There is still much that remains a mystery about the cause and disease fibromyalgia.  The exact cause of the condition continues to elude researchers, although they have begun to develop several theories about what triggers fibromyalgia. Possible culprits include stress, injury or physical trauma, emotional trauma, lyme disease and a weakened immune system. Here is a closer look at each of these factors and their possible role in the cause of fibromyalgia.

Stress Can Cause Fibromyalgia

Stress is a normal part of everyday life.  Ordinary levels of stress typically do not present a problem for most people.  Our reactions to stress are measured by our ability to handle each stressful event. Thus, “normal” stress for one person might be quite overwhelming for another.

Stress can develop for a number of reasons.  A traumatic accident, death, or emergency may cause stress. Stress can occur as a side effect of a serious illness or disease. Daily life and work responsibilities, and family pressures can also cause stress to develop.

High stress lifestyles are common in the United States. The American culture is a high-paced world of technology and instant access to information.  These patterns of stress can quickly lead to burn out, where the individual can no longer function. This condition of chronic burn out is universal in people who develop fibromyalgia. For more help with stress go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org

Injury or Physical Trauma Can Cause Fibromyalgia

Most individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia have a previous history of injury or physical trauma. Falls, motor vehicle accidents, prolonged labor during childbirth, loss of blood, head traumas, spinal injuries, bone fractures, surgeries, internal injuries, major dental work, sports injuries, and surgical operations are some examples of injuries and physical trauma that could cause fibromyalgia. In some cases trauma can lead to unexpected weight gain, if this has happened to you a good resource is www.weightlossobesity.com

The site of injury or trauma is also significant in the cause of fibromyalgia.  The abdominal area is of particular concern, as most fibromyalgia patients have experienced some type of abdominal injury or trauma (pregnancy, childbirth, and cesarean section surgery are all considered abdominal trauma). Cervical and lumbar whiplash injuries, which may or may not involve disk problems and coccyx injuries, are also common in fibromyalgia clients. Some of these injuries or traumas may have occurred years before the onset of fibromyalgia. Researchers believe that these injuries or traumas may somehow affect the central nervous system and cause fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle metabolism, such as decreased blood flow to the muscles that causes fatigue and decreased strength. These changes in muscle metabolism may occur as the result of a past muscle injury.

Emotional Trauma Can Cause Fibromyalgia

Emotional trauma can be just as devastating to the body as physical trauma. Chronic worry, anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, and grief are especially damaging to the body’s energy levels and immune system defenses. Most people have experienced some type of emotional trauma in their lives, either through the loss of loved ones or the ending of relationships. However, these traumas may have been particularly severe for patients who suffer from fibromyalgia.  It is common for fibromyalgia sufferers to have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in the past. Many fibromyalgia patients have suffered a series of traumatic events.  As with physical traumas, these traumas may have occurred years before the onset of fibromyalgia.

A Weakened Immune System Can Cause Fibromyalgia

Several factors can cause the immune system to become weak.  Emotional factors include prolonged stress, depression, and anxiety.  Physical factors such as poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, illness, allergies, and medications can reduce the effectiveness of the body’s immunity. Symptoms of a weakened immune system include fatigue, susceptibility to illness (especially colds and flues), low stress tolerance, recurrent infections, easy bruising, and slow wound healing.  Over time, a weakened immune system can also cause fibromyalgia to develop. In these cases, patients often feel their fibromyalgia start with a cold or flu that just never seems to go away. A toxic and compacted colon can also lead to a weak immune system. I recommend cleansing the colon regularly. A good colon cleanser can be found at www.colon-cleanse-constipation.com.

Can Lyme Disease Cause Fibromyalgia?

A recent study suggests that over 75% of the patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia also have Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease, sometimes misspelled ‘Lime Disease’, is so-named because it was first identified in the United States near Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. However, the history of Lyme Disease precedes its first United States diagnosis. In Europe a skin rash with striking similarities had been described in medical literature around the turn of the century, and it has been suggested that Lyme Disease may have spread to the United States from Europe in the early 1900’s. The cause of Lyme Disease is a type of bacteria called a spirochete (pronounced “spi-ro-keet”). Its appearance under a powerful microscope is that of a cork-screw. The Lyme Disease spirochete is most often passed to humans by ticks (deer ticks, wood ticks, or black-legged ticks). Therefore it is most common in wooded, suburban areas. Lyme Disease symptoms can often be misleading and difficult to diagnose. Early symptoms starting within a few days of infection is often a rash, starting with a red dot at the point of infection and radiating out. The center may then fade, creating a circular “bulls-eye” pattern. Other symptoms may include fevers, chills, stiff joints, muscle ache, and fatigue. Because many symptoms may emulate other illnesses Lyme disease has often been called the ‘Great Imitator’.

Preventing Fibromyalgia

There is little that can be done to prevent the injuries and traumas that will occur throughout our lives.  So the best way to prevent fibromyalgia in those who consider themselves susceptible is to minimize stress, and restore the strength of the immune system.

Minimizing Stress: Stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing exercises are excellent ways to reduce stress in the body and mind and help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Exercise is another great stress-reducer that also helps to improve the overall health of the body.

Strengthen The Immune System: A healthy diet and regular exercise are the keys to a strong immune system.  A healthy diet will provide the body with the nutrients it needs to maintain and repair cells.  Exercise helps to move these nutrients, as well as water and waste, throughout the system.  Exercise also helps to improve the circulation and improve mobility in the joints.

More than four million people in the United States are currently diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that is characterized by widespread pain throughout the body and tenderness in localized areas of the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips, sometimes referred to as tender points or pressure points. It affects people of all ages, races, and gender, although it occurs most frequently in women between the ages of thirty to fifty years old.

Fibromyalgia is also known as Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Fibromyositis, Fibrositis, or Myofascial pain syndrome. It produces chronic pain of the soft tissues that may include the muscles, ligaments and tendons. Fibromyalgia is also associated with a number of other symptoms including temperature sensitivities; numbness and tingling that may travel throughout the body, insomnia, concentration problems, digestive disorders, headaches, joint stiffness, depression, and fatigue. The fatigue associated with fibromyalgia can become just as debilitating as the pain of the condition.

What Causes The Fatigue of Fibromyalgia?

Research has shown that fibromyalgia is clearly associated with sleep disturbances that disrupt a person’s ability to achieve a deep level of restorative sleep throughout the night.  Most people sleep in cycles, drifting effortlessly between levels of light sleep, and deep REM sleep. However, for people who suffer from fibromyalgia, the body may not be able to enter a state of deep sleep.  This is why people with this condition tend to wake up feeling exhausted, even though they do not recall waking up in the night.

