Disc Disease Information, Degenerative Disc Disease, Back Pain and Relief, Dr. Naddaf

What is Fibromyalgia?

Some of you may have heard of fibromyalgia but what is it exactly? The definition of fibromyalgia is: "fibro"
meaning fibrous tissues (such as tendons and ligaments), "myo" meaning muscles, and "algia" meaning pain.
Fibromyalgia (also called fibrositis or fibromyositis, which translate to inflamation of the tendons, ligaments
and muscles) is a syndrome that causes chronic, sometimes debilitating, muscle pain and fatigue.
Fibromyalgia (FMS) is sometimes categorized as primary or secondary. According to the American College of
Rheumatology (ACR), primary fibromyalgia is the more common form. In my practice, however, I find
secondary fibromyalgia to be more common.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms
While the symptoms of fibromyalgia can be debilitating, they are not life threatening. Symptoms vary,
depending on the stress level, physical activity, time of day, and the weather. Pain is the primary symptom
found in virtually 100% of cases – specifically, the one universal symptom of the syndrome is chronic,
widespread pain in the body’s soft tissues. Although there is no inflammation or swelling, fibromyalgia is
characterized by numerous “tender points” that react with intense pain when light pressure is applied. Aside
from the pain, there are numerous other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, including: - fatigue - sleep
disturbance - irritable bowel syndrome - depression - anxiety - chronic headaches and/or dizziness - a feeling of
confusion, sluggishness, and forgetfulness - severe menstrual cramps - sensitive skin or chemical sensitivity -
muscle twitches - dry eyes and mouth - numbness in the hand(s) and/or feet - temporomandibular joint
syndrome (TMJ) - painful menses, - frequent and painful urination - shortness of breath and - irregular heart
rate.

Fibromyalgia symptoms, when left untreated, can have a profound effect on an individual’s quality of life, as
well as those close to them. With proper treatment, however, the majority of fibromyalgia sufferers can
reduce their symptoms dramatically and lead normal, productive lives.

Causes of Primary Fibromyalgia
The causes of primary fibromyalgia are not known; this condition is also sometimes referred to as idiopathic
fibromyalgia. Many experts believe that fibromyalgia is a dysfunctional disorder caused by a constellation of
biologic responses to stress because of negative personal histories or genetic factors such as: - family factors
- chronic sleep disturbance - abnormalities in the brain - autoimmune disorder - post-traumatic stress
disorder - hypervigilance - muscle cell abnormalities - autonomic nervous system dysfunction - immune or
endocrine dysfunction.

Causes of Secondary Fibromyalgia
Secondary fibromyalgia is caused by specific disorders, including injury, ankylosing spondylitis, or surgery.
The symptoms are identical to those of primary fibromyalgia, but are harder to treat. In one study, secondary
fibromyalgia developed in over 20% of patients who had neck injuries. Other contributors to secondary
fibromyalgia include: - heavy metal and environmental toxicity - upper spinal cord injury - viral, bacterial or
fungal (candida) infection - pregnancy - hormonal imbalance - steroid overuse.

Twenty-five percent of patients that contract Lymes disease develop FMS, Also, the association of FMS with
Candida and mycotoxin infection is well documented in European studies.

How Many People Have Fibromyalgia?
Until recently fibromyalgia was thought of as a “women’s disease” and an “all in your head” syndrome. Now,
men and young children are exhibiting symptoms and are being diagnosed with FMS. According to the ACR,
fibromyalgia affects an estimated 2% of the general population. While fibromyalgia can occur at any age, the
highest incidence occurs in people between 20 and 55 years of age and peaks at age 35. Over 80% are women
in their child bearing years. Symptoms are more severe among women than men. The incidence of
fibromyalgia among school age girls is on the rise. What may be considered “growing pains” in children may in
fact be fibromyalgia, especially if the child complains of having difficulty sleeping.

How is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
In order to diagnose a patient with fibromyalgia by medical standards, two components must qualify: 1) the
patient must have persistent, non-alleviating, widespread pain for more than three months, 2) the patient
must exhibit point tenderness in 11 of 18 sites of the body on palpation. In short, it means that the individual
is not displaying any medical signs that can be quantified by clinical tests such as laboratory blood results, x-
rays, etc. This syndrome is widely diagnosed among women (90%). The areas of tenderness are often located
in the neck, sides of the spine, shoulders, hips, arms and legs.

In alternative health care, diagnosis would incorporate the patient’s internal systems, including meridian and
hormonal imbalance, which appear to be the primary culprits in many of the FMS patients I see in my office.

Other diseases with similar symptoms include: - chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) - lyme’s disease -
rheumatoid arthritis - other autoimmune diseases - anemia - chronic infections - some forms of cancer -
gout - diabetes. All of the above diseases can be quantified by lab tests, except CFS which is not accompanied
by pain yet is a symptom of FMS.

How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?
The conventional medical approach for treating fibromyalgia focuses on symptom care: giving a patient non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, prescription medications for insomnia
and myo-relaxation and sometimes chemo-therapeutic drugs to suppress their immune system from attacking
their body.

Alternative holistic treatment for fibromyalgia is to identify the cause, then address the source of the
symptom. A total body cleanse is an essential part of alternative care treatment. A patient's course of
treatment will be based on the results of their comprehensive health assessment. An alternative health care
center's protocols are generally highly individualized and will depend solely on the patient's specific health
assessment. No two alternative fibromyalgia treatments are the same, just as no two individuals are the same.

Because the syndrome affects the body and mind on many levels, fibromyalgia treatments must provide a wide
spectrum of disciplines and methods, including exercise, manipulative therapy, massage, acupuncture and
vitamin/nutritional supplementation as needed for the appropriate underlying disease and condition.

I hope you find this article helpful to you or a loved one. And as always, treat your body in all aspects: body,
mind and spirit. Relax, meditate and smile!

Call today to schedule an appointment. We can help.