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.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
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.
Poor Sleep could lead to Fibromyalgia
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.
Causes of 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.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
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.
The Athletic Benefits of Fitness and Chiropractic: A Client’s Story
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.
By Dr. Alex Jimenez