Some scientists believe that fibromyalgia is caused by the body’s attempt to rid itself of harmful toxins and protect itself from further damage.  In this situation, the theory is that toxins cause the body to shut down due to over stressing the body. When this occurs, rest is no longer enough to restore proper function.

In order to reduce the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia, one needs to undertake a holistic approach to management that entails nutritional counseling, detoxification, conditioning and exercise programs, alternative therapies such as acupressure and massage, stress management and relaxation techniques as well as, some lifestyle changes.

The Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

In addition to pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia is also associated with other body disturbances, including:

• Cognitive difficulties
• Headaches or migraines
• Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. The best way to treat these conditions is with a product called Oxy-Powder available at http://www.oxypowder.com/
• Stiffness and aching throughout the body. A topical pain relief product can be found at http://www.ghchealth.com/
• Muscle spasms and weakness
• Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• Sleep disturbances
• Temperature sensitivities
• Anxiety and depression. Help is available at http://www.stress-anxiety-depression.org/

Managing The Fatigue of Fibromyalgia

Dietary Changes

The body needs at least forty vitamins and minerals each day in order to maintain and repair cells. These nutrients become even more important for those who suffer from fibromyalgia, as the condition is associated with a malabsorption of nutrients.  Fibromyalgia sufferers need to pay special attention to their dietary needs to ensure that they receive an adequate supply of nutrients.  Here are a few tips to get the proper nutrition you need.

• Reduce your intake of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates. These foods tend to stress the body and aggravate the symptoms of fibromyalgia
• Increase water intake.  Water helps to improve the circulation and move nutrients throughout the body.
• Take a quality dietary supplement. A vitamin and mineral supplement helps to bridge the gap between dietary needs and food choices. Always be sure to talk with your health care provider before adding any new medication or supplement to your diet. The product Fibro-Balance has shown the best results with treating Fibromyalgia.

Lifestyle Changes

The pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia can be managed more efficiently if you can allow yourself more time to perform activities and adequate rest between each activity.  Rest is especially important in reducing both mental and physical stress.  Try to maintain a sleep schedule in which you get to bed and wake up at about the same time each day.  Even if you initially have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, a sleep schedule can better prepare your body for the rest it needs.  Stress management techniques are also beneficial in reducing the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia.

Exercise

It is difficult to think about exercising when one is exhausted and riddled with pain.  However, slow, gentle exercises can be wonderfully healing for fibromyalgia sufferers.  Exercise helps to improve the circulation, increase muscle strength, reduce joint stiffness, improve the range of motion in joints, improve sleep, increase energy levels and alleviate depression.  All of these benefits are especially important when battling fibromyalgia.  Talk with your health care provider or physical therapist about developing an exercise routine that will work best for you.  If you are not already exercising, incorporate these new routines into your program slowly, so as not to traumatize the muscles or jar the sensitive joints.  Exercises such as walking, swimming, riding a stationary bike, water aerobics, yoga, pilates and tai chi are excellent low-impact exercises that can help reduce the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia.  In some cases of fibromyalgia, unexpected weight gain can occur. If this is a problem, a good resource for losing weight is http://www.weightlossobesity.com/

There is still much that remains a mystery about the disease fibromyalgia.  The exact cause of the condition continues to elude researchers, although they have begun to develop several theories about what triggers the disease. Possible culprits include stress, injury or physical trauma, emotional trauma, lyme disease and a weakened immune system. Here is a closer look at each of these factors and their possible role in the development of fibromyalgia.

Stress

Stress is a normal part of everyday life.  Ordinary levels of stress typically do not present a problem for most people.  Our reactions to stress are measured by our ability to handle each stressful event. Thus, “normal” stress for one person might be quite overwhelming for another.

Stress can develop for a number of reasons.  A traumatic accident, death, or emergency may cause stress. Stress can occur as a side effect of a serious illness or disease. Daily life and work responsibilities, and family pressures can also cause stress to develop.

High stress lifestyles are common in the United States. The American culture is a high-paced world of technology and instant access to information.  These patterns of stress can quickly lead to burn out, where the individual can no longer function. This condition of chronic burn out is universal in people who develop fibromyalgia. For more help with stress please visit The Stress & Anxiety Resource Center.

Injury or Physical Trauma

Most individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia have a previous history of injury or physical trauma. Falls, motor vehicle accidents, prolonged labor during childbirth, loss of blood, head traumas, spinal injuries, bone fractures, surgeries, internal injuries, major dental work, sports injuries, and surgical operations are some examples of injuries and physical trauma that could lead to fibromyalgia symptoms.

The site of injury or trauma is also significant in the development of fibromyalgia.  The abdominal area is of particular concern, as most fibromyalgia patients have experienced some type of abdominal injury or trauma (pregnancy, childbirth, and cesarean section surgery are all considered abdominal trauma). Cervical and lumbar whiplash injuries, which may or may not involve disk problems and coccyx injuries, are also common in fibromyalgia clients. Some of these injuries or traumas may have occurred years before the onset of fibromyalgia. Researchers believe that these injuries or traumas may somehow affect the central nervous system and be one of the causes of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle metabolism, such as decreased blood flow to the muscles that causes fatigue and decreased strength. These changes in muscle metabolism may occur as the result of a past muscle injury.

Emotional Trauma

Emotional trauma can be just as devastating to the body as physical trauma. Chronic worry, anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, and grief are especially damaging to the body’s energy levels and immune system defenses. Most people have experienced some type of emotional trauma in their lives, either through the loss of loved ones or the ending of relationships. However, these traumas may have been particularly severe for patients who suffer from fibromyalgia.  It is common for fibromyalgia sufferers to have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in the past. Many fibromyalgia patients have suffered a series of traumatic events.  As with physical traumas, these traumas may have occurred years before the onset of fibromyalgia.

Weakened Immune System

Several factors can cause the immune system to become weak.  Emotional factors include prolonged stress, depression, and anxiety.  Physical factors such as poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, illness, allergies, and medications can reduce the effectiveness of the body’s immunity. Symptoms of a weakened immune system include fatigue, susceptibility to illness (especially colds and flues), low stress tolerance, recurrent infections, easy bruising, and slow wound healing.  Over time, a weakened immune system can also cause fibromyalgia to develop. In these cases, patients often feel their fibromyalgia start with a cold or flu that just never seems to go away. A toxic and compacted colon can also lead to a weak immune system. I recommend a regular colon cleanse or Liver Cleanse to help with an optimal immune system.

