Tag Archive for 'Fibromyalgia'

The Simple Fibromyalgia Diet Guide

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on October 3, 2008
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Fibromyalgia is a common condition that affects hundreds of people worldwide. Unfortunately, causes of fibromyalgia are still unknown, making it difficult to spot the condition with physical and obvious signs.

If a rheumatologist feels that all your symptoms are associated with fibromyalgia, he or she may recommend a few lifestyle changes, medication and dietary restrictions. Since there are no known cures for this condition, doctors will only recommend treatments to lessen the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

One change patients may require is his or her daily diet. Although most fibromyalgia patients report that their pains are alleviated by dietary measures, there is no specific and proven fibromyalgia diet program to treat this condition.

Several studies have been made to determine the effect of certain foods on fibromyalgia in order to formulate an effective fibromyalgia diet for patients. Unfortunately, there are no clear medical evidences that indicate certain foods and dietary supplements could improve this syndrome.

Therefore, if you are looking for the perfect fibromyalgia diet to reduce your symptoms, be aware that it can be misleading to say that there is one single diet, which could effectively reduce your symptoms. Doctors recommend dietary changes for this condition that are based on general principles of a healthy eating program that avoids certain foods known to cause headaches, allergies, hyperglycemia, fatigue and digestive disorders.

Fibromyalgia Diet: Foods To Avoid

Although there are no accepted fibromyalgia diets, many patients continue to report that specific foods effectively alleviate symptoms better than others do. Doctors explain this occurrence based on the important of proper nutrition in keeping the body free from biochemical problems. Since fatigue and inflammation are symptoms that are affected by food, there is no harm in following a fibromyalgia diet that you or your doctor believes can reduce symptoms.

Some patients experience food allergies or cravings. For this reasons, doctors try to alleviate the pain by changing the patient’s diet. While many patients report common foods to avoid, be aware that not everyone can benefit from fibromyalgia diet they recommend because symptoms of fibromyalgia vary from one patient to another.

Generally, patients follow a fibromyalgia diet program that contains food that are not linked to headaches, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammation and other symptoms associated with this complex syndrome. Patients are advised to identify and avoid foods that aggravate their individual condition. However, most doctors advise on avoiding foods with aspartame and monosodium glutamate.

If you feel that a fibromyalgia diet can benefit your condition, you can follow a low refined-carb diet, vegetarian diet and any kind of diets that reduce headaches. It is important to note that the diet you choose should specifically treat your individual symptoms and it is not practical to follow other patient’s diet because their “formulated fibromyalgia diet: may not work wonders for you.

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Fibromyalgia- Understanding Treatments For Fibromyalgia

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on September 28, 2008
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Fibromyalgia is a chronic symptom that usually affects women above 30 but this syndrome can affect men and children too. Fibromyalgia causes pain in the joints and other parts of the body and is actually a muscular pain in the joints.

It can cause centralized pain in the spinal chord and brain, which can be misinterpreted. The joints may feel inflamed and the skin, tender. Shooting pain is experienced along with giddiness and memory fog. This muscular pain causes various other symptoms in the person. Depression, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, extreme mood swings, restless sleeping are some of the effects of Fibromyalgia.

There is no known specific treatment for this but it can be arrested with certain medications and natural therapies. The symptoms are different in different individuals hence the treatment is to be designed accordingly. A combination of treatments can have better effect as the symptoms can be varied.

Learning about Fibromyalgia and understanding the symptoms can be the first step towards successfully treating this disease. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of this illness and can cause more problems due to the lack of knowledge. There are community support groups that help in educating patients and family on these symptoms as understanding can bring about a cure. In these help groups patients discuss their various problems related to Fibromyalgia thus making the others feel familiar and provide tips on treatment from personal experience.

Fibromyalgia patients commonly experience symptoms of stress and fatigue. This can affect everyday life and can put a strain on relationships. Since stress levels vary among patients, the treatment for stress needs to be individualized accordingly. One can reduce stress starting with simple meditation to organizing life, to avoid tension in many ways. Family and friends can be of great help as even light, smell, and a slight change in temperature can affect Fibromyalgia patients. Keeping these factors in mind the family can help work around in order to help avoid stress in the patient.

