What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a common and chronic disorder that is characterized by widespread pain, joint stiffness, and a variety of other symptoms. Millions of people suffer from fibromyalgia and studies have shown that a large percentage of those suffering from this condition are women.

Often considered an arthritis-related condition, Fibromyalgia is actually not a form of arthritis because it does not cause damage to the joint or other tissues.

Fibromyalgia does share a few traits with arthritis, however. Pain and fatigue are main factors for people suffering from both fibromyalgia and arthritis. In addition, both fibromyalgia and arthritis are considered rheumatic conditions, meaning they are medical conditions that impair joints and cause chronic pain.

There is no known cause for fibromyalgia, although there have been links between it and stress, repetitive injuries, illnesses and certain diseases.

What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

Pain associated with fibromyalgia is often described as a distant, dull ache, which is usually widespread. Fibromyalgia is also characterized by additional pain when pressure is applied to tender points on your body. Tender point locations are:

• The top of the shoulders;
• Back of the head;
• Between the shoulder blades;
• Front sides of the neck;
• Outer elbows;
• Upper chest and hips;
• The sides of the hips;
• Back of the knee.

Even after getting a full night of sleep, people suffering from  fibromyalgia often suffer from fatigue. Sleep can often be disrupted by pain and people suffering from fibromyalgia often have other sleeping disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, which will make feeling fatigued even worse.

Other symptoms may also include irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression and headaches. These symptoms can be brought upon by the burden of the the pain and feeling fatigued for extended periods of time.

Is There a Cure for Fibromyalgia?

To date, there is still no known cure for fibromyalgia. Treatment for fibromyalgia can be difficult due to the complexity of factors involved, so consulting with your doctor and a variety of other specialists is usually necessary.

Unfortunately, fibromyalgia, being a chronic condition, does not get better with time. In fact, fibromyalgia can last a very long time and can possibly get worse if left untreated, due to fatigue and other possible side effects sufferers my have.

Common treatment for fibromyalgia involves sleep management, pain management and relaxation techniques. Clinical specialists like chiropractors, massage therapists and doctors can offer these kinds of treatments.

How Can Chiropractors Help?

Chiropractic care is a very popular and sought-after treatment or complementary treatment for fibromyalgia pain. Chiropractic specialists are trained in and excel at treating pain at pressure points, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and pain from skeletal injuries. Due to chiropractic treatment reducing the pain level in your body, the treatment can be very effective in alleviating symptoms caused by fibromyalgia.

The human body is a self-healing organism. Chiropractors use their treatments to help the body speed up the healing process through spinal adjustments. These adjustments grant more mobility between the vertebrae and set everything back in its proper position.

When the spine is properly realigned, it allows the nerves and muscles to receive more blood flow and can alleviate pain brought on by pinched nerves. Proper blood flow can cause pain levels to drop considerably and can help your body to feel relaxed. 

There are many different techniques and adjustments a chiropractic specialist can perform for different issues. If one technique isn’t effective, that shouldn’t be cause to give up.

Having your chiropractor try a different technique is ideal until the pain is properly relieved. Positive effects you may experience include a lessening of pain, more energy, less headaches and less discomfort.

Seeking out a chiropractic specialist when you are suffering from fibromyalgia can have a positive impact. Reducing the pain brought on by fibromyalgia, chiropractic treatments can also help your body relax and can have positive effects on your sleeping habits.