The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe.
About Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is defined as chronic pain that affects muscle fibers and soft tissues, extreme exhaustion, restlessness, and psychological fatigue. The body and mind are in a weakened state and hypersensitive to touch, as well as mental and emotional distress.
Physically, the fibers surrounding and making up tissues that support muscular-skeletal functions become weak and atrophied. This irritation causes heat, which then causes inflammation and ultimately pain. This vicious cycle continues until you can balance all the culprits and instigators.
Statistics show that fibromyalgia affects about 8 million people worldwide. Typical personality traits are hardworking, ambitious, overachievers who can’t seem to do enough for everyone else. Because of their givers heart, they are always doing for others, without replenishing their own energy. This creates exhaustion and depletion of your own vital energy.
Just as in accounting, you can only give so much before your “vital energy” account goes into the negative. You must restore, replenish, and rejuvenate yourself. When you don’t, you continually keep going into a negative health state. When you keep doing this, your body thinks this is what you want, and it resets itself to stay burned out. As you can imagine, this leads to chronic health issues like fibromyalgia.
Dysregulation Spectrum Syndrome
Fibromyalgia is one health challenge that is encompassed within a larger group of chronic diseases, collectively called Dysregulation Spectrum Syndrome. This includes fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel, Crohn’s Disease, multiple chemical sensitivities, migraines, restless leg syndrome, and a few others. Because your body and tissues are irritable, so are your organs, mood, and emotions. It keeps you from getting a good, restful sleep and making healthy, decisive, and rational decisions.
What this means is that the body’s nervous system isn’t able to function as it needs to, and because it has been atrophied for so long, it has developed a new way of operating that is not conducive to your best health. It thinks that this deficient way of operations is what it is supposed to do now. You could say it is a learned behavior from your body not working the way it should due to genetics, poor diet, lack of exercise, or increased exposure to chemicals.
Common Symptoms
- Brain fog, indecisiveness, memory loss
- Insomnia, restless & can’t sleep
- Muscle & joint stiffness and Muscle atrophy
- Pain, sensitivity and tenderness all over your body
- Chronic headaches and neck pain (like whiplash)
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Red, sensitivity and thinning skin
- Wounds that won’t heal
- Debilitating fatigue and exhaustion
Culprits & Contributors
As you will notice, much of this condition is directly related to poor and deficient gut health. Your gastrointestinal tract is the main hub where everything communicates with each other. If this is under distress, the right messages with accurate information cannot be delivered in sufficient and necessary time. Meaning your organs never get the full message of what to do. Toxins swarm around tissues, cells and organs and can’t get out effectively. Eventually, they rule your body and mind.
- Poor diet – an accumulative effect
- Gut issues
- Chronic hiatal hernia & acid reflux
- Nutrient deficiency and malabsorption
- Exposure to chemicals – cleaning products, perfumes, colognes, synthetically fragranced candles, body & hair care
- Prescription effects
- Adrenal exhaustion
- Poor circulation
- Genetics
Holistic Solutions
There are many modalities you can incorporate into your daily holistic health gameplan.
- Herbal supplements, teas, tinctures & extracts
- Aromatherapy
- Flower essences
- Rest
- Movement
- Laughter
- Hydrotherapy
- Mindfulness – prayer, meditation, journal, positive affirmations
Factors to Consider When Creating a Holistic Plan
- Quality of the herbs & essential oils you are using
- Potency of the products you are taking
- Integrity, purity & testing from the suppliers of your products – you want to make sure what is on the label is really in the products you are putting in and on your body
- Organic fruits, vegetables & proteins
Helpful Healthy Holistic Habits
Think of it as creating healthy habit upgrades with your nutritional and lifestyle choices.
- Food & Nutrition: Pick one or two items to upgrade to organic or farm raised quality. You don’t have to go organic with everything at once. This can be overwhelming for you mentally and financially. So pick just 1-2 things you can upgrade each week or month to make it more manageable and doable.
- Alkaline foods can help buffer the acidic nature of your pH.
- Blood Type Diet is a great place to start and integrate low FODMAP foods. These typically have low histamines which help reduce an inflammation response.
- Movement: Find some type of movement that you can do to keep circulation and lymph from getting stagnant). Examples could be dry skin brushing, a gentle massage, tai chi, yoga, walking, or kicking your legs in a pool.
