Point Chiropractic Center

Information may not be reliable

There is a sad and disturbing observation I have made over the past few months that I felt I needed to share with all my readers. Lately I have been witnessing many people having severe flares of their Fibromyalgia. I have seen this not only in my office but also in the blogs and messages I get on my new Facebook cause “The International Fibromyalgia Awareness Campaign”. There are now close to 2000 members supporting that cause, whose ultimate goal is to raise public awareness though the main stream media. Many are writing to me and complaining about increased pain and fatigue. They are describing what can only be considered a severe Fibro Flare. People that were doing extremely well managing their conditions are now having major exacerbations. On this website and also at IFAC I am getting daily emails from people that are expressing discouragement because they feel they are taking a step backwards in their healing. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly why this is occurring but I do have some theories as to the general uptick in flares. I also have suggestions for those of you that are presently experiencing a flare so that you can get back on track and feel some relief.

So, what is happening and why so many flares? I have heard some people saying that maybe it is the weather. We did have an unusually hot summer and the humidity has been extremely high. Now, the fall seems to be starting very wet and cool. Many researchers have defined a definite link between climate and body chemistry so that may be one cause. If the neurotransmitters are disrupted due to environmental factors, then it will obviously bring on a flare. Also with the severe heat that we had, especially up in the North East and Mid Atlantic states, many people decided to not be as active as they once were. Hot and humid conditions, kept them inside in air conditioning and lack of exercise exacerbated many of the myofascial trigger points. We then had a brief period of some really nice mild weather and it is possible that this brought on a sort of backlash because people sometimes make up for lost time. I have patients that were relatively inactive over the summer that then suddenly got outside and started doing all sorts of heavy yard work when the heat finally broke. They were exerting muscles that definitely arent ready for that type of workload. Its a strange but typical type of backlash. Now the weather has been cool and damp. The change in barometric pressure makes us feel stiff. Both trigger points and tender points act up as the cold constricts blood vessels and tightens muscles. So the weather is likely one factor to flares but I believe there is a much more obvious and apparent reason.
My belief based on personal observation and experience is that the largest percentage of flares I am now witnessing is arising from stress. We are being bombarded daily with news concerning the situations our country is facing. Many people are out of work and many more are in financial trouble with their debt beyond control. We have millions of people that are upside down in their mortgages and even more that have lost hope of ever being able to pull out of the spiral they feel themselves in. Every week, I have 2 or 3 more patients telling me that they were let go from a job that they have had for 20 years. People are extremely concerned about the economy and this worry seems to be creeping into every aspect of their lives. Even those that are fortunate enough to have not been hit personally by this mess often have a loved one that is going through it and they worry about them.
I have patients that were managing their Fibromyalgia very well with a combination of techniques and therapies such as exercise, manual body work, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture and nutritional supplementation. Now because of finances, they are unable to continue with many of these therapeutic modalities unless, as in the case of chiropractic, they are covered by their health insurance. The gains they had made bringing their body back into balance and finding relief has been slipping away. If you combine that with the fear of where they are headed with their accruing debt, you have a significant problem brewing. Stress plus a major change in lifestyle and therapeutic modalities equals a flare. Patients that were doing terrific and that I hadnt seen in months or some cases even years have been calling for appointments. Most of them, when questioned, are expressing that they are under extreme stress. I have had patients say to me that they feel like they are in a pressure cooker. It is obvious that the mind body connection in these cases is the key.

I want to emphasize now that just because I am saying there is a stress factor responsible for many of the recent flares I am seeing does not mean that Fibromyalgia is a psychological or emotional condition. Fibro is not in the mind but it certainly is in the brain. It is partly a condition of neurotransmitter imbalance that can be greatly exacerbated when stress comes into play. An expression I often use in the office psychology becomes physiology describes this phenomenon really well. When we are stressed, especially for extended periods of time, the body reacts and chemical changes occur. Most of us have heard of fight or flight where the adrenal glands release adrenaline in a sudden burst due to a severe stressor. The story that comes to mind is of that little woman who lifted the car off of her son when the jack slipped and he became trapped. That adrenaline release can give someone the extra boost needed to run faster, and temporarily become stronger or perform better. It is protective and the bodys way of dealing with a dangerous situation. The problem arises when the stress factors that alert the adrenals and other glands become chronic and dont go away. It is then that the chemicals produced by the body get out of control and turn from productive to destructive. These chemicals do even more damage when there is no release for them and no way for them to burn off or balance out.
Fibromyalgia research has shown the importance of specific endocrine glands and the hormones they release with the overall neurotransmitter balance of the body. The 3 endocrine glands that Fibro patients should be most interested in are the Adrenals, Pituitary and Hypothalamus. This is better known as the HPA axis and is directly related to the secretion of numerous chemicals that control the transmission of nerve impulses along with many other bodily functions. When stress throws these glands into and imbalance the result is often severe dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system causing an array of symptoms. This is the main connection between stress and Fibromyalgia and why the stress component needs to be addressed.
OK so what can we do for the stresses that we are facing? Well, for some of the stresses, there may be no immediate fix. Certainly, if someone is facing bankruptcy or losing their home, a cure to their financial mess may not be fast or easy. Although the situation may persist and may not be immediately remediable, there are still techniques we can use to help balance out the overall levels of stress hormones. Meditation is a very valuable tool that most everyone can do. Even those people that feel that they have no clue how to perform meditation can purchase CDs and listen to some guided imagery and meditative programs. There are countless meditative CDs available online at sites such as Amazon and in some websites people can even listen to samples before buying. There are also classes in yoga offered at most YMCAs and local health clubs that can offer a great form of not only relaxation but also stretching. A light easy walk for 20 minutes can also help to reduce stress and help reverse the downward spiral caused by a cascading imbalance of neurochemicals. Even the simplest act of playing soothing music throughout the day can help reduce stress. Other stress reducing techniques should also be considered and can greatly help keep your stress hormones under control. They include techniques and practices such as Ti Chi, Chi Gong and of course prayer.

