by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic, Scoop.it
One of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is sensitivity to touch, but believe it or not, fibromyalgia massage can still be part of your treatment plan.
One of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is extreme sensitivity to touch, so it�s understandable that some people with fibromyalgia avoid getting massages. However, they are missing out on something great.
Massage might seem like the very opposite approach to take for fibromyalgia pain, but the right amount of pressure and manipulation can actually do a lot for your congested muscles and tissues. In reality, massage is a perfect natural remedy for fibromyalgia. Therapeutic kneading will stimulate blood flow, eliminate metabolic waste, and lengthen muscle fibers. The right fibromyalgia massage will work within the limits of your condition to release pockets of tension, and improve your physical wellbeing and quality of life.
Recommended Fibromyalgia Massage
There are many types of therapeutic massage, and the right style for your fibromyalgia pain will respect your muscle sensitivity and particular pain issues. Stick with these massage techniques for the most healing benefits:
- Swedish massage techniques. This classic relaxation technique ��using the hands, arms or mechanical means ��will gently manipulate tense muscles to relieve long-standing tension.
- Myofascial release. Focusing on the connective tissue called fascia, this technique aims to release pressure where the tissues connect to the bones. Muscles will relax and lengthen, leaving more space for the organs to expand.
- Reflexology. A safe and gentle approach that stimulates points on the hands and feet that are believed to be connected to various organs and tissues. This may help to relax certain areas that would be difficult to stimulate directly.
- Cranial-sacral therapy (CST). Using very mild pressure on strategic points at the base of the skull and along the length of the spine, the CST therapist can detect interruptions in the flow of spinal fluid, and improve the balance and function of every muscle area.
Massages to Avoid
The types of massage that are out of the question if you don�t like touch because of sensitivity include:
- Thai massage. It puts you through different poses for an entire hour.
- Reflexology foot massage. Presses on reflexology points that often hurt.
- Barefoot massage. The massage therapist walks on your back while holding onto a supportive rack suspended from the ceiling.
- Rolfing/structural integration. You�ll feel beat up with this one.
Before proceeding with any fibromyalgia massage, be sure to consult a healthcare professional who has properly diagnosed your condition and who has recommended you to follow up with any of the above mentioned therapies. Preventing further aggravation of any type of symptoms is best to promote a healthier lifestyle and improve overall symptoms.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: fibromyalgia.newlifeoutlook.com
While fibromyalgia has been known to cause symptoms of chronic pain, many individuals with the condition avoid massage or other forms of similar treatment to avoid aggravating their symptoms. However, massage therapy performed by a qualified healthcare professional can not only be beneficial, it can help reduce and manage the pain caused by fibromyalgia.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic, Scoop.it
Many patients are labeled with fibromyalgia simply because they have chronic soft tissue pain. But it is important, at least for the sake of correctness, that not all chronic soft tissue pain be called fibromyalgia.
In fact, localized or regional pain is often due to myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a rather common condition which affects certain muscle areas. MPS is often present in the fibromyalgia patient, but not all MPS patients also suffer from fibromyalgia.
MPS generally involves pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, back, jaw and head. This pain is often accompanied by stiffness or tightness. It is important that the doctor listen to the patient to learn where the pain is most intense. And because MPS is not diagnosed with a lab test or x-ray, it is important that the doctor carefully examine the patient.
Trauma is a common cause of MPS, in the form of muscle strain or ligament and tendon sprain; or as a result of chronic trauma due to repetitive work injury, or altered posture due to poor exercise. An example of the former is whiplash from an auto accident. An example of the latter is an individual who works at a computer all day, and subsequently develops MPS involving the muscles of the upper back and shoulders; such individuals often develop tension headaches. Of course, more than one area may be involved, and this can make distinguishing between MPS and fibromyalgia all the more difficult.
MPS can occur with a variety of medical problems, including spinal disc disease, or inflammatory illnesses. And like fibromyalgia, MPS symptoms can be made worse due to stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue and vitamin deficiencies, to name a few.
It is important for the doctor to identify all other illnesses in an individual patient so that therapy can be most effective and accurate.
As there is no cure for fibromyalgia, so there is no cure for MPS. The goals of treatment should obviously include pain relief and improvement/restoration of mobility and functionality. It is important to identify any other accompanying conditions, and give treatment to these also. Perhaps most importantly, the patient needs to be educated on how to best manage chronic pain, so that life can be lived as normally as possible.