Lyme Disease

A recent study suggests that over 75% of the patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia also have Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease, sometimes misspelled ‘Lime Disease’, is so-named because it was first identified in the United States Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. However, the history of Lyme Disease precedes its first United States diagnosis. In Europe a skin rash with striking similarities had been described in medical literature around the turn of the century, and it has been suggested that Lyme Disease may have spread to the United States from Europe in the early 1900’s. The cause of Lyme Disease is a type of bacteria called a spirochete (pronounced “spi-ro-keet”). Its appearance under a powerful microscope is that of a cork-screw. The Lyme Disease spirochete is most often passed to humans by ticks (deer ticks, wood ticks, or black-legged ticks). Therefore it is most common in wooded, suburban areas. Lyme Disease symptoms can often be misleading and difficult to diagnose. Early symptoms starting within a few days of infection is often a rash, starting with a red dot at the point of infection and radiating out. The center may then fade, creating a circular “bulls-eye” pattern. Other symptoms may include fevers, chills, stiff joints, muscle ache, and fatigue. Because many symptoms may emulate other illnesses Lyme disease has often been called the ‘Great Imitator’.

Preventing Fibromyalgia

There is little that can be done to prevent the injuries and traumas that will occur throughout our lives.  So the best way to prevent fibromyalgia in those who consider themselves susceptible is to minimize stress, and restore the strength of the immune system.

• Minimizing Stress: Stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing exercises are excellent ways to reduce stress in the body and mind and help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Exercise is another great stress-reducer that also helps to improve the overall health of the body.
• Strengthen The Immune System: A healthy diet and regular exercise are the keys to a strong immune system.  A healthy diet will provide the body with the nutrients it needs to maintain and repair cells.  Exercise helps to move these nutrients, as well as water and waste, throughout the system.  Exercise also helps to improve the circulation and improve mobility in the joints.

In 1990, The American College of Rheumatology defined the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, based upon two major criteria:

1. Widespread pain that lasts for at least three months.
2. Pain in at least eleven of the eighteen possible specified tender points throughout the body. These tender points will hurt when pressed, not just feel “tender”, but the pressure will not cause pain in any other part of the body. The amount of pressure that should be applied to determine if a pressure point is “positive” for pain is standardized at four kilograms, or just enough to turn the thumbnail white.

The widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia is defined as having pain in all four quadrants of the body (both sides of the body and above and below the waist.) In addition, pain must also be present in the cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine or lower back.

This is the strict definition of fibromyalgia as written in the medical books.  However, many doctors realize that pressure points may change from time to time, and they may become worse or better on a day-to-day basis.

Where Are The Pressure Points Located?

These points occur in pairs.  There are two tender points at each of the following locations:

1. Near the base of the skull
2. On the lower vertebra of the neck
3. At the midpoint of the upper border (the neck, mid back and upper back muscles between the shoulder blades)
4. Above the scapula spine near the medial border
5. At the insertion of the second rib
6. Two centimeters distal to the side of the elbow
7. On the upper and outer muscles of the buttocks
8. On  the upper part of the thigh
9. On the middle of the knee joint (the “fat” pad of the knee)

The eighteen “tender point” sites used for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia are located around the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, knee and buttocks.  There are over seventy-five tender points that exist on the body, but not all of these can confirm the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia

Although the criteria listed above is based on the count of symptomatic tender points, a consensus of thirty-five fibromyalgia experts published a report in 1996 saying that a person does not need to have the required eleven tender points in order to be diagnosed and treated for fibromyalgia. These experts agreed that the defining criteria was created for research purposes and that many people may still have fibromyalgia, even if they experience pain in less than eleven of the required tender points as long as they have widespread pain and many of the other common symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.  These other symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Digestive disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. The best remedy for constipation is a product called Oxy-Powder. It is available  at – http://www.colon-cleanse-constipation.com/
• Sleep disorders or unproductive sleep
• Chronic headaches or migraines
• Jaw pain (including TMJ dysfunction)
• Reduced cognitive abilities
• Memory impairment
• Malaise
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain and stiffness. The best natural remedy is available at http://www.ghchealth.com/
• Numbness and tingling sensations in the extremities
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Hypersensitivity to heat and/or cold

Managing Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disease that can completely take over one’s life. The pain and fatigue associated with the condition can affect one’s work performance, relationships, and daily activities.  The simple tasks necessary to alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia can consume every ounce of energy and every moment of the day, unless managed properly. If you or someone you love is suffering from fibromyalgia, here are a few ideas to help you get back in control of your life.

1. Get Educated: If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it is important to learn everything you can about the condition. The internets best resource is http://www.fibromyalgia-support.org/.  Fibromyalgia has many symptoms, and it requires a bit of patience and understanding before you can begin to manage the condition.  Read articles in magazines and on the Internet, check out books at the library, and talk with your health care provider or a fibromyalgia specialist to learn more about the syndrome. Don’t stop learning…more and more research is performed each day on fibromyalgia, offering new insights on remedies, diet, and exercises for the care of the disease.
2. Ask For Help: Now is the time to lean on your friends and family.  Your loved ones can provide you with the emotional and physical support you need to manage this condition.
3. Stay Positive: It is very easy to get depressed when you are suffering from fibromyalgia, or any chronic condition.  But you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to keep taking each day one at a time. You can learn to control the disease, rather than letting the disease control you. If you suffer from stress, anxiety or depression go to http://www.stress-anxiety-depression.org/ for help.

In some cases lack of exercise can lead to unexpected weight gain, if this is a problem, a good resource to help you lose weight is http://www.weightlossobesity.com/

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects roughly six million Americans each year.  The condition is characterized by widespread pain and stiffness throughout the body, as well as pain in at least eleven of each of the eighteen tender points on the body.  These tender places occur symmetrically on both sides of the body.

Where Are The Tender Points Located?

Tender points occur in pairs throughout the body.  Two tender points are located at each of the following locations:

On your back, there are tender points:

1. Along the spine in the neck, where the head and neck meet on the upper line of the shoulder, a little less than halfway from the shoulder to the neck three finger widths, on a diagonal, inward from the last points
2. On the back fairly close to the “dimples” above the buttocks, a little less than halfway in toward the spine
3. Below the buttocks, very close to the outside edge of the thigh, about three finger widths

On the front of your body, tender points are present in the following places:

1. On the neck, just above inner edge of the collarbone
2. Still on the neck, a little further out from the last points, about four finger widths down
3. On the inner (palm) side of the lower arm, about three finger widths below the elbow crease
4. On the inner side of the knee, in the “fat pad”
5. On the hip bones

In order to meet the formal requirements of a fibromyalgia diagnosis, your health care provider must note pain in at least eleven of these points with a minimal amount of pressure.  The level of pressure is defined as four kilograms, which is just enough to turn a fingernail white. However, what is painful and tender for one person may not be painful for another. Therefore, many doctors will diagnose a condition as fibromyalgia even if there are less than eleven tender points as long as the patient meets the other criteria for the condition.

