Many times patients will ask me, “What’s fibromyalgia and why does it hurt all over my body?”
Well, here’s the basic explanation to Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic debilitating condition that comes with widespread muscle pain, intense fatigue and multiple pin point tenderness. These “tender points” are referred to as sensitive spots along the body that occurs in very precise localized areas.
These areas are primarily focused around the neck, mid back, shoulders and hips. People who suffer from fibromyalgia also experience loss of sleep, morning stiffness, irregular bowel movements, intense anxiety, and even depression due to their constant pain symptoms.
What most sufferers of fibromyalgia feel are extremely tender trigger points, which are very specific sites on the body that cause pain when touched.
A simple way I use to diagnose fibromyalgia is to touch the 9 pair of trigger points. Each pair has one point on each side of the body for a total of 18 points.
The bad news is that the pain symptoms can spread when a tender point is pressed and trigger pain to a larger area of the body.
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics demonstrates conclusive verification that chiropractic care offers relief for those who suffer with fibromyalgia.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans each year, which is a substantial number. It primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, though men, children, and the elderly may also be impacted, with this debilitating illness.
Presently, the exact cause of fibromyalgia is unidentified and because many of the symptoms imitate those of other diseases, it is very complicated and tricky to diagnose correctly.
The present criteria to properly diagnose fibromyalgia includes:
• Extensive joint and muscle pain that has been present for at least three months.
• Pain at 11 or more of the 18 specific tender/trigger points when the areas are pressed.
Other common symptoms that are less prevalent, however do occur frequently are headaches, neck pain, stiffness, constipation or diarrhea, difficulty concentrating, loss of sleep, tingling sensation in the hands and severe or excessive fatigue.
The good news is, Fibromyalgia sufferers also reported less joint pain after being placed on a healthy “raw-food” vegan diet which consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts and seeds.
Though the cause and cure for fibromyalgia are not known as of yet, studies have clearly demonstrated shown that conservative chiropractic care can help provide significant relief.
A recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics stated that more than 60% of the participants who underwent thirty chiropractic treatments showed significant reductions in pain intensity and improvement in their overall fatigue and quality of sleep.
Dr. Angulo will take a conservative, natural approach in creating a specific care option for those who suffer from fibromyalgia. He’ll include solid nutritional help, rehabilitative exercises and gentle chiropractic adjustments, which have all shown to play a major role in reducing constant pain and other symptoms, while improving whole body function, and vitality.
Why don’t you pick up the phone now and call (212) 769-9065 to book an appointment today to meet with Dr. Angulo to review your fibromyalgia care options.
So, what else can you start today in order to give yourself some serious relief?
Simple!
A recent study that was published in the British Medical Journal reports that patients who participated in aerobic exercises at least twice weekly for one hour over a 12 week period, were twice as likely to report feeling “a lot better” or “very much better” than those who did absolutely nothing.
The good news is, fibromyalgia patients reported solid benefits from lifestyle changes and conservative chiropractic treatment than from drug therapy. Which only hides the symptoms without getting to the cause of the pain.
Call my office right now, and ask to speak with Dr. Louis Angulo at (212) 769-9065 for more information about natural pain management and conservative program that may include specific spinal adjustments, muscle tissue therapy, rehabilitative exercises, nutritional advice or other non-evasive methods. Which will be based on your health history, age, current lifestyle, diagnostic findings, and present symptoms.
