- Category : Fibromyalgia
Learn About Alternative Fibromyalgia Treatments
Everyday thousands of men and women visit doctors with the debilitating … life robbing … symptoms of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Neuropathy. Instead of doctors working hard to understand the mechanisms creating your symptoms they quickly rush you out of their office … blaming the Fibromyalgia label for Everything, “it’s just part of your fibromyalgia” they say as they dismiss you from the office and send you off with another prescription.
Women are 70% more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia than men. Like neuropathy, fibromyalgia can profoundly impact your quality of life, from mobility and strength to living with chronic fatigue and daily pain.
If you believe you may have fibromyalgia, and or neuropathy, it is important not to give up but find a doctor who has worked with many patients with this condition and a doctor who is willing to go above and beyond standard testing. The Naperville Institute For Neuro Metabolic Solutions specializes in Natural alternative treatment methods for Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy and many other chronic conditions.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms Diagnosis and Treatment
The most common symptoms reported by fibromyalgia sufferers is pain and sensitivity to pressure on the skin. Most sufferers describe the pain as stabbing and shooting. It often affects over 15 different pressure points throughout the body that are common among those faced with this disabling pain. Fibromyalgia pain is often worse in the mornings, and can vary based on the bodies’ poor ability to adapt to drops in temperature/humidity. Other symptoms include chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, depression and digestive stress.
Neuropathic symptoms very frequently accompany fibromyalgia. If you suffer from the condition, you may also be experiencing tingling in your extremities, numbness, the sensation of clothing running over your skin when none is there, and difficulty determining hot and cold in addition to the telltale pressure-sensitivity. Of course, these symptoms can themselves contribute to other problems, such as sleep disturbance, disruption of appetite, and bladder-control problems.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms Explained | WHY DO I FEEL SO TERRIBLE ?
I get this question all the time. We don’t know everything there is to know about the causes of Fibromyalgia, but what we do know is Fibromyalgia is a neurological condition. We also know that a very specific part of the brain is at the root cause for many of the symptoms. That area of the brain responsible for Chronic Pain Syndromes and Fibromyalgia is called the Mesencephalon.
Here is a very basic explanation of what happens in Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia patients and why having a functional evaluation to include the mesencepahalons function is so critical.
There are 3 parts to your brainstem: top (called the mesencephalon), middle (called the pons), and bottom (medulla). NORMALLY, the brain fires impulses down to the lower two parts of the brainstem, (the pontomedullary area) and that SLOWS DOWN the upper brainstem (mesencephalon). With the fibromyalgia patient, this is not happening!!!
The MIDDLE AND LOWER part of the brainstem (ponto-medullary region) IS NOT SLOWING DOWN THE UPPER BRAINSTEM (Mesencephalon).
DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
PAIN… when the upper brainstem (mesencephalon) is over-firing, it drives down an area of the spinal cord called the IML (Inter-medio-Iateral cell nucleus) which causes the adrenal gland (on top of your kidneys) to release chemicals that cause PAIN! The adrenal gland releases catecholamine’s such as nor epinephrine into the bloodstream. This is why the adrenal glands must be properly evaluated using a 24 hour cortisol rhythm test.
When these chemicals are released into the bloodstream, they stimulate pain fibers – specifically, TYPE C pain fibers which are the smallest and MOST PAINFUL pain fibers.
INSOMNIA… the problem is that upper brainstem (mesencephalon) again! (Can you see a pattern emerging?) Inside the upper brainstem is the mesencephalic reticular activating system. This is a big, fancy, three dollar term, but it is the reason WHY YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING!
When the upper brainstem is over-firing, you are NOT SLEEPING. When it is firing at its normal rate, the lower-brainstem (ponto-medullary region) is slowing down or acting like the brakes on the upper-brainstem (mesencephalon). This is what allows you to sleep like a new born baby.
lBS or Irritable Bowel Syndromeis characterized by episodes of diarrhea and constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, and even vomiting. In the lower-brainstem there is an area called the NTS (Nucleus Tractus Solitarious). Inside the NTS is the origin of the Vagus nerve. Guess where one of the places the Vagus nerve goes to……THE ABDOMINAL AREA!
So if you are suffering with IBS, your lower brainstem is NOT firing the way that it should.
HEADACHES… you have headaches because the brain is NOT firing impulses to the lower brainstem, and the lower brainstem (ponto-medullary region) is thus not slowing down the upper brainstem (mesencephalon).
“FIBRO FOG” and LOSS OF MEMORY are caused by decreased firing of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
DIFFICULTY EXPRESSING WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY“Broca’s speech area” is located in the left frontal lobe of the brain, and when this area has a decrease in impulses, or FOF (frequency of firing), you will have difficulty expressing what you would like to say.
INCREASED HEART RATEis caused by the upper brainstem over-firing again. Remember when I said the IML (inter-medio-Iateral cell nucleus) over-fires when the upper-brainstem (mesencephalon) over-fires? Well… that is what is also causing your heart to race. The IML drives down the spinal cord and causes the electrical nodes (SA on the right and AV on the left) to misfire. This will cause you to experience an increased heart rate, an irregular heart rate, or both.
DIZZINESS… near the back of the brain is an area called the cerebellum. The cerebellum controls all of your spinal muscles, your balance, and your coordinated movement. When fibromyalgia patients are dizzy or lightheaded, their cerebellum has decreased its firing. MDs might say that you have dizziness because of an “inner ear problem” which could be true…that is why we do a THOROUGH EXAMINATION when you come into our office.
AS YOU CAN SEE FIBROMYALGIA IS A NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEM.
BRAIN BASED THERAPY AND FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED FOR BEST RESULTS
Other Fibromyalgia articles by Dr Hagmeyer
- learn more about Brain Based Therapy Here
- Learn How to chose a Dr if you suffer with Fibromyalgia Here
- Lear more about Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia Here
If you have been suffering and your ready to get well DON’T WASTE ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT!
Real Non-Drug Help is available! Contact us today! Help is just around the corner!
