Seeking Out (and Finding) Hope For Fibromyalgia Sufferers
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome commonly known for widespread pain, severe fatigue, a decline in cognitive abilities (often referred to as fibro-fog), and sleep issues. Even though advances are being made towards a better understanding, fibromyalgia remains somewhat of a mystery to many. This presents challenges for fibromyalgia sufferers who are seeking out both information and proper healthcare.
There are a few things that are generally agreed upon concerning fibromyalgia:
- Stressful or traumatic events such as a car accident, repetitive injury, illness, and certain other diseases may contribute to the cause of fibromyalgia.
- Symptoms often come on suddenly, even many years after a trauma, injury, or illness.
- Fibromyalgia is a neurologically-based disorder, meaning that the problem likely lies in the way that people with fibromyalgia are able to process pain. Pain processing is the job of the body’s central nervous system (CNS). The brain and spinal cord and branches of nerves form the network over with all signals in the body travel, including those that carry information about pain to the brain. The CNS can be negatively affected by several factors, including the very things that are thought to create the conditions under which fibromyalgia develops.
Living with a Fibromyalgia Diagnosis
Diagnosis itself can be an uphill battle for fibromyalgia sufferers, mainly due to the fact that it shares many common symptoms with other disorders. Once you’re able to figure out what’s going on, the path towards getting answers and finding relief can be a challenge as well. The usual course of treatment typically falls into two categories:
Treatment using medication: pain-relievers, sleep-aids, and anti-depressants. Lifestyle changes: changes in diet, incorporating daily gentle exercise, and improving sleep habits. Because fibromyalgia is considered a chronic and life-long diagnosis, many of those affected are looking for an approach to care that is natural and provides results that do not simply mask symptoms. One such approach is upper cervical chiropractic care, and it is giving many fibromyalgia sufferers a reason to hold on to hope that their lives can improve.
A Fibromyalgia Case Study: One Success Story Out of Many
As more research is completed, an emerging theme is that fibromyalgia is related to how the body’s nervous system is able to process pain and that fibromyalgia may be connected to a specific misalignment of the upper cervical spine. Here are the important (and promising) details of one such study:
A 32-year-old female with a two-year history of fibromyalgia sought out the care of an upper cervical chiropractor. Seven years before she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia she had an injury that caused a separated shoulder. In the months following the injury, she reported a big decline in her health and vitality. She was bedridden due to extreme fatigue, pain, and depression. She had “tried everything” – various prescription medications, dietary changes, acupuncture, meditation, supplements, and other alternative forms of care. All of these treatments yielded no results after 8 months. The patient had other concurrent health conditions, including a history of migraines, hypothyroidism, eczema, indigestion, difficulty sleeping, and cold hands and feet. An upper cervical chiropractic examination showed that the atlas vertebra was misaligned. A specific upper cervical chiropractic adjustment was given, and the patient reported a reduction in pain levels from 8/10 (with 10 being the worst possible pain) to 6/10 after the very first adjustment. Over the next few weeks, she experienced more relief of symptoms. After six weeks of care, the patient was able to begin reducing her medication usage and by the three-month mark she was off all medications and had a 90% reduction in her fibromyalgia pain. Following four months of care, a 100% improvement in symptoms was reported. She experienced a full return to health and vitality, was no longer bedridden, and was not in pain, fatigued, or depressed. Additionally, she was able to fully return to her normal daily activities and was exercising 3-4 days a week. This success story has been repeated many times in upper cervical chiropractic offices around the world. A large part of these successes can be attributed to the precise nature of upper cervical care. We take the time to gain a thorough understanding of each patient’s health history and do a detailed examination. This starts us down the right path to providing high-quality care that is tailored to each patient’s individual needs; we understand that no two fibromyalgia cases are exactly alike.
Why Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
Upper cervical chiropractors focus on a very small part of the entire spine – the junction between the head and neck. We focus here because the vertebrae in this area, the atlas and axis, protect the brainstem. An upper cervical misalignment can interrupt normal brainstem function which can cause improper signals to reach the brain. For instance, it may end up telling the brain that a particular stimulus is very painful when in reality it is not. By applying gentle, specific adjustments to the upper cervical spine, we can restore normal alignment. When brainstem function returns to normal, your body is free to heal and function better overall. This can help to explain the amazing results from the case study we talked about above, as well as the multitude of other patients who have been able to return to a normal quality of life under upper cervical chiropractic care.
References:
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibromyalgia#tab-symptoms