Causes and symptoms of Fibromyalgia

If you have fibromyalgia there is a good chance you have been told, or you may be starting to believe, that you are a hypochondriac. Because fibromyalgia is a syndrome that involves the presence of many different symptoms, which a battery of laboratory tests will show no cause for ... but you know the physical and mental dysfunctions are real!

It is estimated that over six millionpeople in North America have fibromyalgia. Most of them are women between the ages of 25 and 55. The female-to-male ratio for this disease is 5:1.

While no two people with fibromyalgia will have the some combination of symptoms, they will all experience muscle pain and have 'tender points' (specific spots where muscles are tender to touch). The muscle pain is described to be burning, throbbing, stabbing, or shooting, and the symptoms are usually worse in the morning.

Chronic ­ lasting over three months ­ widespread, muscular pain, accompanied by stiffness, fatigue and sleep disturbances are the main complaints of fibromyalgia sufferers. Other predominant symptoms are depression, irritable bowel syndrome, tension and migraine headaches, chemical and/or food allergies, painful menstruation, TMJ, numbness in fingers and toes, memory loss and difficulty concentrating, dizziness and loss of balance, and recurrent bladder urgency/infections. The symptoms of fibromyalgia are aggravated by physical, emotional or chemical stress, and sometimes by bright light, loud noise or strong smells. And they are often
worse in extremely hot, cold, or humid weather.

The cause or causes of fibromyalgia are not positively certain. It is thought it may be due to a disorder of the immune system, decreased levels of serotonin, dysfunctional mitochondria activity, the Epstein-Barr virus, mercury poisoning, parasites, candidiasis, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism,
and/or a lack of exercise.

In the majority of cases, fibromyalgia patients have reported that their illness started after some definable traumatic event in their life, such as an accident or injury, or period of intense grief or emotional stress. Many of them have symptoms severe enough to interfere with their normal daily activities, and a significant number are disabled by their condition.

The good news is that fibromyalgia can be cured or significantly improved if you follow a natural treatment protocol aimed at healing the immune, biochemical, and hormonal defects that are at the root of the syndrome. 

Ref: Fighting Fibromyalgia by Zoltan Rona MD MSc; Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia & Environmental Illness by Burton Goldberg Group; Chiropractic Guidelines and Protocols by Lew Huff, DC and David Brady, DC; Taking Charge of Fibromyalgia by Julie Kelly MS RN and Rosalie Devonshire, MSW.

From Wellness Times, Old Fashion Foods

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