When patients visit the chiropractor for chiropractic treatment in Cape Coral, they go to get rid of their pains. But, a chiropractor will first assess the patient to determine the source of the pain before treating it.
Fibromyalgia is one of the most common causes of chronic pain in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4 million US adults have fibromyalgia pain. However, even though fibromyalgia is common, medical knowledge, such as the method of diagnosis or its specific causes, is currently not fully established.
Thankfully, chiropractic treatment helps not only to deal with the chronic pains caused by fibromyalgia but also manage the disease itself. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about fibromyalgia, including how it causes pain in the body and its symptoms. You will also learn how a chiropractor can help with your fibromyalgia pain.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic condition characterized by muscular or musculoskeletal pain with stiffness and localized tenderness at specific points on the body. It can be effectively managed and treated by traditional and alternative medicine. The conventional medical approach uses anti-inflammatory prescription drugs to help patients deal with the widespread pain caused by the condition.
Fibromyalgia patients have an accompanying condition known as widespread pain perception processing. This means that people with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without it.
Areas in the patient’s body become so fragile that the slightest pressure causes pain. Therefore, even though fibromyalgia causes widespread pain in the body, some parts of the body experience chronic pain.
These areas include:
- Lower neck
- Below the side bone at the elbow
- Just above the knees
- Hip bone
- Upper outer buttock
- The base of the skull
- Neck and shoulder
- Upper inner shoulder
Pains in these body areas cause general discomfort and may make it difficult for the patient to move and use their body correctly. It also affects various aspects of the patient’s life, like their jobs, and leads to depression and other mental disorders.
Chiropractic care is an alternative medical treatment to fibromyalgia that helps patients to manage the pain. It also helps to improve patients’ range of motion at the joints.
When fibromyalgia patients visit a chiropractor, they have more relief from the widespread pain. Chiropractic care from an injury treatment center also provides additional benefits that improve the general well-being of fibromyalgia patients.
What Are the Complications of Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia majorly causes widespread pain in the body. It may also lead to disability and a lower quality of life. The following are complications that fibromyalgia patients may have:
Higher Rates of Depression
Adults with fibromyalgia are more predisposed to have significant depression than adults without fibromyalgia. Chiropractic treatment helps fibromyalgia patients with the mental stress that leads to depression.
Higher Death Rates From Injuries and Suicide
Fibromyalgia patients have a higher death rate from injuries due to abnormal pain perception processing. Fibromyalgia patients also have a higher death rate from suicide. However, the mortality rate among adults with fibromyalgia is not far from the mortality rate of the general population.
Higher Rates of Other Rheumatic Disorders
Fibromyalgia falls under a group of medical disorders called arthritis. These conditions commonly co-occur. Other types of arthritis include osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Frequent Hospitalizations
Reports from the CDC show that patients with fibromyalgia are twice as likely to be hospitalized than patients without the condition.
Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia patients generally do not feel symptoms until an incident, such as an infection, surgery, physical injury, or significant psychological stress. The most common signs of fibromyalgia are:
- Widespread pain
- Depression and anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Headaches
- Constant fatigue and tiredness
- Cognitive issues like difficulty with thinking, concentration, and memory
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include the following:
- Pain in the face or jaw, including disorders of the jaws, called temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
- Digestive problems which include bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Numb hands or feet
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5 Ways Chiropractic Treatment Can Help With Your Fibromyalgia Pain
There are several treatments available to fibromyalgia patients. However, chiropractic care is the best because it is mild and non-invasive.
A review by the Journal of Manipulative Physiology and Therapeutics revealed that psychotherapy, massage, exercise, acupuncture, and spa therapy (hydrotherapy) are all effective treatments for fibromyalgia. Also, some evidence shows that a special diet, spinal manipulation, and vitamins can help manage fibromyalgia pain.
Fibromyalgia patients will receive each procedure identified above when they visit a chiropractor. The administered treatment can help with your fibromyalgia pain in the ways discussed below.
