Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a perplexing and often frustrating disorder in which the body creates pain without the presence of identifiable injury. The exact cause of FM is not definitive, but possibilities include: hypersensitive nerve cells, an imbalance of hormones designated to keep the body's soft tissues healthy, too much or too little of certain brain neurotransmitters, growth hormone or oxygen deficiency, or a traumatic onset event such as an accident or illness that brings the disorder out of dormancy.

Whatever its cause, FM can cause the sufferer to experience pain episodes, from mild to severe, that can shift from one part of the body to the other without warning or reason. FM patients may also suffer other reactions to the disorder, such as insomnia, weakness, bowel problems, headaches and a host of other symptoms.

Since it can mimic so many other disorders, it is important to have an expert in FM provide a complete physical exam before determining it is a causal factor in any chronic pain disorder. It has become a dumping ground of sorts for any hard-to-diagnose pain syndrome, but more often than not, its diagnosis is unwarranted. A far more common body pain syndrome is degenerative arthritis, which can be confused with FM due to the similarity of some symptoms.

Because it can produce random yet sometimes severe pain events, FM tends to create a vicious cycle of increased pain sensitivity and decreased exercise, the very thing the FM patient needs to flush the muscles and tissues of pain chemicals and relieve muscle spasm. Proper Chiropractic treatment can be very effective for FM patients because it helps release tense muscles and increase circulation to help remove toxic pain-producing chemicals that can get trapped inside inflamed tissues. Spinal manipulation, along with massage, proper stretching and a program of gentle physical exercise, can help restore correct nerve function so that pain episodes are less frequent or severe, and help make living with FM far more manageable.

Contact your chiropractor in The Villages, Etheredge Chiropractic for help with Fibromyalgia. Call today: (352) 365-1191.