What Most People Don't Know About Fibromyalgia

When you have fibromyalgia, it may seem like you’ll never get rid of the pain. And forget about the energy you once had; it’s now replaced with fatigue and brain fog. Understanding fibromyalgia is difficult, but we can help you find ways to get your life back, and reduce your pain.

At Pinnacle Health Chiropractic, our team helps you understand your symptoms when you’re dealing with fibromyalgia. Dr. Jason Ablett is our experienced and board-certified chiropractor who specializes in getting you relief for fibromyalgia pain. 

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain throughout your body, along with fatigue and trouble sleeping. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fibromyalgia affects more than 4 million adults in the United States.

It’s not completely understood what causes fibromyalgia. It’s more prominent in women than in men, and it typically strikes in middle aged adults — though anyone at any age can have the disease.

Sometimes, the symptoms of fibromyalgia begin after a triggering event. This could be something like surgery, physical trauma, or a severe infection. It can also start after dealing with an extreme amount of mental stress.

However, fibromyalgia can also start gradually, without any type of physical or mental stressor. It often causes widespread pain throughout your body, along with other symptoms such as:

• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Brain fog
• Joint and muscle stiffness
• Digestive problems

You may experience one or more of these symptoms when you have fibromyalgia. Your body may be extra sensitive to touch, and your pain may come and go or be around most of the time.

Unknown facts about fibromyalgia

It’s not new information that fibromyalgia causes pain all over your body. Brain fog and fatigue can also take over your body with this condition. However, there’s a lot you might not know about fibromyalgia, including:

There are 18 tender points on your body

These tender points are a classic sign of fibromyalgia, and include areas like your back, chest, and knees. If you have fibromyalgia, you’ll experience significant pain in at least 11 of the 18 classic tender points.

There’s not just one cause of fibromyalgia

In some cases, it’s unknown what actually leads to this condition. However, it often coincides with other issues like irritable bowel syndrome and depression. Other causes include traumatic injury, psychological stress, and surgery.

Obesity can worsen your symptoms

Being overweight or obese may actually cause fibromyalgia symptoms to start. This could be due to the excess stress placed on your body from the extra weight. Keeping a healthy weight can improve your symptoms, and help you manage the disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids can help

Including these essential nutrients into your diet helps to tame your symptoms of fibromyalgia. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, walnuts, and olive oil. A fish oil supplement also helps if you have trouble getting these foods into your regular diet.

Exercise is one of the keys to treatment

Exercise is one of the key components to managing your fibromyalgia symptoms. A good exercise regimen includes strength training, aerobic exercise, and staying flexible. This helps to calm your pain and decrease the other symptoms related to fibromyalgia.

How is fibromyalgia treated?

When you have fibromyalgia, it seems like you’ll never get relief from the constant pain. However, Dr. Ablett and his team have the expertise and compassionate care to finally help you manage your pain.

Dr. Ablett specializes in muscle and fascia release, which helps to manage your pain. Flare-ups of fibromyalgia can lead to painful areas, or knots, in your body. Dr. Ablett uses specialized techniques to ease these areas, and improve your symptoms.

Along with fascia and muscle release, Dr. Ablett uses massage therapy and manual chiropractic adjustments to manage your pain. He formulates a specialized plan for you, incorporating techniques that are tailored to your specific symptoms.

Exercise is a vital part of keeping your symptoms of fibromyalgia at bay. Dr. Ablett and his team provide therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise programs, which gives you the tools you need to decrease your symptoms so you may enjoy your normal activities.

If you’d like expert treatment for your fibromyalgia pain, don’t hesitate to call our office today to get treatment, or you can schedule an appointment online using the booking tool on our website.