Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a painful, chronic illness primarily involving widespread muscle pain (often described as burning, throbbing, shooting or stabbing), and stiffness. The pain and stiffness are often worse in the morning and can vary from mild to debilitating.
What Causes Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue?
As with all chronic conditions genetics are a predisposing factor. However, it is either physical or emotional stress that ‘turns’ on these genes causing the symptoms to manifest. Sometimes these physical stressors can consist of a severe bacterial or viral infection, accident or chemical exposure. I have found that emotional stress to be the more common cause of fibromyalgia. This stress might be a divorce, loss of job or death in the family. Or the emotional stress could be an accumulation of years of emotional trauma. The symptoms of fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue will often have their onset within a year from the time the stress began.
How Is Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Treated?
Just as every patient with fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue is unique so is the treatment. I will always begin with a homeopathic evaluation to find the constitutional remedy. The correct remedy has tremendous abilities to stimulate the body to heal especially where there have been emotional traumas triggering the onset of the disease.
Many times hormonal imbalances such as thyroid needs to be addressed using bio-identical hormones. Toxins such as heavy metals are tested and treated if appropriate. Structural alignment of the spine is taken into consideration and corrected with either osteopathic or chiropractic adjustments. If testing indicates a bacterial or viral cause then that will treated by augmenting the immune system’s natural ability to eliminate the organism with oral vitamins and herbs as well as intravenous high dose vitamins.
Insomnia is often a contributing factor in firbromyalgia/chronic fatigue. For some the issue is falling asleep and for others it is waking up frequently during the night and for some it is both. Along with hormonal therapy one of the best therapies to address insomnia is acupuncture. Within 2-3 treatments the person is sleeping more soundly.
Although, I do not have 100% success in treating I have been able to help the vast majority of Las Vegas fibromyalgia patients return to health.
Terry Pfau DO, HMD