Guest Post: Natural Pain Control for Fibromyalgia

~ Guest Post

Fibromyalgia is an increasingly common disease that causes unexplainable and
nearly unbearable pain in various places on the body. This pain can range from a
slight tingling sensation to a more severe stabbing or aching feeling.


Although some people can be diagnosed as young as the early teens, most patients are not discovered to have this disease until somewhere between twenty to fifty years of age. The sufferers of this disease are often left dealing with many other symptoms as a result. Some of these include depression, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, fatigue, and lack of energy.

The Real Disease Debate
Though the pain and other symptoms that these individuals put up with daily are most definitely real, there are many doctors who do not consider this condition to be a real disease. The reason for this is because Fibromyalgia does not have a specific known cause or cure. It can come about randomly or sometimes as the result of a traumatic accident or serious infection. However, the exact reasons for it are completely unknown. This makes the diagnosis of this particular disease very difficult and a bit of a shot in the dark.

To some physicians, it seems that people are simply given the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia when nothing else really fits their symptoms. In this kind of situation, doctors will often justify this diagnosis based on pure speculation, because there are not currently any solid tests that can be done to make any real determinations.

Treatment Options
Upon diagnosis, there are many different options for pain management that a doctor will present to his patients. Most often, he will prescribe them some kind of pain medication. Depending on the severity of the case, this medicine might be something as light as Ibuprofen or Tylenol or a much more intense treatment like Vicodin or Percocet. However, most doctors try to steer clear of the heavier drugs as they can create more problems than they fix.

Along with the medication, some physicians will suggest plenty of rest and a healthy, active lifestyle. Unfortunately though, there is no guarantee that even with these helpful tools the pain will ever subside or get any better. This presents a problem to many sufferers; they do not want to take a bunch of medication when they do not even know if it will help at all. A lot of people are very conscious about what they put into their bodies and many will refuse to use medicine of any kind. So, where does this leave them? Is there anything they can do to ease the pain naturally?

Natural Remedies
Fortunately, the answer is yes. However, like any other treatment for Fibromyalgia, there is no guarantee of success. For those people who do not want to take any medicine, there are a few natural remedies they can try. For example, it is said that eating well is one way to help the pain.

Making sure one gets the optimum level of fatty acids in his or her diet is a must. Fatty acids help keep the body in check and are also a natural anti-inflammatory. Along with these, it is suggested that sufferers try some sort of herbal remedy. Many different herbs such as turmeric, ginseng, and even ginger have been reported to help ease pain when taken in the right amounts.

If diet modification does not help, some people might prefer to soak in a nice hot bath. Taking a bath in Epsom salt has also been shown to decrease pain in the joints and muscles. Still others swear by yoga as the best natural way to get rid of the pain. These individuals claim that the breathing and posture promoted by yoga exercises make it much easier to feel better when suffering from Fibromyalgia.

Conclusion
When people refuse medication to help treat their pain, natural remedies are often the best way to go. Dealing with the symptoms of this disease can be extremely difficult; however, there are plenty of resources to guide the way to the best relief for each individual, and there is always hope for Fibromyalgia sufferers.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

Headaches.... o la la

Up until about 6 years ago I never had headaches. I could probably count the number I'd had my entire life on one hand... then suddenly one morning I woke up with a migraine. I was nausious, dizzy, foggy, felt off balance, and oh my head! I called in to work and asked if it would be OK to come in around noon - and went back to bed - woke up about 11 and the pain was gone. When I got to work I couldn't figure out why people were looking at me funny until I walked into my boss's office - guess I looked extremely pale (I'm very fair skinned so that tells you how pale I was) and the first thing she asked me was "should you be here?". I wasn't in any pain - just felt really, really odd. Looking back on that day I probably shouldn't of been driving.... the worst isn't the pain it was the after effects from the migraine - I would have all the above symptoms minus the pain for at least 2 weeks!

I did the usual - went to the dentist, doctor who wanted me to do an MRI - which I did schedule - but then I spoke with a co-worker who told me that she was having the same problems as I was and that it turned out her Vit D levels were very low. So, I called my Dr again and since they had taken blood to check my thyroid and asked them to also do a Vit D check. I ended up canceling the MRI when my thyroid showed non-existent hormones and my Vit D level was coming up at around a 6. (Not good I guess)

Then I found a Chiropractor who loved working with people with headaches and Fibromyalgia. Now 4 years later the worst of the headaches are gone. I've had 1 migraine in the last year. I'm still having issues with the stabbing pain that hits on various parts of my head - right above my ears or on the top back portion of my skull. According to the chiropractor the pains are a form of migraines so we are still working on those and just relieving the pain and tension in my neck & shoulders.

Today I came across a video of a doctor who works a lot with trigger point therapy. It explained some about what causes headaches although I would of liked to have seen more.


I was really hoping to learn more about my type of headache and I ended up emailing him to see if he had worked with my type of headaches before. I'd really like to know more behind what causes them and exactly what is going on (I'm a research/information junkie!) Hopefully I will hear from him soon.

You can learn more about Frank Greshem and his clinic: The Chronic Pain Center which is in VA.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechronicpaincenter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lesschronicpain

Discussion Question:
Have you ever seen a Trigger Point Therapist for your chronic pain or Fibromyalgia Pain? What was your experience?

Disclaimer: I was not contacted by Frank Greshem or his clinic for a review. Nor was I paid to share this information. I posted his information to gather more information regardinging Trigger Point Therapy.