Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia: a name synonymous with pain, discomfort, and chronic fatigue. Over the years, I’ve done a fair share of research on this disorder, and have quite a lot to say about it now. On top of this, a very close person in my life suffers from fibromyalgia, so I know how serious of a problem it can be.

I fully acknowledge that this condition is very real (unlike many health professionals), but there is a fogginess that accompanies its diagnosis. I say this because fibromyalgia patients don’t receive the treatment, or respect that they so rightfully deserve.

Today, we’re covering the basics of fibromyalgia, and the reasons why I believe this chronic and very debilitating disease is not going away for a lot of people. Because the truth is that millions are affected by it, and very little is being done to thoroughly stomp it out.

Fibromyalgia: the basics

To put it simply, symptoms revolve mostly around pain and inflammation on a very large scale. Those who suffer from it have become accustomed to living with intense discomfort on a pretty regular basis – daily in many cases. And it’s not just some localized infection as seen with some disorders, it’s widespread, and is definitely no picnic. Basically, the body hurts, and there is much confusion as to WHY it’s happening.

Science has placed fibromyalgia amongst the top two musculoskeletal conditions in the medical world; osteoarthritis takes the cake on placing first. Although one is not necessarily as bad as the other, neither is obviously appealing. I’m sure we can all at least agree on that.

It is estimated that more than 11 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia, and most of them are women ranging in ages from 24 to 65. That’s quite an age gap if you ask me! And it’s also pretty interesting that more women are impacted than men.

It is scientific fact that females are more at risk than males for this disease, and this is worth noting in my opinion, but it does not mean that men aren’t at risk. And although many theories are thrown out there regarding this statistic, nothing is concrete at this point. Like I said earlier, there is a fogginess that surrounds the whole issue.

I do believe that hormones play into this entire scene to some degree, but then again, maybe they don’t, it’s pretty hard to say since I’m not amongst the many who research it. Scientists and doctors (in general) have very little to say about fibromyalgia, and I want to talk about why that’s happening. I feel that it’s like one of the BIG question marks in the medical community that very few wish to talk about. And as with everything health related, there are many hidden reasons for this.

Fibromyalgia is “AKA” for Autoimmune in my opinion

That’s right, I said it! I strongly believe that the term “fibromyalgia” is a term that’s used to substitute its true meaning, “autoimmune.”

Well, what is autoimmune?

Great question! Basically, with all of the science fluff aside, an autoimmune disorder is one where the body attacks itself. If one is diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, his or her body doesn’t recognize it’s healthy cells as “self” and attacks them!

It’s like if a regular dude went into a bank and was shot because the security guard thought he was a robber. You see?

And I say this for a very specific reason. Those who exhibit fibro-like symptoms are also showing signs of a body that’s attacking itself. I can’t help but point out these very obvious signs.

And although many factors can come into play here, all can be dealt with accordingly if assessed in the right fashion. The term fibromyalgia literally means “muscle and connective tissue pain,” so I believe that the body is attacking these regions and not recognizing them as “self.”

Obviously, this is simply my own opinion, but it’s truly something that is worth recognizing. Many things can cause this as well, and that’s where it can get a little tricky. There’s so much to look at, and to be honest, traditional procedures and/or drugs will NOT throughly address these issues.

A common scenario

So you’ve been experiencing widespread body aches and pains for quite some time now, and are a bit confused as to what may be going on. Don’t worry; you’re definitely not alone on this one. Pain issues are by far, one of the most common health complaints exhibited by Westerners today. And the sad truth is that most treatments revolve around pill-popping regimens. It’s very rare that an MD will dig deep enough to identify what may be the root cause (or causes) of such an issue.

So you’re not feeling well, and your MD has given you a drug (let’s just say Lyrica) to take home and try out. As the weeks pass, you may experience a little relief with this drug therapy, but you’re still struggling. It is around this time that you go back to your doctor for more advice, and this is when he or she then recommends a new drug. So you try it out and it’s kind of the same outcome as before, nothing too substantial. It is about this time that you get referred out to go and see a different “specialist.”

Do you see the cycle here? It’s like a process of elimination involving drugs and practitioners. To me, it’s similar to a roulette table in Vegas – there’s a very slim chance that you’re actually going to hit that number/color combination that you’re so desperately seeking.

In all honesty, taking drugs for health (or for correcting an issue like fibromyalgia) parallels gambling on so many levels. Not only is one gambling to test possible outcomes, he or she is also taking chances with their health that they shouldn’t be taking. And this is very dangerous.

All you have to do is listen to the advertisements in the media to thoroughly understand what it is I’m talking about here. Why are there so many side effects with these drugs? Do you think somebody experiencing chronic pain should take something that can possibly worsen his or her condition? Or even worse, set them up for even more medical issues in the near future?

Do doctors really understand fibromyalgia?

NO, they don’t. And to be honest, most people don’t measure the complexities that surround this disease either. It’s hard to understand something that is not clear, that’s for sure. How is one to treat some type of disorder, when that specific illness is not fully clear to all whom even research it? Do you see what I’m talking about here? It’s like blindly throwing a dart at the wall and hoping that it hits your target. And this is how most doctors are treating their fibromyalgia patients these days.