When To See A Doctor

If you think you may be suffering from fibromyalgia, you should see your health care provider to have your condition evaluated. Many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia mimic those of other diseases, such as low thyroid hormone production (hypothyroidism), polymyalgia rheumatica, neuropathies, lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Your doctor can test you for each of these conditions to help you determine the true cause of your symptoms.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to diagnose fibromyalgia because there isn’t a single, specific diagnostic laboratory test to test for the condition. It is more likely that you will undergo a series of medical tests such as blood tests and X-rays to rule out the possibility of other conditions.

Here is the official definition of fibromyalgia as designated by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990*

(1) History of widespread pain:

Definition: Pain is considered widespread when all of the following are present: pain in the left side of the body, pain in the right side of the body, pain above the waist, and pain below the waist.  In addition, axial skeletal pain (cervical spine or anterior chest or thoracic spine or low back) must be present. In this definition, shoulder and buttock pain is considered as pain for each involved side. “Low back” pain is considered lower segment pain.

(2) Pain in 11 of 18 tender point sites on digital palpation:

Digital palpation should be performed with an approximate force of 4kg.  For a tender point to be considered “positive”, the subject must state that the palpation was painful.  “Tender” is not to be considered “painful”.

Note: For classification purposes, patients will be said to have fibromyalgia if both criteria are satisfied.  Widespread pain must have been present for at least 3 months.  The presence of a second clinical disorder does not exclude the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

* from Frederick Wolfe et al, “The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia: Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee,” Arthritis and Rheumatism, Vol. 33, No.2 (February 1990) ,p. 171.

The official definition further requires that tender points must be present in all four quadrants of the body — that is, the upper right and left and lower right and left parts of your body. Therefore, the patient must not only experience pain, but the pain must be all over the body.

Other treatment methods that might be helpful at alleviating the pain of tender points include dietary changes and low-impact exercise. A topical pain relief product can be found at www.ghchealth.com

With Fibromyalgia, digestive disorders such as constipation or irritable bowel syndrome may occur. The best way to treat these conditions is with a product called Oxy-Powder available at www.oxypowder.com

Anxiety and depression may also occur with fibromyalgia. Help is available at www.stress-anxiety-depression.org

Trigger points are localized spots on the body that are found within the skeletal muscle. They can cause pain in the muscles used to maintain body posture, such as those in the neck, shoulders, and pelvic girdle. Pain in the trigger points can also be transmitted elsewhere in the body, causing tension headaches, tinnitus, Temporomandibular joint pain, decreased range of motion in the legs, and low back pain. Pressure on a trigger point will elicit pain directly over the affected area and cause radiation of pain toward other points on the body. Trigger points or tender points are specific sites on the body that cause pain when pressed. Trigger points are different from tender points.  Tender points hurt when pressed, but trigger points hurt and refer pain to other body parts.  Pain in trigger points can cause myofascial pain, muscle pain, or even nausea. There are nine pairs of trigger points on the body. Each pair has one point on each side of the body, for a total of eighteen points. These pairs occur in various spots all over the body. A good topical pain relief formula can be found at www.ghchealth.com.

Where Are Trigger Points Located?

There are eighteen trigger points on the body, arranged in nine pairs.  Two trigger points can be found on either side of the body at each of the following locations:

1. Behind the ear where the neck muscles attach to the base of the skull.
2. About halfway between the base of the neck and the tip of the shoulder.
3. At the spot where the back muscles attach to the shoulder blade, just below the 2nd trigger point.
4. On the front of the neck above the collarbone.
5. Just to the right and left of the breastbone (sternum) about 2 in. (5.08 cm) below the collarbone.
6. On each forearm just below and to the outside of the crease of the elbow
7. Just above and to the outer right and left of each buttock.
8. On the outer upper leg just behind the bony part of the hip (this point is easier to find when standing
9. On the inside of each knee.

Active and Latent Trigger Points

Trigger points can be classified as being either active or latent. An active trigger point causes pain regardless of whether or not pressure is applied to it. The pain is often described as spreading or radiating from the trigger point. A latent trigger point does not cause pain upon pressure, but it may restrict movement or cause muscle weakness. The person who suffers from latent trigger points may only become aware of pain when pressure is applied directly over the point.

Tender Points and the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia

According to the American College of Rheumatology, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based upon the presence of two major criteria.  These include 1) widespread and persistent pain that lasts at least three months and 2) pain with minimally applied pressure on at least eleven out of the eighteen possible specified tender points throughout the body. These tender points will hurt when pressed, but the pressure will not cause pain in any other part of the body. The physician applies a standardized amount of pressure, usually about four kilograms which is just enough to turn a thumbnail white. A tender point feels as if it is bruised when touched with this much pressure.

Widespread pain is defined as having pain in both sides of the body and pain above and below the waist. In addition, pain must also be present in the cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine or lower back.

Managing Trigger Points

Trigger-points have been associated with high stress levels and depression. For more information on natural remedies go to www.stress-anxiety-depression.org. Another possible cause of pain in trigger points is a toxic colon. I recommend regular colon cleansing. More information can be found at www.colon-cleanse-constipation.com.

In most cases lack of exercise and stretching also leads to trigger points and unexpected weight gain, if this is a problem, a good resource is www.weightlossobesity.com

Article reproduced from http://www.mercola.com/

Brain scans of people with fibromyalgia offer the first hard evidence of what patients already know: Their pain is real and their threshold for tolerating it is substantially lower than that of most individuals.

Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 2% to 4% of the population. Nine in 10 fibromyalgia patients are female. Patients commonly report feeling tenderness, stiffness and sometimes unbearable pain in various areas of the body. They also may suffer from fatigue, depression and gastrointestinal problems. Some doctors without expertise in fibromyalgia have dismissed patients’ complaints because there have been no documented physical signs of the disorder.

In the new report fibromyalgia patients underwent a type of detailed brain scan known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while an instrument intermittently applied different levels of pressure to their left thumbnail.

When all study participants received the same level of mild pressure, blood flow increased much more in the brains of patients with fibromyalgia than among those in the control group. The increased blood flow — which is a “surrogate measure” for nerve activity — occurred in areas of the brain known to be associated with pain.

