Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Many sources that discuss fibromyalgia will mention that the causes of fibromyalgia are unknown. This article will explain the mechanisms of fibromyalgia and how to effectively seek treatment to resolve the issue.

Fibromyalgia, formerly known as fibrositis, is a diagnosis or classification of a specific population (approximately 2% in the United States) that has chronic pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints. Fibromyalgia, by interpretation, means fibers (fibro-) of muscle (myo) that hurt (algia). Fibromyalgia typically affects women from ages 35 to 55 and is a chronic, debilitating condition that can continue indefinitely if not treated properly.

Classical fibromyalgia has 11 of the 18 tender points with no accompanying tissue swelling or inflammation (from an injury). All other conditions that can mimic fibromyalgia are eliminated - hypothyroidism, infectious disease, bone disease, cancer, etc. - leaving the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Individuals that have fibromyalgia typically get worse with overexertion, hormone fluctuations, stress, depression, and emotional situations. In addition, individuals may experience periods of "remission" and then periods of "recurrence".

In the past, fibromyalgia was known at times as a "throw out" diagnosis; many times the physician is at a loss of knowing what is wrong with the individual and therefore just gives a diagnosis of "fibromyalgia" in order to allow the patient to feel that they have an answer to their chronic condition. With fibromyalgia, blood tests and x-rays are negative studies as there are subtle changes in blood chemistry and no deformities that occur in bone structure despite long-term disabling body pain.

The most commons symptoms of fibromyalgia include:Chronic muscle pain - The pain can be from muscle spasms or tightness and an individual may experience occasional leg cramps. The muscle pain causes the muscle to be pampered and other surrounding musculature attempt to stabilize and counteract the loss of the other muscles. Long-term, the other muscles that were assisting the original fatigued muscles also become fatigued and begin to hurt.

Fatigue and decreased energy - The individual will feel that they have no energy and become unmotivated to do a lot of activities as they know that they will not feel well during or after the activity. Long-term, the individual will become depressed and may experience weight gain.

Insomnia / Unrefreshing sleep - The individual may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and can awaken feeling just as tired as when they went to sleep. They can sleep all day and never feel well rested. In reality, this person has their eyes shut, but their body is not sleeping and therefore not healing.

Difficulty concentrating or remembering - A body under stress is not concerned about remembering details or concentrating. For example, if one is being chased by a tiger, they are only concerned with survival; they are not concerned about calculus or memorable events.

Abdominal discomfort (irritable bowel syndrome) - As the body continues to experience stress, the intestinal tract will become somewhat dysfunctional. This is because there are two responses in the body to maintain homeostasis (or balance) - fight or flight or the resting / digesting response. These responses counteract one another and cannot occur simultaneously. As the body is under stress, it remains in a fight or flight response and will not function well resting or digesting.

Tension or migraine headaches - Most migraine headaches occur due to fluctuations in hormone levels. Many women will experience headaches at the beginning of their menstrual cycles. A headache is many times a symptom to allow the individual to know that something is wrong in the body.

Anxiety / depression - A body that is under stress and in the fight or flight response will eventually resort to utilizing its own vital materials for consumable energy. This would be like using your furniture, chairs, and wall studs for fire wood. When the body begins to utilize its own self for energy, the brain struggles for needed energy, resulting in anxiety and depression.

So where does fibromyalgia come from? And why don't more physicians find the cause and treat it?

The answer - adrenal fatigue! When the body is under stress, the adrenal glands (known as the "stress" glands) produce a myriad of hormones to allow the body to enter fight or flight mode. This response in the body is programmed for survival; the body is just trying to survive. Long-term, the effects of the adrenals attacking the body for needed energy via the hormone cortisol causes disturbances of the sleep cycle, eventual fatigue, destruction of the muscles and ligaments for energy, absence of the resting / digesting response, difficulty with memory and concentration, headaches, and low energy. Simply by treating the adrenals properly, the symptoms of fibromyalgia will dissipate and resolve.

Medical physicians tend to miss adrenal fatigue because (a) they are not trained about adrenal fatigue, (b) blood levels of cortisol can double or half and still be within normal ranges and are therefore "invisible", and (c) most therapies of modern medicine are for treating symptoms, not the cause! For example, modern therapies of mainstream medicine work by the following mechanism: while driving down the road, you see a bright orange light appear on the dashboard indicating low fuel - modern medicine takes out black tape and covers up the annoying light. No light equals problem solved!!!

Adrenal fatigue does not need a pharmaceutical, surgery, or radiation (the common tools of modern medicine). Adrenal fatigue needs stress relief, emotional healing, adrenal supplementation, treatment of the neurolymphatics, treatment of the acupuncture meridian complex of the circulation sex meridian, and natural balancing of the body's hormones.

Treat fibromyalgia by treating adrenal fatigue - fibromyalgia is the symptom; adrenal fatigue is the cause! Seek out a trained health care professional that understands adrenal fatigue. I would recommend a naturopath, chiropractor, medical doctor, or osteopath that is a trained Applied Kinesiologist!