I needn’t tell anyone living with fibromyalgia that pain isn’t the only challenge this disease of the central nervous system brings with it. To make matters worse, people with fibromyalgia deal with the incredulity of those around them.
Sometimes, that includes their doctors.
But in terms of fibromyalgia pain relief, we’ve come a long way. Let’s talk a little about the disease, its entry to the medical mainstream and how things have improved for people with the condition.
It Takes a Celebrity
She’s a singer, a musician, a songwriter, a diva and a person living with fibromyalgia. Lady Gaga has been very public about her condition and is deploying her international fame to promote greater understanding of fibromyalgia and the fact that “chronic pain is no joke”.
She confessed recently that she gets “…irritated with people who don’t believe fibromyalgia is real”. Her personal experience of fibromyalgia she describes as “…a cyclone of anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma and panic disorder…which send the nervous system into overdrive and then, you have nerve pain as a result.”
Sometimes, it takes a celebrity to speak openly about something as misunderstood as fibromyalgia to open eyes and change minds.
A Longstanding Problem
While fibromyalgia has been recognized as an ailment since the dawn of the 19th Century, doctors haven’t always fully understood it.
Originally referred to as muscular rheumatism, it wouldn’t be until 1976 that the condition came to be called fibromyalgia, which means: a pain condition of the connective tissue and muscles. But it wasn’t until 2007 that medication was identified to help with symptoms (Lyrica). Now, we know that there’s an intimate connection between fibromyalgia and other disorders, like irritable bowel and chronic fatigue syndromes.
Today, fibromyalgia is understood to be a disorder of the central nervous system. Doctors can now successfully diagnose fibromyalgia with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 93% of the time.
Recognizing Triggers
With fibromyalgia, the patient knows what triggers the worst bouts of the pain associated with the condition. Stress of any kind, sudden lifestyle changes, travel, weather and barometric pressure changes and lack of sleep can all trigger pain.
So, the patient’s awareness can greatly reduce the instance of “flares” (periods of extreme pain). But how to treat fibromyalgia on an ongoing basis to reduce its power over your life?
Back & Body Medical
As a chiropractor, I work with the structures of the spine. Part of my training and knowledge base directly concern the central nervous system and how it behaves in relationship to the spine. With this knowledge, I’m able to effectively treat fibromyalgia pain with chiropractic techniques like adjustment and manual manipulation.
When a chiropractor is part of your life, fibromyalgia no longer runs it. But when your chiropractor works with a team of acupuncturists, sports medicine experts and physical therapists, you have access to full-spectrum pain relief that helps you live your best life – one in which pain no longer holds you captive.
Back & Body is an award-winning pain relief resource with you in mind. Contact us.