When looking to better understand fibromyalgia, most people will hit the Internet. I’m one of them, but there’s a problem with this. If one goes online, they will read a bunch of “mumbo-jumbo” about pain, drugs, and nerve function, but little information is actually given on how to fully understand everything about this chronic state of health.

Not once have I come across a legit medical website talking about the root causes involving fibromyalgia. This is why it’s also very important to be selective with what you read on the Internet. I’ve had to filter out the junk for years now, and it was very hard. But I can honestly say that I now have a much fuller grasp on it all.

Mainly, what I’m talking about here is how areas like diet, supplements, and in-depth lab testing should be utilized more. Diet alone, if tackled properly, can drastically decrease fibro-like symptoms, and this is not discussed enough within the medical community.

All of the forums I come across, and all of the pages dedicated to treating fibromyalgia talk about ONE THING! Drug Therapies! This is NOT good! People are focusing on drugs, when they should be looking deeper into their root causes. All medications do is allow one to “put up” with something, rather than fix it entirely. Does this seem right?

Here, let’s take a deeper look at why this is happening.

Big Pharma and their greediness

So the FDA has approved a few drugs to “treat” fibromyalgia: Cymbalta, Savella, and Lyrica. And although these medications have been shown in research (government funded mostly) to reduce some of the complication associated with fibromyalgia, it’s nothing too extensive.

Yes, pain is an issue that is very REAL with this condition, but are drugs really going to fix this? Not a chance! They may relieve certain pains and complications to some degree, but nothing is getting fixed! Everything is being covered up! Symptoms are masked by drug therapies, and this is the truth. What more people need to realize here is that treating a disease with a “drug approach” actually makes it harder to reveal the true root causes at hand.

Yes, as stated above, I do acknowledge that this downgraded state of health is a very real disorder that is worthy of attention, but drug protocols are not the secret key to beating it! And although some medications show certain degrees of improvement in some cases, nothing is worthy of mass exposure quite yet. People shouldn’t have to just “deal” with, or manage their symptoms. They should want them gone entirely! Don’t you agree?

Another thing I want you to look at here is how many of those who are supplying these drugs are also being paid by those who create them – multilevel marketing at its finest! The truth is that everybody is getting paid here, and as long as the disease is in full effect, paydays are always going to be right on time.

As I often say, why fix a problem, when that problem makes tons in revenue? This is why I also fully recognize disease as a billion dollar per year business. And this is also why I believe that conditions, like fibromyalgia are fueled, not fixed.

There are NO tests to determine if one has fibromyalgia

This alone, is something worth looking at. With all of the medical research, all of the technology we currently have, how is it possible that we can’t identify the main stressor (or stressors) that are involved with fueling this condition? It’s like the cancer issue, all of it just seems a little odd to me.

Because testing for this disorder is “hard,” doctors across the globe are stamping their patients with “terms” instead of fully investigating what may be going on. I call it the “I don’t know” stamp. And believe me when I say that fibromyalgia falls into the “I don’t know” category. Think about it like this…

If a woman were to go into a doctor’s office with complaints of pain, discomfort, and fatigue (chronic fatigue is an AKA for fibromyalgia to some), I’d bet money that she’s walking out of that office with a prescription for Lyrica or something similar. She has been stamped with an “I don’t know” label. And this sucks for her. She is now thrown into a system that is NOT geared to fix her problems.

So what should one be looking for?

This is the golden question! WHAT does one do if they’ve gotten little relief with all of this? I have two words for you: Functional Testing. In other words, really digging deep to see what is causing the symptoms. Remember, as discussed in other articles, disease is a state of body malfunction. “DIS” “EASE” meaning that the body is NOT at ease with itself.

If one is able to step back and look at this with a simpler approach, the ability to filter through all of the junk science can be more effective. “DIS” “EASE” says it all! We’re trying to get back into a state of ease, so that the body’s systems can work properly. I think most people forget how powerful our bodies are at healing. If functioning well, the human body can do extraordinary things.

When somebody comes to me with fibromyalgia-like symptoms, I start by looking at the following:

• Dietary protein digestion
• Bacteria overgrowth
• Enzyme function
• Liver function
• Gut malfunction
• Cortisol patterns
• Yeast levels
• Estrogen
• Melatonin
• Testosterone

To name a few…

You see, these are the areas that MUST be in check if health is to transpire and be a real occurrence. In most cases, one suffering from fibromyalgia-like symptoms are going to also exhibit complications in areas as listed above. It’s almost guaranteed that something is going to show up.

From a medical perspective, I can’t offer you much in regards to treating a disease. I don’t practice medicine, nor do I treat disease. I do however; deeply assess those whom I work with. There are certain sets of labs, which if utilized properly, can yield the highest benefit for anyone suffering from a mass amount of symptoms.

Because let’s face the facts here, fibromyalgia is basically a mess of indications with little explanation. And that needs to change.

So what would you do? Go the traditional route? Or try something different?

Thanks for reading

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