When the overall situation we face cant be immediately solved then we need to look at ways to offset or balance the stress with relaxation techniques. By doing so, the stress we face will become more manageable and subsequently the chemical fluctuations will be less dramatic. I have witnessed many patients turn their health around and improve the overall quality of their lives through simple meditative or relaxation techniques. For me, personally, it has been one of the most important factors to find balance and wellness. Please remember that flares will occur. We cant have control over everything that happens in our lives. We can, however, control how we respond to them. Please dont look at a flare as defeat. It is really a temporary condition and can be reversed much faster if we learn how to control our emotional response to it.

This blog is actually more for those of you who are fortunate enough to not have Fibromyalgia. Those of you who have Fibro most likely dont need any more reinforcement of what youre already dealing with but maybe it will help if you show this to those you love, your colleagues, friends or health care providers. It feels pretty miserable dealing with the day to day pain of Fibromyalgia. People that are Fibro free often have great difficulty understanding what we go through. I would like to explain to anyone out there that does not have this condition what it is like to live in the Fibro world.
Have you ever had the flu? I am sure many of you have. Do you remember that severe achiness throughout every muscle of your body? Do you remember having the type of pain where your skin feels sensitive to the slightest touch? Of course you remember not wanting to get out of bed because of the severe fatigue associated with feeling so sick. Well, Fibro pain often feels a lot like that. The difference however, is that with Fibro the pain doesnt last only a few days or even a week. It is daily, chronic and unrelenting. For those of you who are fortunate enough to have never had a flu, maybe you have pulled a muscle at the gym. Have you ever strained a hamstring or maybe your low back and felt muscle spasm as a result? Even those of you who have been fortunate enough to have never strained a muscle may have experienced the muscle fatigue and achiness from just working out. You would then understand that really achy feeling you have in your muscles the day after you exercise hard. You wake up that morning and feel really sore and stiff. You can barely move your muscles and you may even have difficulty getting out of bed. You hurt so much you dont even want to go to work but then again you know that the next day you will feel better. You may take a hot shower, stretch a bit and feel somewhat relieved. In a certain way, having that type of post exertional soreness can actually feel good because you know that you have worked your muscles sufficiently to be able to see and feel results. You also realize that within the next day or two you will be back to 100% and actually feeling stronger and healthier than ever. What a difference this type of pain is from Fibro.
The muscle pains and other symptoms I just described are only a very small portion of all the symptoms one can experience with Fibro. Unfortunately someone with Fibromyalgia, unlike the person who has the flu or the person who strains a muscle, cannot look forward to feeling normal within the next few days. That is where pain crosses a certain threshold and we begin to define it as suffering. When a person injures themselves and or experiences an acute pain, the mind is able to process the injury and realize that it will be a temporary condition. An example of this would be someone who stubs their toe. They may yell and scream and hop around for a few minutes but as soon as the initial pain fades a bit, their mind assesses the injury and they then realize that it will soon get better. That is acute pain and even if the toe were fractured, the mind can deal with that knowing that in a few weeks relief will come and all will again be back to normal. That is true pain and even though it can be severe, it is not really considered suffering. Suffering comes from having unrelenting pain and often not having a full understanding as to the reasons why. It is difficult for the mind to accept this type of pain. You didnt strain your back, you dont have the flu and you didnt stub your toe. Also, it is not going away. It is there every day. To compound all this, many patients that have Fibromyalgia often get little understanding or support from those most important in their lives. Maybe this is because their condition is even more confusing for those around them that have little if any idea what kind of pain they are feeling. Also people with Fibro often look well enough so they often are not even beleived. This combination of having unremitting severe pain and also not being given any credence or understanding is what often leads a Fibro patient to go from pain to true suffering. Suffering can lead to secondary depression which will likely increase the already existing symptoms. This is such a viscous cycle and is the main reason why I feel education, advocacy and understanding is vital for not only those that have Fibromyalgia but for those who mean the most to them. The people that love those with Fibro must understand what they are going through. This point can not be stressed enough.
On a positive note, there are many things Fibro sufferers can do to help manage their conditions and lead healthier, happier lives. Most of our patients at FibroCareCenter that are motivated enough to make certain lifestyle changes and follow our specific recommendations often find they will have less pain, less flares and better overall control of their condition. I have always believed that knowledge is power and I want all Fibro sufferers to know that the downward spiral of symptoms and suffering can be reversed.

awake banana breakfast broccoli chicken choosing a healthcare provider choosing the right health care provider chronic myofascial pain CMP dealing with your doctor dessert digestion aid disbelief doctor Dr. Mark Entre fibro fibromyalgia syndrome FMS fruit health care healthy snack insomnia knowledge is power Krebs Cycle Magnesium Main Dish Malic Acid muffin muscle pain non beleiving nutrition pain pain referral pears provider recipe rest salad self advocacy side dish sleep tender points trigger points vegetarian