Natural Health Alternative Blog

It seems that every day more information is coming out about fibromyalgia and its underlying cause(s).  The only constant it seems, is that all of the theories seem to be, at least right now, just that – theories.

This isn’t surprising to me, since fibromyalgia was only coined in the 1980s and even today, many supposed professionals in the medical community still don’t recognize this disorder as anything other than “mental” in origin.
 
This never fails to surprise me.  Surely these doctors hear first-hand what many of my clients relay to me.  They have chronic (lasting longer than two weeks) pain, overwhelming fatigue or a combination of both.

This, in turn, affects not just themselves but their families.  Imagine that even the simplest chores around the house have to be well planned out and all that can be disrupted if the sufferer isn’t having a “good day.”

While the cause of the pain and/or fatigue is still in theory state, most professionals believe that the brain becomes extra sensitive to pain signals.  What most of us may not notice or at worst take as an irritation can cause those with fibromyalgia unbelievable pain.

Why is this?  What could cause this chronic widespread condition?  Infection is now making its way to the forefront of theories.  In a recent study on sinusitis, almost ALL chronic sinusitis sufferers also reported symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Other studies on hepatitis C, chronic Lyme disease and HIV also point to a much greater incidence of fibromyalgia.

Even Fifth’s disease has made its way to the table.  This is linked to mothers in close proximity to their children with full blown symptoms.  With women reporting symptoms more than men, it does make one wonder what other infections could be passed from child to parent and then causing fibromyalgia.

Yet another theory is that vaccinations for certain diseases carry their own inherent risk for contributing to fibromyalgia.

If these theories hold true, it’s yet another example of how the body, in attempting to protect itself from disease, actually becomes the enemy in some other form.  Signals get crossed in the brain and the body actually ends up attacking itself to some degree.

The problem is that even if conclusive evidence emerged tomorrow to show that infection is the source of fibromyalgia, the treatment for the initial infection does not alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Treatments which have shown promise include exercise (they need to be specific though, as some people with fibromyalgia report exercise to be a trigger to the pain), anti inflammatory drugs, anti-depressant drugs and anti-seizure medications.

Many prefer not to take medicine as even over the counter medication has side effects.

I highly recommend my all natural Fibromyalgia program.  It has delivered relief of fibromyalgia symptoms to many of my clients and my hope is that it can help you as well!

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It’s no surprise to most of you by now that I take great interest in feedback from my clients and also potential clients. I have received overwhelming feedback from many who have either tried my products, expecting little to no relief (due to the failure of so many other products they’ve tried before mine).

I really take to heart the feedback telling me that not only where my products easy to use with no nasty side effects, but that they also did the one thing so many other products promise but fail to deliver – they brought relief and improved my clients’ health.

Additionally, I have received questions from people curious, but jaded, almost desperately asking why my products can help.

While my products have helped many with high blood pressure, weight loss and headaches to name a few, the overwhelming despair has been with certain conditions which have so afflicted people that over time, that the physical drain has evolved into a major depression.

Fibromyalgia is one such condition. Fibromyalgia is an elusive disease because each of its symptoms alone can be attributed to other conditions. Symptoms include pain in muscles, joints and other soft tissues (including the nerves and face), extreme fatigue, sensitivity to touch, bowel disturbances, chest pain, vision problems, dizziness and difficulty concentrating.

The difference between Fibromyalgia and many of the conditions whose symptoms it can share is that Fibromyalgia officially has no known cause. This is why so many doctors are quick to dismiss the condition as something else and when that eventually fails, they will attribute it to “all in your head.”

Would it surprise you to learn that it takes an average of five years to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia? FIVE YEARS!!! I have difficulty imagining five hours of the chronic symptoms listed above, let alone years.

This is why the emotional toll is so great. Imagine not wanting to leave your house to work or do any other type of social interaction due to the fact that your pain response is so heightened that even shaking hands or the casual pat on the back is unbearable.

We are social animals so that alone can bring about depression. Even if you were to “manage” they symptoms enough to be around others – how long before you’ve alienated yourself from others because they either don’t understand your condition or as so often happens, your misery is contagious and people feel like they need a break from you?

Hopefully, all of you have an excellent support system of people in place but even with that, pain is a negative feeling and quite naturally brings about negative feelings such as frustration, sadness, anger and hopelessness.

Keep in mind this doesn’t happen overnight. Just as fibromyalgia is a chronic condition which oftentimes worsens over time, depression can build and build and before you know it, your depression and your fibromyalgia are so intertwined that you can’t separate the two.

I take you back now to my first comments about feedback from my clients. My programs have helped so many, I am completely confident in recommending them to you. If fibromyalgia is taking both a physical and emotional toll on your health, please give my Fibromyalgia Program a chance to make a change!

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Fibromyalgia, a disease whose symptoms include chronic fatigue (regardless of the amount of sleep attained), muscle and joint pain, has no known cause. It affects up to 5% of the population, mostly women.

With so many people afflicted with this disorder, I am amazed at the number of my clients who have told me that they had to see several doctors before one would actually acknowledge that fibromyalgia is even a health condition.

Not only did they often times not have the support of friends and family, they were then subjected to “experts” who, at best, summed the condition up to depression. They were then prescribed various antidepressants, all with serious side effects.

There’s nothing worse than knowing something is wrong with you and being told that it’s “all in your head.”

The correspondence I have received has been heart breaking, with the exception of the gratitude expressed by my clients over the fact that my Fibromyalgia program has helped them significantly.

