Many fibromyalgia patients are unaware that they have more than one option in chiropractic care and chiropractic adjusting procedures. Upper cervical chiropractic care is gentle, logical, and often helps those with fibro pain heal in ways that they have not experienced with medications, physical therapy, manual therapy, and other chiropractic approaches.
What does fibromyalgia feel like?
Intense muscle aches with distinct pain points in key muscles around the body are the hallmarks of fibromyalgia. These are the classic “fibro hotspots” and are generally required to have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. In some patients flare-ups of these points are so severe that they can only be touched with a light pressure. Depending on what group of fibro symptoms a patient experiences, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating, or a constant but manageable annoyance.
Read more: What is fibromyalgia and why is it painful?
What causes fibromyalgia?
There is no single known factor that causes fibromyalgia. Given the varying experiences that patients with this syndrome have, this makes sense, but this lack of a single cause is often frustrating to fibromyalgia patients.
A summary in a 2017 review of fibromyalgia research brings the situation into focus:
Although fibromyalgia and other chronic overlapping pain conditions have historically defied explanation based on “peripheral” theories of pain, it is now clear that these disorders have significant alterations in central nervous system factors leading to augmented pain and sensory processing. There may also be alterations in the immune system leading to an enhanced inflammatory state, and there are a number of other behaviors such as sleep dysfunction, mood difficulties, and fatigue that contribute to the pain and dysfunction in individuals with fibromyalgia.
Fibro patients want to know what needs to be fixed so that they can feel normal. A cocktail of lifestyle changes and care options may be necessary to help the body overcome a majority of its fibro patterns given the variety of contributing causes to fibro pain.
For a list of medications and fibromyalgia treatments across the spectrum, please read: What are my treatment options for fibromyalgia syndrome?
Why does upper cervical chiropractic make sense for fibromyalgia?
Recent research into the origins of the unique patterns of fibromyalgia muscle pain show that there is a miscommunication between the nervous system and the body’s muscle systems. Although not a technical explanation, it is almost as if the nervous system is pushing excess signals and energy into the body’s muscular system, causing a build-up of tension and lactic acid. Recent strategies in pharmaceutical treatment of fibromyalgia includes drugs which alter and depress central nervous system firing for this exact reason.
Because of its ability to influence the nervous system, and the tension of the muscles across the whole body, many fibromyalgia patients have found significant help with upper cervical chiropractic care.
Stories of fibromyalgia recovery with upper cervical chiropractic care
Here are excerpts from three compelling stories about fibromyalgia healing through upper cervical chiropractic care, as described by the patients themselves on the upper cervical patient advocate website: UpCSpine.com
From Sharon Brown
I was a 30-year veteran of Fibromyalgia…
Most of my pain was on my left side in my neck, at the base of my skull, radiating down into my shoulder. I also suffered with TMJ, migraine headaches, foot pain, knee & hip joint pain, and facial pain. Occasionally, I had those days that it felt like my skin was turned inside out and all my nerves were exposed. You know, my skin hurt… even my hair hurt.
The medications I was given to attempt to correct my conditions left me even more fatigued and
lethargic than I already was. Eventually, I became virtually housebound and ultimately I became agoraphobic. If I did leave the house, usually my husband drove me around…After my first spinal alignment, I experienced immediate relief from pain for the first time in 30 years!
I noticed I could breathe better and the whole world looked level all of a sudden. I have never again
suffered from fatigue since that day.
From Sandra Elleman
But that is nothing compared to the surprise I experienced when, despite the gentleness of the adjustment, within ten seconds my hands and arms began to tingle; by 20 seconds into the adjustment my legs were also tingling; and within approximately one minute my back began to tingle and burn as though it had been rubbed with menthol. I don’t know how long it was after that, maybe a minute or two, when I felt this surge of energy, like I wanted to break out running.
Instead, I broke out bawling!” “It could have been because of the immediate relief from pain,…or the anger at the medical community for not telling us about this treatment, or simply the deep thankfulness I felt at having received this wonderful gift.” “…during the months since that treatment, I have reclaimed my life…
From Darla Flemming
I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 7 years ago and suffered from the constant chronic muscle tension; my neck was stiff; I also had headaches among many other symptoms I won’t even list, and then I was involved in an auto injury early in 2001. After that, the low back pain was the worst. I just couldn’t get any better. For 10 months I lived with it…I had tried regular chiropractic care in the past, but didn’t get the same results as I have with the N.U.C.C.A.
Are you living with fibromyalgia pain near Auburn Hills or Rochester Hills, MI? Ready to try a different kind of care to help your body heal? Consider upper cervical care with Dr. Zachary Ward. Call (248) 598-4002.
References:
Neurobiology of fibromyalgia and widespread chronic pain. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.06.006. Accessed via: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083139/
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