Light physical exercise can help flex the tender muscles and keep them from causing discomfort. Exercise can also improve the immune system by increasing circulation and help the person sleep better. Other than these natural methods, there are other traditional medications, which are recommended for Fibromyalgia. However, side effects make them difficult for certain sufferers.

These tricycle antidepressants take care of depression that the patient undergoes. These antidepressants also help in relieving pain thus relaxing the person and restoring good sleep. Commonly used anti depressants for fibromyalgia are amitriptyline and doxepin. Pregabalin is the first approved medication in treating fibromyalgia. Prozac can work effectively in reducing anxiety levels and improving sleep. These medicines need to be taken after consultation with the doctor.

Localized anesthesia can be taken in the form of injections for shooting and severe pains. Flexeril a muscle relaxant can help relieve the pain in the joints due to the tender muscles. Anti-inflammatory drugs can also be taken in specified doses to reduce the pain. Narcotic and steroid pain relievers, even though they may bring temporary relief, can be addictive and hence are not recommended. Acupuncture has shown effective relief in patients when treated for specific problems. It is believed that certain forms of needle therapy assist patients in recovery.

Once the patient understands the symptoms it will be easier for him to handle the different aspects of his condition. Fibromyalgia is not fatal and hence going about it the right way can bring relief and cure. The patient must learn to tolerate the pain as it might other increase anxiety and create further sleep disorders. Going in for physiotherapy can also help in reducing the pain and muscle tension. Being active is best to keep the muscle tension in control. Magnetic therapy can be effective for relieving pain and may be the perfect cure to the syndrome. Massage therapy works well in relaxing the tensed muscles.

Some patients also respond to hormone therapy, growth hormones can be effective in pain relief and further healing. Anti oxidants can reduce the damage of free radicals and improve general health. All these treatments are to be combined effectively and tailored for each individual benefit. There is no particular treatment for fibromyalgia, but a combination of the above-mentioned therapies with medication can prove very effective.

Taking a natural approach to fibromyalgia seems to be preferable because there aren’t the side effects of all of these medications. Work with what your body tells you.

 

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Latest Fibromyalgia Treatments- Advances in Treatment For Fibromyalgia

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on September 22, 2008
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Besides the most common symptoms linked to fibromyalgia, which are obvious, people having this health problem, may also suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal problems, bladder and urinary tract problems. It can cause a lot of problems to the patient. The quality of life of the patient decreases. His or her work and social life suffers. On the face of it, the situation looks desperate. But this doesn’t mean you should despair. Today help is available for treating fibromyalgia. Research is on to find out the latest treatment for fibromyalgia.

Health scientists are spending time to research more about the latest treatments for fibromyalgia. So you can rest assured that you will soon read about the latest treatment for this disease. But what really is the latest treatment for fibromyalgia and what does it comprise of? Is it really effective? Will it help in eliminating the symptoms of this dreaded disease once and for all? Is it effective in improving the overall quality of the patient’s life? Here we take a look at some of the recommended latest treatments for fibromyalgia by health scientists.

The latest treatments for fibromyalgia, which are presently accepted by the medical community, consists of acupuncture, massage, and sleep therapy. Sleep therapy is a very appealing treatment for fibromyalgia as it proposes that there is a relation between insufficient sleep and the pain experienced by patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Sleep is necessary for good health as the body heals and rejuvenates itself during sleep. It implies that fibromyalgia patients can get relief from their symptoms if quality of their sleep improves. Besides sleep improves the immune system, thereby helping the patients combat health problems effectively.

Another latest treatment for fibromyalgia that works like sleep and is widely accepted by medical researchers is meditation. As there is a likely connection between fibromyalgia and high levels of stress, meditation is a useful tool in relieving some of this stress. This, in effect will lessen the pain experienced by the fibromyalgia patients, making them feel better immediately. Relaxation may also help in improving the quality of sleep and allow more time for healing of the patient’s body. There are various other treatments going on for which research is being undertaken by the scientists daily. The latest treatment for fibromyalgia is generally debated or discussed in medical conferences throughout the country. And lots of research studies are being conducted that will try to find out more details about this difficult to detect and complex health problem. But remember, finding the latest treatment for fibromyalgia will take some time.