Many have asked if there is something in their diet or environment that could be causing this condition. Emerging evidence indicates that diet can, in fact play a very large role.

While diet is not thought to cause or even trigger fibromyalgia like say, migraine headaches, the growing belief is that fibromyalgia symptoms are exacerbated by other conditions which can be caused or triggered by certain foods. Once these conditions subside, the result is that fibromyalgia symptoms dissipate.

The thing to keep in mind is that fibromyalgia loves diversity. Just as not everyone is affected to the same extremes, there is no all-inclusive list of foods to avoid. The key is to take note of certain known foods that affect many with fibromyalgia and test to see if your condition is eased over time as you test removing these foods from your diet.

Some foods experts now say to avoid are Aspartame and MSG. They are known to excite certain pain receptors which for fibromyalgia sufferers are already heightened.

Removing caffeine from one’s diet has also proven to be effective. While many are tempted to drink caffeine drinks for the “pep,” it can actually make fatigue worse.

Dairy foods also make the list, although this is controversial. Some believe strengthened bones can actually ease joint pain.

Also included are yeast, mold, gluten and vinegar. This is thought to be because TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and migraines, all known to affect fibromyalgia symptoms, are triggered by these foods.

A macrobiotic diet (whole foods) has shown promise for some fibromyalgia patients, as well as Omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish, flax see, certain nuts and also added to certain foods such as cereal).

I also encourage you to try my Fibromyalgia program. Its results have been amazing!

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I have spent a considerable amount of time and research related to one’s diet and how it can affect health. In fact, I’ve written several articles on diet as it relates to specific illnesses.

Although research is lacking in the department of diet and fibromyalgia, some does exist. What I have focused on the most though, is actual feedback from my clients.

While my program has shown them the most promise to alleviating their Fibromyalgia symptoms, many, if not most, stated that a change in diet was also key.

Fibromyalgia is a disease which affects both the muscles and connective tissues. Its main symptoms are chronic pain in these areas in addition to extreme pain when touched even gently.

Other symptoms include: extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances including bruxism (tooth grinding), difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing.

Fibromyalgia has also had a long history of not being accepted as an actual medical condition by many doctors. So many times my clients have written to me telling me their doctor told them, “It’s all in your head.”

While that’s an infuriating thing to read, let alone hear in person from a doctor who is supposed to care, recent studies suggest that could actually be the key. While no known organic cause can be found, many are now starting to believe that fibromyalgia is in fact a psychological condition.

That’s not to say that these are imaginary symptoms of pain. In fact, this same research indicates that those who suffer from fibromyalgia have a heightened sense of pain, meaning, those of us who normally don’t register stimuli as pain, will register it if we suffer from fibromyalgia.

As far as diet goes, it follows a pretty common sense approach. Key foods to avoid are: chocolate, coffee, alcohol, foods high in salt, fried foods, high fat foods, white flour or sugar, carbonated drinks, Nutrasweet or saccharine and tobacco (although not technically a food).

Keep in mind that this is a preventative approach – avoid foods that can further suppress an already suppressed immune system (like alcohol). Avoid high fat foods which are known to cause lethargy. Avoid fried and high salt foods which can cause the body to swell, and lead to further pain.

Breathing and relaxation exercises are also recommended. Be careful though, with exercise. Overdoing it can actually trigger painful symptoms. I highly recommend my Fibromyalgia program. It’s results have been amazing!

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So much of my programs’ successes are directly linked to feedback from my clients. Sometimes it’s the inadvertent question or comment but mostly it’s because based on very similar feedback from so many of you, I am able to connect this feedback and form new ideas.

One common theme of distress from many of my clients is that many of them, who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, also suffer from fibromyalgia.

In fact, recent studies have shown that up to 70 % of those who have fibromyalgia also suffer from IBS.

How can two diseases whose symptoms seem so different from each other be related?

Fibromyalgia is a disease which affects both the muscles and connective tissues. It’s main symptoms are chronic pain in these areas in addition to extreme pain when touched even gently.

Other symptoms include: extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances including bruxism (tooth grinding), difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing.

IBS is actually a term to describe several diseases that affect the gastro-intestinal tract. Also known as “Spastic Colon,” IBS’ symptoms include: diarrhea, constipation, severe abdominal pain, bloating, changes in bowel function and feces color.

While it appears the two illnesses haven nothing in common, they actually do. For starters, there’s no known organic cause (although stress is thought to be the number one contributing factor for both).

Additionally, both diseases have had a long history of not being accepted as actual medical conditions by doctors. Sufferers of both illnesses have had to suffer the indignity of having a health care professional tell them, “It’s all in your head.”

Actually, studies suggest that this may not be that far off. Recent evidence supported by many in the health care profession believe that while an exact cause can’t be traced for either condition, experts believe that the conditions are both psychological in origin.

That’s not to say that these are imaginary symptoms of pain. In fact, this same research indicates that those who suffer from fibromyalgia and IBS also have a heightened sense of pain, meaning, those of us who normally don’t register stimuli as pain, will register it if we suffer from IBS or fibromyalgia.

To make matters worse, those who suffer from both conditions tend to have an over 30% increase in pain symptoms.

While over the counter drugs are available for IBS, the effects are temporary at best and have very serious side effects.

I highly recommend my fibromyalgia program if you suffer from this disease. It’s all natural and easy to get started. Results can be seen immediately. I also welcome your feedback as to how my program has helped with your IBS symptoms, if you suffer from both.

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