In addition, when study participants were subjected to different levels of pressure, fibromyalgia patients reported pain at half the level of pressure that caused the same feelings of pain among the healthy controls.

Something appears awry with the way the central nervous system processes painful stimuli in fibromyalgia patients.

Arthritis & Rheumatism 2002;46:1333-1343

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

While the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have found pain-processing abnormalities in the spines and brain stems of some people with fibromyalgia.

People with fibromyalgia may experience reductions in their symptoms by eliminating one or more foods from their diet. Following the eating plan seems to help, however, it is quite clear that most people with this disease will not completely relieve their symptoms, even if the follow they it perfectly. This is because nearly every person I have seen with fibromyalgia suffers from an underlying emotional component.

Bioenergetic normalization of previous emotional traumas is the single most effective treatment I know of for fibromyalgia at this time. There are many different techniques that can be used here, but EFT is my current favorite.

My free EFT manual can be used in conjunction with my video seminar or by itself to learn this effective technique. For serious emotional issues, it is best to consult one of the many trained EFT therapists who can offer you more extensive assistance.

In my video, I have an excellent example of a woman with debilitating fibromyalgia. She had been hit by a truck, which triggered the crippling disease. After our EFT session, not only were her physical ailments completely relieved, but she was able to forgive the truck driver who hit her.

If you are a health care practitioner and are interested in attending one of the top energy training events of 2002, you will want to be certain to come to Chicago in September for Dr. Larry Nims’s BSFF course.

NST is also another powerful tool that works synergistically with the eating plan and energetic balancing. It is a series of gentle massage like techniques that have profound and amazing muscle normalization effects. Unlike massage, or most manipulation or adjustments, the benefits seem to be long lasting; generally 3-10 minute sessions are all it takes for permanent relief – assuming one has addressed problem foods and previous emotional traumas.

You can go to our NST therapist page to find a therapist close to you. If you are a health care practitioner you may want to consider attending the NST course in Chicago this fall.

Exercise is also a key to good health for all of us. However, most people with fibromyalgia have so much muscle pain that they cannot exercise. NST is one technique that can reduce the pain so a person can exercise.

Last year I spoke at the National Fibromyalgia Conference. I discussed the results my staff and I have been achieving with NST. I have never seen any modality work so well for fibromyalgia. We have had excellent results with the therapy.

©Copyright 2004 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Article reproduced from Paintracking.com

“You look fine….” Such words are usually intended as a compliment. Sometimes they provide reassurance. But they can also produce confused feelings when someone is silently suffering. This problem is not unique to fibromyalgia. Parallels are easily drawn with other conditions with controversial diagnoses and uncertain cause, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder, and premenstrual syndrome. These disorders can be considered “invisible” disabilities because they are virtually impossible for casual observers to detect.

What does it mean to contend with a seemingly invisible medical condition? It does not always work against us, for we can “pass for normal” when we want to. At other times, however, it might be helpful to have a large sign on our forehead saying “PAIN” or some such thing.

In what follows, I address why fibromyalgia has been nicknamed the invisible disability and how this has been changing. I also discuss issues relevant to having an invisible disability. For those of us suffering with pain and fatigue, it feels anything but invisible. What I propose are ways to make our experience more visible, in a sense, so that we can better confront it. Unlike illnesses with ‘objective’ measures and agreed-upon treatment programs, with fibromyalgia, we are the ones best able to detect the vagaries of our condition. It is therefore up to us to discover ways to understand and improve our situation. As we become more versed in the determinants of our symptoms, the seemingly invisible quality of our condition can work to our advantage. Ideally it becomes our decision when and how to make our experience visible and when to keep it invisible.

The Visibility of Fibromyalgia

The visibility of fibromyalgia is no doubt increasing. Those who developed fibromyalgia more recently are much “luckier” than those who had to bite the bullet for years while being told they were perfectly healthy. Fibromyalgia is now understood to be the most common cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Sources estimate between 3 and 26 million Americans suffer from this condition. One of the most significant contributions to this change was the creation of diagnostic criteria by the American College of Rheumatology in 1990. The official diagnostic criteria rest on a examination by a knowledgeable physician of “tender” points throughout the body. Although the criteria are subjective, they are quantifiable; the diagnosis is made when the patient responds to moderate palpation at a minimum of 11 of the 18 sites. Although some physicians remain inexperienced and reluctant to examine tender points, and some (including rheumatologists) refuse to accept that the bundle of symptoms constitutes a real disease entity, a growing number of physicians recognize and treat fibromyalgia. In addition, an international declaration in 1992 signed by medical experts from around the globe and endorsed by the World Health Organization decreed that fibromyalgia is “indeed a true medical problem.”

Those of us with fibromyalgia might find such declaration silly: Of course we have a problem — we know it is not normal to hurt from head to toe, day after day. But the official recognition of fibromyalgia has had a tremendous impact on the legitimacy and therefore the visibility of our condition. For the individual with fibromyalgia, the first step in making her experience visible is proper diagnosis by a physician. The diagnosis not only rules out other conditions, it opens up the gates to treatment. Being diagnosed with fibromyalgia initiates us into a sort of club. We soon become familiar with a new vocabulary — tricyclics, trigger-point injections, benzodiazepines, 1-10 pain scales — that become part of how we talk and even think about our own experience.

Unfortunately, it is still not unusual for people to see numerous specialists and undergo many expensive tests before acquiring the correct diagnosis. The search for a name for one’s suffering can be quite depressing and can lead one to question his own sanity. As fibromyalgia and its symptoms are becoming more widely recognized, however, diagnoses are being made more quickly. With the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, our pain and fatigue become associated with a legitimate disability. This, in turn, enables us to pursue avenues available to those with more “visible” disabilities, such as handicap parking permits and Social Security disability payments. In 1999, the US Social Security Administration included fibromyalgia in its list of disabling conditions. This does not mean that everyone with fibromyalgia would be determined to be “disabled,” however if you are disabled by problems of fibromyalgia you no longer receive a label such as “adjustment disorder” to gain coverage.

How invisible is fibromyalgia? Well, it is certainly visible in bookstores and libraries, and on the Internet! Over the last decade, dozens of self-help books have been published on fibromyalgia, and information sites and discussion groups span the Internet. In addition, fibromyalgia has now been discussed on mainstream television programs. Support groups have arisen across the country, providing information to patients and practitioners, and networking with health organizations, hospitals, and universities. While ‘knowledge is power’, the abundance of information pertaining to fibromyalgia can also be confusing. The treatment options being touted range from acupuncture, blue-green algae, biofeedback, dietary regimes, cough expectorant, hormone therapy, hypnosis, and trigger-point injections to a long list of pharmaceutical drugs. As there is little expert consensus on “what works,” it remains challenging for even the best-intentioned reader to develop an ideal treatment program.

