Fibro is a prefix used in medical terminology to denote fibrous tissues in the body and myalgia means pain.
Fibromyalgia has taken on the same diagnostic hype in the last five years as ADD/ADHD, in that someone has given a name to why you feel tired and achy all of the time. The diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia are very specific.
The first thing that must be determined is do you fit these criteria?
If your doctor has diagnosed you without putting his hands on you then a vital step has been missed. Part of the diagnosis criteria consists of 11/18 specific points of tenderness being identified. Unfortunately, like other pain syndromes fibromyalgia pain can be better on some days and worse on others leading to misdiagnosis.
The causes of fibromyalgia as of yet are unknown, but I have seen success in practice with hormone balance, identifying nutritional deficiencies through whole blood analysis, looking at toxicity, and checking EBV (epstein barr virus), and CMV (cytomegalovirus) titers. Using one or a combination of therapies to rectify these imbalances seems to get to the root of fibromyalgia. We work at creating a system of treatment options that helps the body to be able to cope with the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Exercise can be particularly difficult in fibromyalgia patients as working out on a good day can lead to a series of bad days. The exercise breaks down a system that is already having difficulty repairing itself. Working out in a wet sauna using gentle repetitive movements in combination with detox, nutritional optimization and hormone balance helps the body repair. Working out in a healthy body leads to increased metabolism, increased elimination of waste and better processing of nutrients.
Are you suffering with a feeling of being tired and achy all the time? If so please call to set up a free 15 minute consultation 916-351-9355, so we can get to the root cause of your symptoms.
Dr. Michele Raithel, ND