Fibromyalgia
Improving the Odds with Oriental Medicine

Myalgia (muscle pain) characterizes this often-devastating chronic rheumatic pain disorder of unknown cause. The pain is usually described as "achy," but a few patients tell me they can also experience burning, throbbing, stabbing, or shooting pain. To make this dish sound even more appetizing, fibromyalgia is often accompanied by side orders of chronic headaches, strange skin sensations, temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ), insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety, palpitations, fatigue, poor memory, painful menstruation, and depression.

Diagnosing fibromyalgia is difficult because we don’t know what causes this condition. Patients are often frustrated because they have met many physicians who say, "It’s all in your head." There have been links to the onset of symptoms and exposure to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) that causes mononucleosis. Since pain and fatigue are key symptoms, others have thought it may be connected to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The tender points use to diagnose fibromyalgia are:

• Around the lower neck.

• Upper chest by the second rib.

• Around the upper thigh.

• Middle of the knee joint.

• Base of the skull.

• Neck and upper back.

• Mid-back.

• Inside of the elbow.

• Upper and outer muscles of the buttocks.

Fibromyalgia occurs mostly in women, many of who have experienced insomnia, anxiety, stress, or depression along with the muscle aches. The symptoms are often severe enough to greatly interrupt their normal life and, in many cases, patients are unable to stay at work or continue normal household activities like cooking, childcare, or shopping.

Treating fibromyalgia successfully requires a consistent and sustained approach by both the patient and acu-pro. I have been pleased to have helped many patients regain their lives, but it took both of us working together with spouses, friends, and conventional physicians, creating a true balance of healthcare and self-care. In oriental medical theory, most of the patients I’ve seen have some form of cold-damp-wind pain. This name implies that the pain gets worse with cold, better with heat; is characterized by poor digestion and achy, heavy, tired muscles; and the pain changes location between the tender points.

Acupuncture, massage, and Chinese herbal medicine are recommended as effective treatments by the Fibromyalgia Network. They are an organization that provides Moxibustion or infrared heat treatments are also useful in driving out the cold. Nutritional supplements such as antioxidants (coenzyme Q10, vitamins E and C) are helpful in managing this condition, as are dietary changes to eliminate dampness and build immunity.