Increased Range of Motion
Chiropractic treatment involves adjusting the body’s joints and helping to loosen them. This increases the range of motion of fibromyalgia patients and allows them to move around more easily.
Reduced Pain Levels
The primary health problem fibromyalgia patients face is constant widespread pain which affects the entire body for weeks or months. Chiropractic care helps fibromyalgia patients get rid of aches and improve overall health by helping the body to self-heal. Chiropractic care also helps fibromyalgia patients minimize their painful pressure points by adjusting the spine to improve alignment.
Improved Sleep Quality
In many cases, the pain experienced by fibromyalgia patients is increased by lack of sleep. This leads to other symptoms of fibromyalgia, like headaches and migraines.
However, it also decreases the rate of hospitalization of patients. In addition, when the joints of patients are loosened and their tender spots are properly managed, fibromyalgia patients enjoy an improved quality of sleep.
Effective Diet Recommendations
Chiropractors recommend new dietary modifications to fibromyalgia patients, which aid their treatment. For example, foods high in sugar make it more difficult for the body to combat fibromyalgia symptoms. Also, abstaining from foods high in fat ensures you don’t put on weight, as weight gain increases the pressure on your joints and makes the pain in your body more severe.
Reduced Mental Stress
The pain endured by fibromyalgia patients can lead to mental stress and even mental disorders in patients. Chiropractic care helps patients deal with mental stress by feeling in control of their bodies and being optimistic that they are recovering.
Types of Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Treatments That Can Help Ease Your Discomfort
There are several treatment options for patients dealing with fibromyalgia pain. Your chiropractor or physical therapist may recommend any of the following:
- Chiropractic adjustments: Depending on the location of your pain, your chiropractor may recommend a few different types of chiropractic adjustments. Some of the common types of adjustments include lumbar side posture adjustments, knee-chest adjustments, and diversified adjustments.
- Massage therapy: Massages can help with muscle tension, pain, and muscle spasms. A physiotherapist can identify the root source of your pain and focus their treatment on that area. This can help improve blood flow to promote healing.
- Rehabilitation: Rehabilitative therapy is useful in helping you regain your range of motion, become more mobile, maintain balance, and rebuild your muscles. This type of therapy can also help reduce pain.
- Stretching and strength training: Your physical therapist will teach you stretches that can help you build muscle and improve flexibility. This is useful in easing the chronic pain many fibromyalgia patients feel.
- Ultrasound therapy: This type of physical therapy technique uses sound waves to penetrate your muscle tissue. These sound waves are gentle and work similarly to massage therapy. Ultrasound therapy helps improve blood flow to heal damaged tissues in your neck, lower back, and shoulders.
- Electrical muscle stimulation (E-STIM): Your doctor will use a small device to send gentle electric pulses into your body. This helps stimulate muscles that may feel pain caused by fibromyalgia. The electric pulses help heal your body and ease pain, inflammation, and other health issues.
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How Does Your Doctor Diagnose Fibromyalgia?
It can be difficult to diagnose fibromyalgia, as the symptoms can be similar to many other health conditions. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), some of the most common ways to diagnose fibromyalgia include:
- A review of your medical history: Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. You should be prepared to answer questions about the severity of your pain, when it started, and the areas of your body where you feel the most pain. They’ll also want to know about any other conditions you have been diagnosed with.
- A physical exam: Your doctor will assess your physical condition to determine where your pain is coming from. This exam can also help your doctor rule out any other conditions.
Blood tests may also be necessary to determine whether the pain you’re feeling is related to fibromyalgia.
Call Specific Care Chiropractic for Help With Fibromyalgia Pain
Chiropractic care is better in treating fibromyalgia pain because it helps eliminate the pains without any side effects. Chiropractors also provide personalized treatment that is not expensive.
At Specific Care Chiropractic, we have experienced chiropractors who will carefully examine you and provide the best treatment. So stop searching for an injury center near you and book a consultation today to start your journey toward recovery.