These are some of the happenings in the medical community, related to the latest treatments for fibromyalgia. You can benefit from this knowledge of the latest treatment for fibromyalgia. All these treatments are simple and free. Besides they are safe. There are no known side effects of sleeping or meditation. So if you are looking for a way to get rid of pain caused by fibromyalgia, try using these treatments.

Although there are many other new innovative ways of combating fibromyalgia these are a few of the natural treatments you could use. There are many options to fight fibromyalgia naturally without the use of medications.

 

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What Is The Best Diet For Fibromyalgia?

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on September 21, 2008
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Anyone who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia knows how difficult it is to live with on a daily basis. Fibromyalgia, also called FM, or FMS, is a chronic illness characterized by influence, combined, or fillet pain, joint with fatigue and other symptoms. It affects frequently women, although men may also undergo from fibromyalgia And when you are suffering from fibromyalgia you know very well how painful and how extremely uncomfortable some of the symptoms can be. Three to six percent of the population suffers from this situation, which can be diagnosed at approximately any age. It is not well unstated and there is no usually satisfactory medical cure, only the aptitude to help with symptoms. Some treatment center claims that fibromyalgia is psychosomatic, but this is not usually established among the medical group of people.

Communities who undergo from the remorseless pain of fibromyalgia are involved in finding any solution they can get. One alternative that has come up in recent years is the opportunity of using diet for fibromyalgia action. At this point in time there is only a criterion of certain symptoms that physicians can go by and a person needs to exhibit these symptoms to be qualified to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. People distress from Fibromyalgia has established that when they adjust their diet for fibromyalgia, eliminating certain foods that aggravate their symptoms, they may have a decline in pain. One of the substances most recurrently eliminate when adjusting your diet for fibromyalgia is gluten.

Gluten can be found in wheat which is commonly found in grains as corn, rye and barleycorn. Gluten is found in almost all granule foodstuffs, because it is resulting from wheat. Gluten is the matter that causes currency to rise, and give it the texture we expect. However, because there is still a great deal to understand about the disorder, not all physicians will prescribe this treatment. It can also be tricky to assimilate for some people, and make worse some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

People who wanted to take away gluten from their diet for fibromyalgia used to have problem finding goods, but with the better access to gluten free foods; its not hard at all. Very few treatments work for everyone but it would be beneficial to try as many treatments that are offered, particularly one that is as easy as merely forfeiting foods that contain gluten. Gluten free foods are now one of the best rising segments of the food marketplace, creation it easy to take pleasure in breads, pastas, and other things usually made with wheat.

In some cases, people seem to tolerate certain types of glutens, while experiencing symptoms from others. Your doctor may not be eager to stipulate a gluten-free cut down for fibromyalgia. This is almost certainly a choice that you will contain to try for yourself. Be sure to let your physician know before creation this alters, of course. When you reintroduce glutens, observe your reactions. Acne, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, headaches, constipation, and asthma are some of the many problems occasionally relieved by avoiding gluten.

Many people discover that when they eat a principally gluten-free diet for fibromyalgia and get rid of preservatives and artificial additives, some of the hurt and other symptoms of fibromyalgia are abridged. If the gluten gratis diet does not work, it is simple to go reverse to what you were eating before. Gluten free foods are often more expensive than similar wheat-based products, but are usually cheaper than a lot of pain killers that people anguish from have to take on a regular basis. The easier you make your diet seem, the less of an imposition it becomes to you or anyone else.

If you undergo from Fibromyalgia and want to reduce your symptoms, altering your diet for fibromyalgia might be the right course of exploit. You may at primary have a hard time charitable up your favorite breads and cereals, but there are substitute that you can eat. Once you has find that your symptoms are condensed you will never want to go back to eating gluten once more. Once you familiarize yourself with ingredients, it becomes easier to focus on delicious meals you can eat. When you discover just how well you feel without all those allergens, you are bound to experience new levels of dining pleasure. Many people report an immense change when they start going to a gluten free diet for fibromyalgia. With this modify this can create in your life; why not give it a try? You will get a better change as well as better life
.