The Invisibility of Fibromyalgia

Why did fibromyalgia remain invisible for so long? One contributing factor is the fact that 80% to 95% of fibromyalgia sufferers are women. Like other conditions predominantly acquired by women, its symptoms have often been attributed to hypochondria. In the 1950s and 1960s in the United States, fibromyalgia was often considered a “manifestation of psychogenic rheumatism” and patients were considered hysterical. Until recently, many physicians classified people who complained of the pain and fatigue as malingerers. Even with growing evidence of the physical reality of fibromyalgia, the gendered nature and virtual invisibility of this condition can result in insensitive and (at worst) nontherapeutic doctor-patient relations. The gendered nature of fibromyalgia can also negatively impact men. As fibromyalgia is defined as a “women’s condition,” men with symptoms confront separate issues of credibility. Not only may men be overlooked as candidates for the diagnosis (as with breast cancer or eating disorders), they face the additional difficulty of contending with weak, painful muscles in light of masculine ideals of strength and independence.

Even some mainstream medical journals indicate that physicians are not enthusiastic about treating fibromyalgia. There are no laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis, no understanding of the underlying cause, and no accepted therapeutic regimen to “cure” our condition. Clinical researchers complain that fibromyalgia treatment outcomes are difficult to evaluate because they lack “objective” findings. Furthermore, physicians are often frustrated by our multiple complaints and poor prognosis. Medical articles refer to fibromyalgia patients as “challenging” at best, and as “difficult” and “extremely draining.” Traditional medical models best apply to those who conform to the “sick role,” that is, patients who temporarily discontinue their usual roles and resume them when they improve. We, on the other hand, must be motivated to maintain and meet normal social responsibilities, while contending with fairly constant physical problems. This makes it even more imperative to focus on ways to make our symptoms visible to ourselves so that we can react accordingly.

Making Fibromyalgia Visible

Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia are obvious (quite obvious!) to those of us suffering from them, it is we who must render them visible by recording them. Only we with fibromyalgia are in the position to understand how changes in weather, activity, stress, and treatment programs influence how we feel. We know when we are a few steps away from “hitting the wall.” By devising a personalized record-keeping system, we can discern how various factors affect our pain, energy level, and general mood. While the medical profession remains unclear about what constitutes the best regime for the fibromyalgia population as a whole, individual patients can determine what works for them by recording and analyzing their own data. We must don the hat of scientist and devise an optimal program. Just like the diabetic who learns self management by taking blood sugars and regulating her insulin, or the asthmatic who measures his respiratory ability and self-medicates accordingly (and knows when to call the doctor), we can find ways to measure and regulate our activities. While we may not have the “benefit” of blood sugar level measurements, our symptoms remain visible to us at all times.

Making pain visible does not have to rely on words. Sometimes writing about illness puts too much emphasis on the very things we want to ignore. Drawing pictures offers an alternative way to capture our daily experiences. Pictures can be simple or quite creative and elaborate: they could represent not only your mood, but also contain symbols for relevant factors such as weather conditions, medications, and daily activities or stresses. Trends that would have been lost on our daily memories could be detected in the overtime changes in visual representations.

The more visible our experience, the better able we are to educate our physicians. Most of us take several prescription drugs and have tried countless others. The optimal program must be determined by trial and error. There are no better evaluative data than systematic records of our own experience.

In every interaction, we face choices about the extent to which we want to make fibromyalgia visible. Too much disclosure can generate fear, unwanted pity, and even discrimination. But hiding fibromyalgia completely may create unrealistic expectations that may be difficult and unhealthful to live up to. Ideally, visibility should be provided on a need-to-know basis. In general, people calculate where and how they want to spend their money and time. In the same fashion, we decide how to allocate our precious energy and pain — whether, for example, we choose to shake hands with someone or offer an explanation (true or fabricated) to avoid it. This is a very individual decision. But the bottom line in this issue of ‘visibility’ is control, taking one’s body into one’s own hands — which is the hallmark of the women’s health movement and of self-help groups. The importance of control is also echoed in the fibromyalgia medical literature. A recent study found that “self efficacy” (the belief that one can competently cope with a challenging situation) was found to be the best predictor of improvement in fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia: An “Invisible” Disability
by Deborah A. Barrett, reproduced from Paintracking.com

Let me preface this list by saying – although this list is long, not everyone will have all of these symptoms, but many of us will have most of these symptoms at one time or another. Although FMS has not been considered progressive, in the past, the symptoms can and often do become worse over time. It is also possible your symptoms will lessen with time.

Most importantly – any new or puzzling symptom should be checked out by your primary physician. Do not just assume it is due to Fibro!

Physiological:

• Fatigue – physical and mental
• Pain – widespread
• Growing pains as a child
• Muscles – may experience weakness, spasms, tics, twitches, cramps, burning, jumping, throbbing, tension, stiffness (especially in the morning or after prolonged idleness)
• Reduced range of motion
• Difficulty going up/down stairs
• Buckling knees
• Trigger finger/thumb
• Weak knees and ankles
• Feeling of swollen extremities
• Pain around joints
• Fluctuating blood pressure
• Overall weakness
• Tender points
• Weight gain/loss – appetite and metabolism may be too high or too low
• Exercise intolerance
• Paradoxical breathing (shallow breathing)

Paresthesia – tingling or numbness in extremities (hands/feet/fingers/arms and legs – may also be widespread)

Malaise – flu-like symptoms

Heart rate dysfunction (palpitations) Breast pain and tenderness Costochondritis (chest pain)

Chronic headaches/migraines – facial/jaw pain

Impaired coordination – clumsiness, lack of hand/eye coordination, dropping things unexpectedly, staggered walk, bumping into things

Broken thermostats Night sweats

Fever (unexplained, low-grade)

Foot problems – Plantar Fasciitis, Mortons foot (also called FMS foot) – narrow heel, wide front, high arch. Foot/toe pain Tarsal Tunnel

Nails – no 1/2 moon, vertical ridges may develop in fingernails and toe nails. Nails may split, and break off easily. If they do grow they may curve or curl under.