The key differences between these two chronic pain syndromes:
1. MPS has more localized or regional pain versus the diffuse pain of fibromyalgia.
2. MPS patients have “trigger points” which can cause pain at a distant location when pressed, whereas fibromyalgia patients suffer from “tender points”.
3. MPS has a better prognosis, as the pain often resolves with treatment or the rectification of the offending stimulus (such as the ergonomically incorrect office desk); the pain of fibromyalgia has a much higher chance of being chronic.
Unfortunately, many individuals are misdiagnosed with either myofascial pain syndrome or fibromyalgia. Therefore, it’s absolutely essential for the individual experiencing widespread symptoms of pain and fatigue, to seek professional help and follow through with the proper assessments to determine which of these two similar conditions, the individual has developed, in order to properly treat them.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.psychologytoday.com
Many people are diagnosed with fibromyalgia after reporting symptoms of chronic pain, however, it’s safe to say that not all widespread pain could indicate the presence of this painful condition. In fact, myofascial pain syndrome is another condition, frequently misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic, Scoop.it
Fibromyalgia symptoms like numbness, tingling, and pain can be tied to your environment. Learn how pain can be affected by reactions to light, sound, or smell.
Sensitivity to environmental stimulation, including bright lights, loud noises, and even certain smells, can make living with fibromyalgia particularly challenging. You might wake up each morning wondering what new trigger may exacerbate your fibromyalgia symptoms.
“I deal with everything on a day-to-day basis,” says Stephanie Parker of Dover, Del., who believes her symptoms are consistent with fibromyalgia but has not yet been formally diagnosed. The symptoms keep her from participating in daily family activities, such as watching her kids’ ballgames in the afternoons.
Tina Pringle, who was diagnosed 16 years ago with fibromyalgia, says that her fibromyalgia symptoms have been overwhelming at times. “The symptoms all merge together, and because of the fatigue and brain fog, everything becomes a maze of sheer confusion,” explains Pringle.
This heightened sensitivity may be difficult for you to understand, much less explain to friends and family members who see no outward problem. The uncomfortable and painful sensations of fibromyalgia may be part of your brain’s unusual way of processing pain, suggests fibromyalgia researcher Benjamin Natelson, MD, a neurology professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and author of Your Symptoms Are Real: What to Do When Your Doctor Says Nothing Is Wrong.
According to a study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation�that compared and analyzed reports from women with rheumatoid arthritis, women with fibromyalgia, and women without a pain syndrome, those with fibromyalgia were much more likely to report intense, unpleasant responses to sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations.
Another study, published in the journal Pain Research and Treatment,suggests that changes in brain chemistry among people with fibromyalgia may be linked to sensitivity to stimuli such as sound and smell. Imaging studies have provided visual depictions of this altered response to sensations. In some respects, the brains of people with fibromyalgia may be hyper-responsive to even the possibility of pain or discomfort, Dr. Natelson says.
Researchers have also tested tissue samples and found elevated levels of inflammatory markers in the skin of people with fibromyalgia � which may be linked to hypersensitivity to touch. Touch sensitivity is real for people like Pringle, who says that there are times when even holding hands with her partner is too painful to bear. Clothes that are too tight, massages, and even light touches all ratchet up her pain and stress. To make matters worse, Pringle says she occasionally even flinches involuntarily when touched by others, which can be hurtful to those around her.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.everydayhealth.com
Widespread pain and fatigue are well-known symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, however, recent studies have concluded that an individual’s symptoms can also be tied to their environment, including reactions to light, sound or smell. Sensory overload can be an additional symptom to fibromyalgia.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic
Millions of Americans are affected by fibromyalgia, a mysterious debilitating disorder. Here’s what is known so far about its symptoms, causes, and risk factors.
Fibromyalgia is a widely misunderstood and sometimes misdiagnosed chronic condition, commonly characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, concentration issues, and sleep problems. According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, it affects an estimated 10 million people, mainly women, in the United States alone. The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from one person to the next and may fluctuate even in a single individual, depending on such factors as time of day or the weather. Because it is a chronic condition, in most cases fibromyalgia symptoms never disappear entirely. The good news is that fibromyalgia isn’t progressive or life-threatening, and treatments can help alleviate many symptoms.