 

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What is Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

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on August 24, 2008
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Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a condition that strikes millions of men and women. Although not a disease process, Fibromyalgia is an often-times debilitating condition with symptoms such as wide-spread pain, and non-restorative sleep, A diagnosis of Fibromyalgia may well accompany a diagnosis of another condition, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or auto-immune disorders.

Fibromyalgia is usually diagnosed by Rheumatologists, although any MD can perform the tender-point test used to diagnose it. The tender-point test is often wrongly referred to as a trigger-point test for Fibromyalgia. Trigger points refer to the pain associated with myofascial pain syndrome, not Fibromyalgia.

Physicians are often quick to misdiagnose Fibromyalgia as depression or hypochondria; it is not either condition. People with Fibromyalgia have more Substance P, the neurotransmitter for pain. This causes a decreased pain threshold, which is often disconcerting for the patient, as they have no idea why a small injury, for instance, may produce severe pain.

Proper sleep is imperative for Fibromyalgia treatment, as people with Fibromyalgia syndrome often do not reach stage four sleep. Healing from things like normal small muscle tears, takes place during stage four sleep.

Another common complaint of people with Fibromyalgia is fibrofog, otherwise known as brainfog. Studies suggest that this is caused due to the over-burden on the brain dealing with the constant pain a victim of Fibromyalgia suffers.

Although the Fibromyalgia prognosis isn’t terminal, many people that suffer from it do seem to report that Fibromyalgia progression is common; progressive in terms of people feeling worse. This is an issue of much debate in the Fibromyalgia community.

Many with Fibromyalgia find Fibromyalgia support groups either on the internet or through their Fibromyalgia physician. One such support organization is at http://www.fibrofoglights.org

At this time, there is no Fibromyalgia cure. Yet many are learning to control the associated pain and sleep problems with proper medications and other treatments. You are not alone, and it’s not all in your head.Patricia Fuller is a freelance writer.

How I Healed Myself from Fibromyalgia

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on August 12, 2008
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Interesting article for all to read.
Have you ever met a seven-headed dragon? Slaying it is nearly impossible, because as soon as you cut off one head two more grow in its place! I know this first-hand, because I fought with this dragon for 20 years until I found the chink in its armor and pierced its heart, once and for all.

Misdiagnosis Abounds

Like many sufferers of fibromyalgia, I was misdiagnosed for 15 years. Maybe it was because the condition has no specific or single cause, or because it has only recently (1990’s) been recognized as a “legitimate” malady. As late as 1982, fibromyalgia was not even an entry in the doctors’ standard clinical reference book, the Merck Manual. Over the years my doctors labeled my symptoms as: Chronic back pain (lower, mid and upper), frozen left shoulder (two and a half years), frozen right shoulder (one and a half years), plantar fasciitis, sleep disorder, restless leg syndrome—you get the picture. Finally, in 1997 I was given the label “fibromyalgia” and told that the only treatment was cortisone injections in every muscle where the pain was intolerable.

“Damn!” I thought, “That’s a lot of needles!” Not willing to become a doctor’s voodoo doll, I never went back to that doctor. Instead I turned to holistic approaches. I tried everything imaginable to “manage” my pain: excruciating deep muscle massage, strict diets, herbal remedies…I even tried a putrid brew concocted by a Chinese medicine doctor.

Admitting Defeat
After suffering for seven years under the futile belief that I could affect my own cure, I gave up. Admitting defeat, I found a new doctor and asked for help. His theory was that fibro is a disease linked to depression. So along with a non-steroid medication for pain, he prescribed an anti-depressant and a sleeping pill. These seemed to take the edge off the pain for a while.

I was “managing” my pain, pretty well until 2005 when I was crushed by trigeminal neuralgia. Excruciating pain exploded across the right side of my face—encompassing the jaw, cheek bone and temple and behind my ear. It was debilitating! I could do nothing but lie as still as possible with ice packs. Aspirin with codeine did not begin to touch the pain. I thought it might be a tooth, but the x-ray did not reveal anything for the dentist to deal with. I was sent to a neurologist who quite rudely told me, “You’d better hope it is a tooth because it’s not worth cracking your head open to fix this.” The trigeminal nerve does not originate in the spine, but at the base of the brain!

