Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread, chronic musculoskeletal pain and its diagnosis. It is a vague diagnosis given to a patient with no specific cause.
Researchers believe repeated nerve stimulation causes the brains of people with fibromyalgia to change. This change involves an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain (neurotransmitters). In addition, the brain’s pain receptors can develop a memory of the pain and become more sensitive, and can overreact to pain signals.
The pain and lack of sleep associated with fibromyalgia can interfere with a patient’s ability to function at home or on the job. The frustration of dealing with an often-misunderstood condition also can result in depression and health-related anxiety.
Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.
Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia may also have tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.
At the Nardella clinic, chiropractic care is part of a full body approach to fibromyalgia, starting with the nervous system and spine. The nervous system regulates your healing and recovery, and if it’s not functioning properly, your systems are working at less than the maximum capacity. Chiropractic treatment focuses on treating the nervous system to restore balance and retrain the brain to interpret pain properly. This can help both with the perception of pain and with treating any structural issues that may be causing the pain.
While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, exercise, diet and stress-reduction measures also may help. Research and development have led to improvements in integrated treatment plans incorporating medication, patient education, exercise and therapy to effectively alleviate pain and other fibromyalgia-related symptoms.
Call the clinic today to see how chiropractic can support your body in the healing process.