While the exact cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery, doctors do know that patients with the disorder experience an increased sensation of pain due to a glitch in the central nervous system’s processing of pain information. Studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia also have certain physiological abnormalities, such as elevated levels of certain�chemicals called nuerotransmitters that help transmit pain signals (thus amplifying, or “turning up,” the signals in the brain’s pain-processing areas).
In some cases, an injury or trauma, especially to the cervical spine, or a bacterial or viral illness, may precede a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. This has caused researchers to speculate that infections may be triggers as well.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia is a condition which causes chronic symptoms of widespread pain. Although it’s been recorded to affect millions of people, fibromyalgia is still largely misunderstood and often misdiagnosed among the medical field. Referred to as a condition without cure, the symptoms can be managed with proper care. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.�
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic
Fibromyalgia, a chronic disease that causes pain and swelling in more than a dozen points all over the body, affects as many as 5 million people. Because doctors are still unsure of the cause of fibromyalgia, treatment can be frustrating (and often a process of trial and error). �Fibromyalgia symptoms are only about 30% amenable to current pharmaceutical strategies on the market,� says Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, lead author of Potential Dietary Links in Central Sensitization in Fibromyalgia.
That�s why many patients are taking matters into their own hands and experimenting with alternative treatments, including dietary changes. Forty-two percent of fibro patients reported that symptoms worsened after eating certain foods, and though much of the research is in its preliminary phases, there�s some evidence that simple diet tweaks may ease fibro pain.
Read on to get 5 food rules for fibromyalgia patients (just be sure to consult your doctor before drastically changing your diet).
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia can cause symptoms of pain and discomfort along with fatigue and concentration issues. Living with the condition can be difficult, however, there are many alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic, which can help people with the condition, find relief from their symptoms. In addition, following a balanced diet and the proper nutrition can help speed up the process of relief. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.�
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic
A new study from Egypt reports that chiropractic care can be an effective treatment strategy for fibromyalgia treatment with chiropractic care.
The study involved 120 people between the ages of 40 and 65 who had suffered with severe fibromyalgia for four years or more. Each person rated their pain as a 4 or higher on a pain scale and also had limited movement in their cervical (neck area) spine, specifically in their C1-C2 area.
All of the individuals participating in this study engaged in 12 weeks of therapy which included:
An education program (one two-hour session per week) designed to provide the participant with more information about fibromyalgia and available treatment options;
Cognitive behavioral therapy (one two-hour session per week) which involved discussion regarding pain management via relaxation exercises, challenging treatment-prohibitive beliefs about fibromyalgia, and positive reinforcement about what types of actions can be taken to ease fibromyalgia symptoms;
and an exercise program (three one-hour sessions per week plus 20-minute session twice daily at home) which included relaxation techniques, as well as active and passive stretches.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia is a painful condition which affects the primary nerves of the body, present in a wide number of the population. There are several available treatment options for the condition but recent studies have concluded, chiropractic treatment can benefit fibromyalgia sufferers. From spinal adjustments to manual manipulations, chiropractic care can provide relief from the painful symptoms of the condition. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic, Fibromyalgia, Treatments
Though often termed an alternative treatment, chiropractic care is now becoming more accepted by the mainstream medical community. Almost 20% of American men and women have used the services of a chiropractor at some point in their lives. 80% of those who use chiropractors report significant pain relief, better functioning, and an increased sense of wellbeing. But what theories are chiropractic care based on and what exactly does a chiropractor do?
Chiropractic care is based on the theory that illness and pain are caused by misalignments in your skeletal structure. It sees the body as a connected system, which relies on your bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons to keep it functioning efficiently. When your skeletal structure is sound, your body should feel healthy and happy. But if parts of your skeleton are slightly off balance, it could cause serious problems, like chronic pain.
Chiropractors aim to solve pain and related symptoms by correcting the imbalances in your skeletal structure. Through a series of techniques, including stretches, adjustments, and manipulations, your chiropractor will restore your skeletal balance, thereby eliminating any pain symptoms.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Chiropractic care is becoming increasingly popular among fibromyalgia sufferers because of the pain and stress relief that it can provide for those with the condition. It can often offer relief in short periods of time and help you to get back to enjoying life fast. Understanding the basics of�chiropractic care can help you to decide if it could be an effective treatment for you and your symptoms of fibromyalgia. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.
