Fibromyalgia is an extensively misunderstood and often misdiagnosed chronic condition. Commonly characterized by widespread, musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, mood and concentration issues as well as sleeping problems.
According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, the painful disorder affects approximately 10 million individuals, mostly women, in the United States alone. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies pain sensations by altering the way the brain processes pain signals.
Table of Contents
The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from one individual to the next and these may even fluctuate in a single person depending on various triggering factors, however, pain and fatigue are nearly always present. Several individuals report feeling discomfort in a single or multiple yet specific areas of their bodies while others describe overall pain in their muscles and other soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, that has lasted for at least three months. Widespread pain is identified when it occurs on both sides of the body and both above and below the waist.
The grade of pain associated with fibromyalgia can range from aching, tenderness and throbbing sensations to sharper, shooting and stabbing sensations. Intense burning, numbness, and tingling sensations may also be present.
Some individuals affected with fibromyalgia only experience mild cases of fatigue, but many describe feeling entirely physically and mentally drained. Waking up tired often despite sleeping for long periods of time is occurs frequently among people affected with the condition. Sleep may also be disrupted by the pain many individuals experience and other sleeping disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, can develop alongside common fibromyalgia symptoms. The excessive exhaustion in these people can begin interfering with all their daily activities, affecting their quality of life.
In fact, studies have even linked previous sleep disorders like insomnia, to the development of fibromyalgia, although further research is required to fully determine and understand the causes of the disorder.
Other common symptoms of fibromyalgia include; irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, identified by abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. Headaches, migraines, mood changes, such as depression or anxiety, dizziness and heightened sensitivity to noise, odors, bright lights and touch, are other varying symptoms some individuals experience with fibromyalgia.
While the exact cause of fibromyalgia is still unknown, the symptoms of fibromyalgia have sometimes been recorded to occur among people after an accident that caused physical trauma or injury, surgery, infection or after suffering considerable psychological stress. In other cases, the symptoms may progressively accumulate over time without a single triggering incident. Doctors and researchers believe that a variety of factors working together could most likely be involved in the development of fibromyalgia. Because fibromyalgia is frequently diagnosed among several members of the same family, genetics is believed to be a strong contributing factor of the disorder. People affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have been known to develop fibromyalgia as well.
There is currently no known cure for fibromyalgia but several treatment options are available to help control the symptoms. Chiropractic care, exercise and relaxation and/or stress-reduction measures are commonly preferred alternative treatments for reducing and eliminating the symptoms related to the painful condition. Through the use of chiropractic adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor can help reduce painful pressure points associated with fibromyalgia while also gradually help restore any other injuries or conditions affecting the original condition of the spine. Chiropractic combined with an appropriate set of stretches and exercises can improve an individual’s natural range of motion by loosening the joints, managing the tender areas to allow people to sleep deeply and remain asleep longer.
If you’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and its symptoms have begun to affect your personal lifestyle, it’s essential to seek immediate medical attention to start treatment and reduce the uncomfortable symptoms. For those who commit fully to their treatment, they can soon experience the benefits of less pain, better sleep and decreased fatigue.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s clinic and Push-as-Rx system has helped numerous people both find relief from a variety of injuries or conditions and achieve their personal fitness goals, just as he did with Eric Velasco. Eric Velasco has a tremendous drive for being competitive, playing sports throughout his life. He was then referred to Push-as-Rx ®™ by a friend and upon entering, he was challenged by the competitive workouts and he quickly fell in love. Eric pushed himself to give it his best, improving as his training progressed day by day alongside the help of the trainers and other groups at Push as Rx.
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s clinic and PUSH-as-Rx ®™ system is leading the field with laser focus supporting our youth sport programs. The PUSH-as-Rx ®™ System is a sport specific athletic program designed by a strength-agility coach and physiology doctor with a combined 40 years of experience working with extreme athletes. At its core, the program is the multidisciplinary study of reactive agility, body mechanics and extreme motion dynamics. Through continuous and detailed assessments of the athletes in motion and while under direct supervised stress loads, a clear quantitative picture of body dynamics emerges. Exposure to the biomechanical vulnerabilities are presented to our team. Immediately, we adjust our methods for our athletes in order to optimize performance. This highly adaptive system with continual dynamic adjustments has helped many of our athletes come back faster, stronger, and ready post injury while safely minimizing recovery times. Results demonstrate clear improved agility, speed, decreased reaction time with greatly improved postural-torque mechanics. PUSH-as-Rx ®™ offers specialized extreme performance enhancements to our athletes no matter the age.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.elpasochiropractorblog.com
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Professional Scope of Practice *
The information herein on "The Effects of Fibromyalgia on the Body" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Blog Information & Scope Discussions
Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
We are here to help you and your family.
Blessings
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182
Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
License Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card
Stress on the lower back during pregnancy often leads to back (upper, middle, lower), sciatica,… Read More
Can melatonin help many individuals dealing with sleep issues and help them stay asleep longer… Read More
For older individuals looking for a workout that can help improve overall fitness, can kettlebell… Read More
Can choosing the right pillow help many individuals with neck pain get a full night's… Read More
What is the recommended way to choose a mattress for individuals with back pain? … Read More
Can non-surgical treatments help individuals with piriformis syndrome reduce referred sciatica pain and help restore… Read More