- Deep breathing exercises three to four times a day for 2-5 minutes each session.
- Self-care routine: Choose something that relaxes your mind and body to combat stress, pain, and discomfort. This could be diffusing a citrus essential oil, taking an aromatic back, sitting in nature reading a book, sipping on a cup of herb tea wearing your favorite plush robe and slipper, and/or journaling.
- Clean green with all natural products to reduce chemical exposure.
- Personal commitment to yourself. You need to love yourself, honor the tribulations & challenges you’ve been through, and embrace who you are today. So much of fibromyalgia is respecting yourself, and being ok with receiving love. You are worthy. You are deserving. You are loved.
- Get to bed by 9:00pm and reduce light exposure (TV, smartphone, alarm clock, etc.).
Beneficial Herbal Supplements
Herbal supplementation could be in the form of capsules, tinctures, extracts, or herbal teas. Here is a list of herbals my clients use to manage their health.
Core nutrients to strengthen your mind and body everyday
- Vitamins, Minerals & Antioxidants: cellular energy, immune support, enhance nutrient absorption – magnesium, spirulina, alfalfa, chlorella
- Digestive Enzymes: enhances digestion & absorption of nutrients
- Essential Fatty Acids: support gut functions, soothe nerves, muscles & joints, and provide anti-inflammatory support
- Fiber: strengthen digestive function and elimination of toxins
- Probiotics: support gut and immune health
- Protein: to build and strengthen muscles, joints & bones
- Methylcobalamin B-12 complex liquid (few drops a day)
- Analgesics (pain relief): typically have anti-inflammatory properties
- Boswellia
- Lobelia – antispasmodic but use sparingly as too much can induce vomiting
- St. John’s Wort (contraindicated when taking antidepressant prescription medications)
- Turmeric
- Wood betony
- Yucca
- Brain & Mindset: cognitive functions, memory, positive mindset
- Adaptogens
- Bacopa
- Gotu kola
- Lion’s mane
- Stress relief: handle daily & situational stresses
- Adaptogens – ashwagandha, passionflower, schizandra
- Distress Remedy flower remedy
- Maca
- Motherwort
- Muscle, Bone & Joint Support: help with mobility & flexibility
- Collagen
- Glucosamine & chondroitin
- Hyaluronic acid
- Mangosteen
- Noni
- Plantain
- Turmeric
Beneficial Essential Oils
- Citrus oils (bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, orange): boost your mood & positive mindset
- Holy basil: help alleviate nerve pain & feeling like a victim
- Blue Tansy, Tanacetum annuum: adrenal support, mindset, muscle & joint support, sleep
- Frankincense: shown to have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties
- Lavender: brings harmony to mind and body, alleviates pain & tenderness, sleep
- Lavender shown to reduce osteoarthritis pain in the knee (source)
- Sweet marjoram: helps calm nerve, joint & muscle pain, quiets mental chatter, sleep
- Patchouli: helps digestion, keeps you grounded & sleep
- Peppermint: nausea, headache, migraine, muscle & joint pain, mental energy
- Ravintsara and/or Ho Leaf: muscle & joint pain and sensitivity, mental energy & emotional balance
- Yarrow: protection from negative energy & negative people (including you when you feel negative and down on yourself)
Beneficial Carrier Oils
FibroRelief Aromatherapy Blend – DIY Recipe
- 2oz. glass bottle with pump top
- .5 ounce arnica oil
- .5 ounce black cumin seed oil
- .5 ounce calendula oil
- .5 ounce rosehip oil
- 5 drops lavender, Lavandula angustifolia
- 4 drops marjoram, Origanum marjorana
- 4 drops ravintsara, Cinnamomum camphora
- 3 drops frankincense, Boswellia carterii
- 3 drops lemon, Citrus limonum
- 2 drops holy basil, Ocimum sanctum
Don’t have all the ingredients to make this blend? Let me do it for you. Order a Custom Massage Oil and tell me you want the FibroRelief formula.
References:
Breaking Free from Pain, author Shari Emami. You can order a copy of her book here or call Flintridge Bookstore at 818-795-0717.
Safety Precautions
- Consult a healthcare professional before starting and integrating any natural health regimen.
- Some natural remedies are contraindicated when taking certain prescriptions and health conditions so research and educate yourself before taking supplements.