Few widespread health maladies have the ability to camouflage their root cause as well as fibromyalgia. It’s known to mimic symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoarthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder, lupus and a host of other disorders. Somewhere, hidden among all the symptoms, is a root cause and an elusive cure.
First recorded in 1904, fibromyalgia has grown into a modern era scourge affecting as many as 6 million Americans. Women are nearly nine times more likely to become afflicted than men, but no one is immune.
So what is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is named after the pain commonly reported in sufferers’ muscles, ligaments and tendons (Fibro = fibrous tissue, myo = muscle, and algos = pain). Research shows fibromyalgia is a syndrome which launches an all out attack on the central nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
Intense muscle pain caused by systemic inflammation is a very common description. One patient gave an account of her pain like “having arthritis in your muscles or charlie horses all day”. More than half of all fibromyalgia sufferers complain of chronic or migraine headaches. Extreme fatigue, sleep disorders, sensitivity to medicine, irritable bowel syndrome, memory loss, difficulty exercising, dizziness, non-cardiac chest pains, stiff joints, numbness and tingling sensations in extremities are also frequently reported.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia
Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be a supremely frustrating experience for patient and doctor alike. Since so many symptoms mimic those of other common disorders, making a diagnosis often comes down to a process of elimination.
Fortunately the American College of Rheumatology published standards to assist physicians with fibromyalgia diagnosis in 1990. The doctor simply applies pressure to 18 different trigger points found along the base of the patient’s neck, backbone, in front of the hip and elbow, and at the rear of the knee and shoulder. If the patient indicates at least 11 of the 18 sites are tender to the touch in addition to widespread pain a diagnosis of fibromyalgia may be warranted.
What causes fibromyalgia?
Some studies suggest individuals with fibromyalgia were genetically predisposed. Others indicate fibromyalgia is a dormant disorder that is triggered by a viral or bacterial infection or a traumatic injury. For example, one woman said she lived a normal life until she was struck from behind while driving. The severe whiplash sustained in the accident was the beginning of a new period in her life dominated by fibromyalgia pain.
That’s the long answer. The short answer is, we don’t know yet – exactly. However, enough evidence has accumulated to show fibromyalgia is typically preceded by a pattern of imbalances. These imbalances may be excessive stress levels, hormone imbalances, inadequate nutrition, poor sleeping patterns, and the list goes on. Discover what imbalances triggered your bout of fibromyalgia and you have the key to recovery in your hand.
How to treat fibromyalgia
There are no set guidelines for treating fibromyalgia since the underlying imbalances vary from one person to the next. What works for one person may not work for someone else, although heat seems to offer nearly universal short-term pain relief.
Drug treatments for fibromyalgia range from analgesics and anti-depressants to hormone replacements. Cortisone treatments may give some temporary relief at $400 per shot too. But long time readers already know my thoughts on these trouble-laden conventional medicine approaches.
A number of alternative medicine pain treatments have found growing acceptance from fibromyalgia patients seeking pain relief without the expense and dangerous side effect risk found with many conventional medicine treatments. Fibromyalgia patients have found practices as diverse as acupuncture, acupressure, Qigong therapy, chiropractic care, and massage therapy to be helpful. A good diet and sticking to a sleep routine is important too. Magnesium has been proven to help muscles relax and 400mg-600mg taken before bed refreshes muscles as you sleep.
The answer to fibromyalgia I found
I’ve studied pain, particularly back pain, for many years. Yet fibromyalgia is one of those chronic pain ailments that left me scratching my own head for quite awhile – until I was introduced to a guy named Greg Fors.
Actually, it’s Dr. Greg Fors, a board-certified neurologist. But I won’t hold that against him because he’s a truly brilliant old school physician. Why brilliant? Because he’s one of the rare breed of doctors who understands that solving a problem requires finding and fixing the underlying cause. Not just covering up the symptoms with drugs or fleecing your patients with unnecessary surgery.
After I read his book I was so impressed I decided to give it away free on our company’s main website because the information inside is simply too important for fibromyalgia sufferers. If you’re suffering from fibromyalgia or any other kind of chronic pain, this book can help.
I don’t know how many free copies are left, so I suggest requesting your own free copy right away. If we’re out, try calling my office to see when we’ll have more available.
