasms, not being able of focusing on mental tasks, disorientation and short-term memory loss. Many have difficulty or are completely unable to perform daily tasks.

There is no particular test for this condition and symptoms may be similar to other ailments. There is no known cure but there might be ways to reduce the symptoms and manage the flare-ups. And all that without dangerous pharma drugs. Making lifestyle changes to control fibromyalgia is HUGE. Once a person is diagnosed, unfortunately, most conventional doctors will most likely prescribe pain meds, antidepressants and muscle relaxants. But be careful with these drugs as we all know they come with a plethora of side effects. Just to name a few: antidepressants could increase your risk of developing mania and bipolar disorder.

Here a few holistic methods to help alleviate fibromyalgia pain:

1. Acupuncture - This helps to restore your normal balance of life force.
   
2. Massage Therapy - A gentle massage helps move and stimulate the body's muscles and soft tissues
   
3. Yoga & Tai Chi - Mediation, slow movements, deep breathing and relaxation have been found to help.
   
4. Essential Oils - Lavender, chamomile, lemongrass, ginger and black pepper to alleviate pain | Sage, frankincense, sweet orange, grapefruit and jasmine to relief stress | Neroli and roman chamomile to sleep peacefully | Peppermint and marjoram for headaches
   
5. Taking Supplements - Get enough magnesium (muscle pain), fish oil (anti-inflammatory), melatonin (sleep)
   
6. K-Laser Therapy - Stimulates red blood cell flow to affected areas, which helps reduce pain & inflammation. Also helps to enhance venous and lymphatic return by oxygenating tissues
   
7. Mild Exercise - Get some movement into your daily routine. Walking can help bring oxygen to joints and decrease pain & stiffness
   
8. Get Plenty of Vitamin D - This nutrient  can help hinder the production of cytokine, which is an inflammation-causing protein. The best way to get vitamin D is via save sun exposure. Get sunlight onto your skin! If that's not possible, look for a high-grade vitamin D3 supplement
   

 
Diet for Fibromyalgia
Remember that fibromyalgia is not a specific illness. It's more like a symptom complex. Everybody is not the same. What works for one person might not work for another. The best thing to do is to keep a food log or diary. Write down everything you eat and how you feel a few hours later. That way you can differentiate foods that have different effects on your body.

Some general tips are listed here:

1. Well-Balanced Diet - Include fresh organic fruits and veggies, healthy fats (coconut & avocado to name a few), only eat grass-fed, pasture-raised dairy and meats
   
2. NO Processed Foods - Try to avoid any and all processed foods. If it has more than a few ingredients, don't eat it. Processed foods are loaded with sugar, bad fats (trans fats) and a whole bunch of synthetic additives that are horrible for humans
   
3. Omega 3s - Load up on these! Get wild Alaskan salmon, flaxseeds (oil or ground seeds) and walnuts
   
4. NO Artificial Sweeteners - Say no to aspartame and any other artificial sweetener
   
5. NO MSG - Monosodium glutamate is an excitotoxin that may trigger or worsen pain symptoms
   
6. Minimize or avoid Yeast & Gluten - No breads and baked goods. Yeast can foster overgrowth of yeast fungus in the body
   
7. NO Nightshade Plants - Stay away from eggplants, tomatoes, chili and bell peppers. They can trigger flare-ups. Unless you can tolerate these. Use your food log to analyze how you feel after eating nightshades
   
8. NO Caffeine - Don't combat fatigue with caffeine. This only makes the problem worse. It can lead to poor sleep and trigger headaches
   

If you need help figuring out what you could do, contact us today.