At our practice we run into numerous patients who think they have fibromyalgia, but have never been diagnosed.  I wanted to take some time to explain what fibromyalgia(FM) is and what options there are if you are suffering.

FM is classified as a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and sensitivity to the entire musculoskeletal system.  Individuals suffering from FM have days of pain from moderate to severe in multiple body locations.  Most people also report some level of fatigue along with the pain.  To be diagnosed with FM, a patient will possess a minimum of 11 out of 18 specific tender points on the body.

It is estimated that nearly 2% of the population is suffering from FM and women are being affected 10 times more than men.  FM is difficult to treat because you are dealing with multiple complaints and concerns, and the best treatment is most often holistic.

Although studies are lacking for the benefits of chiropractic on fibromyalgia...

Inflammation is a word that is used often, yet hard to define.  Most of us have a hard time separating inflammation from an ankle sprain vs. inflammation contributing to heart disease and arthritis.  In order to understand how to fight it, it’s important to understand how and why it occurs!

Inflammation is a very common and innate response to an injury, pain or stress.  It is part of our bodies natural defense system to prevent something worse and/or speed up healing time.

Acute inflammation is the first response to an injury or pathogen.  It’s acute because it should only last several days or less.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS:

• Illness (virus, bacteria)
• Trauma (punch, kick, sprain)
• Burn
• Frostbite
• Allergic Reaction
• Stress

There are a lot of players involved in the inflammatory process, but the basics are: heat, redness, swelling, and pain.  These four eventually lead to loss of function as a way to prevent future injury. Acute...