Good Living with Fibromyalgia. Atlanta, Ga.: Arthritis Foundation; 2006.
Wolfe F, Smythe HA, Yunus MB et al. (February 1990). “The American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia. Report of the Multicenter Criteria Committee”. Arthritis Rheum. 33 (2): 160–72
Schweinhardt P, Sauro KM, Bushnell MC. (October 2008). “Fibromyalgia: a disorder of the brain?”. Neuroscientist. 14 (5): 415–21.
Menthol, one of nature’s most effective natural pain relievers, can already be found in products throughout your medicine cabinet, purse, and even your pocket.
Fully 3,000 tons of menthol are manufactured every year for products like mouthwash, toothpaste, breath-mints, gum, lip balms and on the list goes. Yet menthol really shines when used in pain relief creams.
What is menthol?
Menthol is the powerful organic compound found in the plant family ‘genus Mentha’, more commonly known as the mint and peppermint plants. While mint and peppermint are found world-wide, menthol is extracted in crystallized form from the oils of the wild mint or corn mint plant native to India, western and central Asia, the Himalaya, Siberia and North America.
How does menthol help relieve pain?
You may know from experience rubbing on a pain relief cream with menthol instantly brings cool, soothing pain relief to aching muscles. What you may not know is how menthol actually tackles pain in three different ways all at once.
Menthol has a natural analgesic (pain reliever) attribute when used in lotion, gel, or cream form. As the lotion is applied, molecules called ligands attach themselves to receptors in your cell triggering a change. The menthol ligand attaches to the kappa Opioid receptor, which produces a numbing effect.
Another reason menthol works so well when you rub it on those aching muscles is because it triggers a process called vasodilation. Blood vessels in the area widen, increasing blood flow to the area and reducing the skin barrier function. As a result, other medicinal ingredients typically found in that lotion along with the menthol get to work faster while the increased blood flow itself bring nutrients necessary for cellular repair and carry away waste.
Finally, one of the biggest culprits behind muscle aches and pains is inflammation. The Latin word for inflammation is inflammare which means “to set on fire.” Menthol brings a wonderful cooling sensation by stimulating thermoreceptors in the skin cells which help your body recognize temperature changes. Your skin doesn’t actually change temperature. Instead, menthol causes a signal to be sent which your brain interprets as cold, relieving the uncomfortable heat of inflammation. That’s why many first aid products use menthol for cooling in place of ice.
Clearly the mint plant gives us much more than good flavoring. It provides one of nature’s most effective natural pain relievers which even speeds up healing.
Related references: Leffingwell, J.C. & R.E. Shackelford, Laevo-Menthol – Syntheses and organoleptic properties, Cosmetics and Perfumery, 89(6), 69-89, 1974
Ting, Lillian. Publication on neurons, cellular reaction, medicinal qualities of menthol. Science Creative Quarterly
Galeottia, N., Mannellia, L.D.C., Mazzantib, G., Bartolinia, A., Ghelardini, C. (2002). “Menthol: a natural analgesic compound”. Neuroscience Letters 322 (3): 145–148. doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02527-7.
Braina, K.R., Greena, D.M., Dykesb, P.J., Marksb, R., Bola, T.S., The Role of Menthol in Skin Penetration from Topical Formulations of Ibuprofen 5% in vivo, Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2006;19:17-21 [1]
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 4th Edition, Thomson Healthcare, page 640. ISBN 978-1563636783
Three months ago I sounded the alarm about dangerous calls in the media to repeal the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). I explained then how the DSHEA actually protects our rights as consumers and why supplements should not be regulated in the same fashion as prescription drugs.
Now, Senator McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Dorgan (D-ND) have introduced a bill called the Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) which dismantles key provisions of the DSHEA.
If passed, the FDA would be granted broad new powers to curtail the sale of vitamins, minerals, herbs, fish oils and other supplements along with the potency of those sold. In fact, many supplements already available would suddenly become illegal to purchase.
How’s that? The new legislation mandates all dietary supplements must undergo a new process of governmental review just to stay on the market. Just imagine having your glucosamine and chondroitin supplement suddenly pulled off the shelves simply because the FDA wishes to run it through the same multi-million or even billion dollar review process prescription drugs undergo.