Gadz! I was a mess! So, my family doc prescribed an antiseizure drug in the hope it would block the perception of pain. As I was leaving his office, he said (rather off-the-cuff), “It might help with the fibromyalgia too.”

A month later I was undergoing a root canal which eventually cleared up the facial neuralgia, but I stayed on the antiseizure medication because it did take a further “edge” off the fibromyalgia.

At the same time all this was happening, I was running two companies, TeleClass International and the Law of Attraction Training Center. I was happily turning every aspect of my life around and experiencing success and joy in everything I did—except THIS. I figured I just had to accept THIS as “the way it is.”

I was beaten down and felt there was just nothing else I could do about it. Of course, my body was continuing to deteriorate under the unrelenting pain.

Body/Mind Connection

My businesses started to suffer also and I decided to hire a business coach. On the intake form, under the heading of Health I wrote: “Ok, I wasn’t going to address this, but if it shows up as dramatically as it has this week, then I won’t ignore it. I was thrown flat on my back with a muscle spasm around my entire chest. The spasm was continuous for four days.” My coach wrote back, “You are pushing very hard on yourself. Nothing wrong with that, except your body is telling you that something is wrong. Therefore, part of your journey is learning how to flow with ease and grace.”

Hmmm, he had a point, but I really did not want to address this seemingly endless, impossible health challenge! Nevertheless, I surrendered to my coach and prayed for a solution.

A few days later I was reading and meditating—well, I was sort of reading and meditating—it was hard to stay focused and my eyes were just glancing at the letters in the book when these two sentences jumped off the page into my heart: “If your affairs are out of order, it is a reflection that your thinking is out of order. If your body is out of order, it is a reflection that your emotions are out of order.” How to Use Your Twelve Gifts from God, by William Warch

I’m a very orderly person—my house is in order, my office is usually clean and orderly, my bills are all paid—I’m very responsible and my affairs are in order. But my body was definitely OUT OF ORDER and I had no clue what emotion was causing this, I had lived with it for 20 years. Whatever the cause, it was deeply buried.

Defining Event

At this point I decided to cooperate with my coach and an extremely painful memory surfaced! I had been so disappointed—more than disappointed—I was really angry at my body for letting me down when I had to surrender Matthew back into the care of Social Services! WOW!

In 1980 my husband and I had adopted a baby who had been abandoned at the time of birth because it “wasn’t perfect.” His natural parents would not bond, love or care for him because he was Down’s syndrome. My husband was an obstetrician and when he learned the child was abandoned, he was quite shaken. Our fourth child, Sarah, has Down’s syndrome and she has been such a joy to us that it was quite disturbing to imagine this little boy without a family. So we asked for and adopted Matthew at birth. What we did not realize at the time was that Matthew was also autistic. The combination of D.S., plus severe retardation and autism was a horrific package, and in seven years I was totally burned out.

That was when I felt such anger at my body. When I give my word or make a commitment I keep it. I’m a person of integrity. For my body to cave in like it did was simply NOT in my realm of possibility. But it had and I had carried this anger inside my body for 20 years!

Letting Go

NO WONDER I WAS IN PAIN! And my doctor was right! If fibromyalgia is caused by depression, and depression is “anger turned inward” as I learned in nurses’ training, then indeed I was depressed!

I LET IT GO! Once I “saw” the root emotion—anger—I could understand why my body was screaming in pain. And I let it go. Just like that. In the moment I made my decision to let it go, it left. I knew it. A few days later I started slowly weaning myself off the medications. I’m not a martyr, so if I were feeling pain, I would be back on the meds, but I’m not. I’m free of pain, gaining strength, reprogramming my thinking and adding activities back into my life. This week I started two exercise classes at the local recreation center—a gentle fitness class and water fitness. THAT is a miracle!

Now, I would not presume to know what is at the root of every case of fibromyalgia. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a long-held or blocked emotion would surface for most sufferers. My hope and prayer in sharing my story is that it will re-activate hope in your heart, and faith to believe in a miracle for yourself or someone you love.
Copyright (c) 2008 Rebecca Hanson