Hair – dry, brittle, hair loss, clogged hair folicles

Dental – unexplained tooth pain, excess tartar, grinding teeth

Sinus – stuffiness, dry mucous membranes, allergies

Dry eyes, nose, mouth, itchy mouth, chronic dry cough

Ears – internal itching, tinnitus, hearing loss, pain, fluid build up, dizziness, vertigo

Gastrointestinal problems – esophageal reflux (heartburn), difficulty swallowing, choking, indigestion, nausea, gas (abdominal pain and cramps), constipation/diarrhea, bloating

Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) PMS Vulvodynia Yeast infections – internal or external Sexual dysfunction

Skin Problems – dry, itchy and raised patches on skin, rashes, bruise easily, scar easily (usually dark) sensitive skin, redness, mottling

Visual Disturbances – blurred vision, days when unable to focus, unexpected tearing of eyes, dark specks or drifting spots, loss of night vision, shaky vision, frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, creates problems when driving, lack of depth perception

Hypersensitivities – fluorescent lights (sound and flicker), bright lights, motion, sound, ultra-sensitive skin(allodynia), heat and/or cold, electromagnetic sensitivity, odors,(smell too much or too little), food, alcohol, medications, hyperaltertness (startle easily)

Psychological:

(these components may aggravate symptoms, and are usually the result of living with a chronic illness – not the cause.

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Mental Stress
• Panic Attacks
• Mood Swings
• Suicidal Ideation

Personality Trait: Type A

Sleep Dysfunctions:

• Alpha-EEG anomaly (intrusion of waking brain-waves into sleeping brain-waves)
• non-restorative sleep
• sleep apnea
• insomnia
• weird sleep patterns
• trouble getting to sleep
• frequent wakenings
• night-time jerking of limbs

Cognitive dysfunctions:

• Fibro-fog (includes the following) Mental confusional states
• Loss of short-term memory
• Inability to concentrate
• Impaired thinking
• Memory blanks
• Absentmindedness
• Inability to recognize familiar surroundings
• Disorientation
• Easily distracted
• Inability to comprehend written, or spoken words
• Trouble with directions
• Slow processing of incoming messages
• Short attention span
• Fugue type states (spaciness)
• Mental fatigue
• Decision making problems
• Trouble keeping track of conversations
• Trouble staying on, or completing tasks
• Easily overwhelmed
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Acquired dyslexia (includes difficulty speaking known words as they often come out backwards, or all mixed up)
• Calculation difficulties
• Trouble with typing, or writing, which results in the same difficulties as spoken words.

Overlapping and/or Possible Related Conditions (similar symptoms): can occur with or without Fibromyalgia (fibro often mimics these conditions as well).

• Reactive Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome)
• IBS (Irritable Bowel/Irritable Bladder
• Syndromes)
• Mitral Valve Prolapse (heart valve dysfunction)
• Bruxism (grinding teeth)
• Costochondritis
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Lyme Disease
• Gulf War Syndrome
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Sjogren’s Disease
• CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• Raynaud’s Disease (cold intolerance)
• Hypothyroidism
• MPS (Myofascial Pain Syndrome)
• MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
• MCSS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome
• PLMS (Periodic Limb Movement Syndrome)
• Polymyalgia
• TMJD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction)
• Sciatica
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Osteoarthritis

About the Author

Tamara Peters works with Suite101.com in the following capacities:

Managing Editor: Medicine and Diseases
Contributing Editor: Fibromyalgia Friends
Associate Editor: Coping with Fibromyalgia-I&II CpE

Article originally printed at http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/Fibro_Friends/105883

What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia (FM) is often considered a medical mystery. It need not be. I often hear all laboratory tests are negative in patients with FM. That’s not true. Most physicians are uneasy when confronted with persons suffering with FM. That need not be so. I sometimes hear FM is not treatable. Nothing is further from the truth.

Why are so many people confused about the cause of FM? Because it doesn’t fit into some neat model of a disease category. Why isn’t FM treated successfully by mainstream doctors? Because there are no effective drugs for it.

Three Basic Facts about Fibromyalgia

1. All symptoms of fibromyalgia are caused by cellular oxygen deprivation.
2. Oxygen deprivation is caused by dysfunctional oxygen metabolism.
3. Oxygen metabolism becomes abnormal due to excessive and cumulative oxidative stress caused by sugar overload, antibiotic abuse, undiagnosed allergies, synthetic chemicals, and anger.

Dysfunctional oxygen metabolism is not merely lack of oxygen in the air we breathe, in the blood, or in the cells.

This is a critical distinction. I coin this term for a much deeper problem of oxygen metabolism within the cells that involves failure of enzymes involved in oxygen metabolism.

This also forms the core of my ODD theory of the fibromyalgia/fatigue complex (ODD stands for oxidative-dysoxygenative dysfunction).

3 Rs of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is Real.

Fibromyalgia is Reversible.

Fibromyalgia cannot be Reversed with drugs.

That fibromyalgia is reversible is the second core point of this article. It is regrettable that many fibromyalgia “experts” emphatically state that it is irreversible. (Why would anyone become an expert in a disease that he can never effectively treat?) I strongly disagree with them.

I consider persons with fibromyalgia as human canaries whose oxygen enzymes are more easily injured than other people. They are more vulnerable to unrecognized allergies, sugar overload, excessive antibiotics, and anger, and have been poisoned by synthetic chemicals. Those human canaries are telling us something important about the shape of things to come. What injures their oxygen enzymes eventually will injure the oxygen enzymes of others, unless we find ways to protect the oxygen metabolism.

Four Main Symptoms of Fibro Canaries

1. Persistent muscle pain and weakness.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation causes muscle pain.

2. Disabling fatigue.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in tissue causes fatigue and exhaustion.

3. Brain fog (problems of mood, memory, and mentation).

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in brain cells causes brain fog and dysfunction.

4. Air hunger.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation within the cells causes air hunger.

The last item requires a special comment. Like other physicians, until some years ago I accepted the prevailing view that the body learns about the lack of oxygen through special oxygen sensors in the brain as well as in the walls of large blood vessels in the chest and neck. My fibro canaries have forced me to look deeper into this issue. The sense of air or oxygen hunger in fibromyalgia cannot be explained merely on the basis of those oxygen sensors. Oxygen levels in the large vessels in those locations are within the normal range in fibromyalgia. Thus, I had to look for some other mechanism. Now I believe oxygen hunger is caused by abnormal oxygen metabolism within the cells —though the evidence for my view at this point is indirect.

Other Major Symptoms of Fibro Canaries

1. Symptoms of weakened immune systems, such as sore throats, swollen neck glands, and painful tissues.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in immune cells causes immune weaknesses.

