Q: Can chiropractic help my fibromyalgia pain?
A: This is a fantastic topic given that in WV, we have a very high prevalence of this painful affliction. Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that causes tenderness in 11 of 18 locations on the body when pressure is applied. Literally, that is the way it is diagnoses and all that is required to medically dub someone as a fibromyalgia sufferer. For that reason, I want anyone afflicted with fibromyalgia to know, that it is a REAL disorder, but that diagnosis in no way describes WHY you have pain in at least 11 of 18 pressure points. More must be found out about your body to be able to maybe “fix” it or know how to manage the pain better for you individually. And, yes, chiropractors are typically very helpful in this quest.
Make no mistake, it is not easy to find out why someone has chronic pain and maybe correct it. That being said, gentle spinal manipulations by Doctors of Chiropractic as well as exercise, dietary changes, nutritional enhancement, postural changes, and stress management can improve Fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day. Different people experience varying problems, but common occurrences include widespread pain, sleep disorders, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic headaches and heightened sensitivity.
Chiropractic is one of the most frequently used types of alternative therapy, especially for chronic pain illnesses such as fibromyalgia. It is based on the foundation that impairment of the nervous system can cause certain conditions and resulting problems in the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones. Chiropractors have successfully treated a host of painful conditions by manipulating joints with stretches and adjustments.
In my experience, there is a combination of physical, emotional, and toxin related sources of the problem and chiropractic may not be able to address all of these issues. However, teaming up with a chiropractor as your medical provider for this problem seems to lead to good results as they are commonly well prepared with the knowledge to get the right kinds of doctors or therapy prescribed if they do not perform it themselves.
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