2. Abdominal bloating, cramps, episodes of diarrhea and constipation, and problems of digestion and malabsorption.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in the bowel causes bloating, cramps, and malabsorption.

3. Cold sensitivity and poor circulation.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in skin causes cold sensitivity.

4. Sleep difficulties, restless leg syndrome, and legs.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation interferes with functions of the sleep center and causes other problems, such as restless leg syndrome.

5. Lightheadedness, dizziness, heart palpitations, and skipped beats.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in the heart and vessel walls causes lightheadedness, dizziness, heart palpitations, and skipped beats.

6. Dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, and dry vaginal tissues.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in the cells of the skin, eyes, mouth and vagina muscles causes cell shrinkage and dryness skin.

7. Vaginitis, bladder spasms, and bladder infections in women and prostatitis in men.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in genital tissues causes vaginitis, bladder spasms, and bladder infections in women and prostatitis in men.

8. Joint and muscle stiffness and pain.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation in joints and muscles causes stiffness and pain.

9. Lack of sex drive in both sexes and menstrual irregularities in women.

   Explanation: Oxygen deprivation interferes with the enzyme functions of sexual organs and their hormones.

What Causes of Fibromyalgia?

1. Metabolic oxidants
2. Microbial oxidants
3. Man-made oxidants (Oxidants are substances that damage tissues.)

Three Molecular Mechanisms of Fibromyalgia

1. Oxidosis (too much oxidation)
2. Dysoxygenosis (too little oxygen)
3. Acidosis (too much acidity) (Oxidosis is rapid breakdown. Dysoxygenosis [dys-oxy-gen-osis] is abnormal oxygen metabolism.)

Three Levels of Injured Cellular and Organ Ecosystems and an Ecologic Road Map to Recovery

1. The base trio of the bowel, blood, and liver ecosystems
2. The middle trio of the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas ecosystems
3. The top trio of the limbic system, sex hormones, and neurotransmitters.

TOXINS: Metabolic, Microbial, and Man-Made

Of the three main types of toxins identified above that lead to fibromyalgia, the metabolic toxins are the least important in the initial stages, but the most dangerous in advanced stages of fibromyalgia. The reason for that is that all kinds of metabolic havoc are wreaked on the human tissues once oxygen metabolism becomes dysfunctional.

Metabolism (the sum total of all life processes) produces many oxidants as waste products. In health, the detox mechanisms of the body neutralize and clear such oxidants. In illness, such oxidants are produced in such large quantities that the detox systems fail. Excess oxidants accumulate and cause oxidosis which, in turn, leads to dysoxygenosis and acidosis. The states of illness that lead to oxidosis and dysoxygenosis include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chemical sensitivity syndrome, and others.

Microbial oxidants are produced in large quantities by microbes which live in the body in health. Those microbes multiply rapidly in the bowel and blood ecosystems with sugar overload, antibiotic abuse, pesticides, pollutants, and other toxins. All microbial oxidants cause oxidosis which, in turn, leads to dysoxygenosis and acidosis. Microbial oxidants include those produced by:

1. Yeasts (mycotoxins);
2. Bacteria (endotoxins and exotoxins);
3. Viruses (oxidants produced by damaged cells); and
4. Parasites (oxidants produced by parasites as well as by cells and tissues damaged by parasites).

Man-made oxidants include designer killer molecules (such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides), industrial pollutants, toxic metal compounds (such as dental mercury amalgams), and synthetic hormones. The toxic burden of chemicals has increased markedly during this century. For example, in the U.S. more than nineteen million pounds of antibiotics are fed to cattle and chicken every year.

THREE FURIES:OXIDOSIS, DYSOXYGENOSIS, AND ACIDOSIS

Oxidosis is the build-up of oxidants in the body that leads to excessive oxidative injury to molecules, cells, and tissues. Oxidosis is the basic mechanism of all cellular and tissue injury. It creates both dysoxygenosis and acidosis. Fibromyalgia cannot be understood without a full grasp of this simple scientific fact. Nor can anyone design a rational and scientific plan of recovery from fibromyalgia without grounding all therapies on this fact.

Dysoxygenosis is my term for abnormal oxygen metabolism. It is not simply a lack of available oxygen in the lungs or tissues. In dysoxygenosis, cells and tissues cannot fully utilize oxygen that is available to them. The symptom-complexes of fibromyalgia cannot be understood without a full grasp of this scientific fact. Dysoxygenosis is caused by oxidosis and, in turn, fans the flames of oxidosis as well as acidosis. Consider the following: A healthy young man sprints two hundred yards on a beach, stops to catch his breath, and within minutes is ready to sprint again. That is not the case with a young fibro canary. If he were ever to sprint (even after a lightning storm, when the beach air has been cleared of pollutants), he will not be able to get out of his bed the next day. Indeed, many fibro canaries may be bedridden for days after such exertion. There will evidently be no deficiency of oxygen in the air by the sea, nor in his lungs. His problem will be abnormal oxygen metabolism.

Acidosis disturbs the delicate balance between acids and alkalies (pH level) in the body. The changes in pH seriously interfere with the activities of enzymes involved in the digestive-absorptive, detox, neurotransmitter, and energy functions of the body. Acidosis is caused by oxidosis and dysoxygenosis which, in turn, feeds the fires of both oxidosis and dysoxygenosis.

FIBRO IS REAL

If you are a fibro canary, you know that fibromyalgia is real. If your physicians doubt that, they cannot help you. Be kind to yourself and find another physician who understands this problem. The road to recovery from fibromyalgia is often long and difficult. You need not make it much more difficult.

FIBRO IS REVERSIBLE

If you are a fibro canary, please be kind to yourself and shun people who insist fibromyalgia is irreversible. The road to recovery from fibromyalgia is often long and difficult. You need not absorb the negativity of others.

FIBRO CANNOT BE REVERSED WITH DRUGS

If you are a fibro canary, please know that fibromyalgia cannot be reversed with any drugs. You will learn that sooner or later. No drug at present is known to cure fibromyalgia. It seems highly unlikely that such a drug will be synthesized in the foreseeable future. In this volume, I discuss at length my reasons for that view.

Healing is an energy phenomenon. Hope is another word for healing.

About the Author

MAJID ALI, M.D.
President and Professor of Medicine of Capital University of Integrative Medicine
Editor, The Journal of Integrative Medicine
Formerly, Associate Professor of Pathology (adj.),
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York
Formerly, President of Staff and Chief Pathologist, Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, NJ
Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of England
Diplomate, American Board of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
Diplomate, American Boards of Environmental Medicine
http://www.majidali.com/