Would it be fair to place supplements under the same testing restrictions as drugs? Not at all. Prescription drug companies can afford this costly process as their products are patent protected. Supplements, derived from food and other natural sources, don’t enjoy that luxury. This cost prohibitive requirement would cause supplements you rely upon to keep you healthy to either disappear or become much more costly.
The existing law already provides for supplement safety. Most supplement ingredients have already stood the test of time — in many cases, centuries of use. Supplements with any new ingredient must be reported to the FDA with scientific proofs before product release. The current DSHEA law strikes the right balance between product safety and the consumer’s right to choose the supplements that can improve their health.
Don’t confuse the mislabeled Dietary Supplement Safety Act with real safety. If passed, the new DSSA bill would interfere with your right to safe and affordable health supplements and should be vigorously opposed. Your health just may depend on it.
A group of researchers in Denmark recently discovered a 90-day course of antibiotics led to a 75% success rate in reducing or eliminating lower back pain for 29 patients who completed the study.
All participants had been diagnosed with a herniated disc and modic changes (MRI indicated swelling of vertebral bone tissue) in an earlier study. The working theory, now being tested in a larger study, is anaerobic bacterial infection in the patients’ herniated disc tissue led to inflammation and lower back pain.
This is promising news for chronic lower back pain sufferers. But like many conventional medicines there’s a downside. Antibiotics, including Amoxicillin-clavulanate used in this study, often come with side effects. Three of the participants (out of 32 who started the treatment) dropped out due to severe diarrhea. No word on how many had the trouble but put up with it in an attempt to end their back pain. Other undesirable side effects of amoxicillin can include fever, nausea, headache, thrush, hives and even seizures.
Antibiotics are also associated with a potentially more dangerous weakening of the immune system. Think of your immune system like a muscle. As it is used it grows stronger. Allowing your body’s natural defense mechanisms to fight off bacterial invaders builds immunity. Using antibiotics to fight your body’s battles essentially atrophies your body’s immune response leading to a harder fight the next time the same bacteria come back.
So yes, antibiotics kill bad bacteria. But they also kill off good flora in the intestines. This breakdown of the normal intestinal balance between good bacteria, bad bacteria and yeast in the intestines increases risk of malabsorption syndromes, food allergies, and parasitic infection.
Perhaps most frightening, antibiotic use is also linked to cancer. A recent Finnish study published in the International Journal of Cancer tracked over 3 million individuals with no history of cancer. It found increased use of antibiotics directly increased risk of cancer — by as much as 37% over the following six years.
Fortunately there is another option for helping your body naturally fight off bacterial infections with less risk of side effects than even “milder” antibiotics. Unlike antibiotics it even helps fight off viral infections, which can also lead to painful vertebral inflammation and lower back pain. This alternative is called systemic enzyme therapy.
Also called proteases, systemic proteolytic enzymes taken on an empty stomach enter the circulation system through the stomach or intestinal lining. There they break down excess fibrin which causes internal scar tissue to form, breaks down virus carrying proteins, and fights inflammation from bacterial origin as well.
Antibiotics can be an important tool for fighting off life threatening bacterial infections. Too often they are used when unnecessary to the detriment of the patient. While systemic enzyme therapy isn’t for everyone — including those taking antibiotics — it is a useful natural alternative to antibiotics worth exploring when looking for relief from lower back pain and other inflammation related ailments.
Related Clinical Studies:
Albert, HB; Manniche, C; Sorensen, JS; Deleuran, BW. Antibiotic treatment in patients with low-back pain associated with Modic changes Type 1 (bone oedema): a pilot study. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2008 Dec;42(12):969-73.
Albert, HB et al.: Modic changes; possible causes and relation to low back pain. Medical Hypotheses. 2008;70(2):361-8.
Kilkkinen, A et al.: Antibiotic use predicts an increased risk of cancer. International journal of cancer. 2008 Nov 1;123(9):2152-5.
Netti, C; Bandi, G. L.; Pecile, A.: Anti-inflammatory action of proteolytic enzymes of animal, vegetable or bacterial origin administered orally compared with that of known antiphlogistic compounds. II Farmaco Ed. Pr. 27: 453 (1972).
Inderst, R.: Systemic enzyme therapy. Journal of Pharmacy 52 (1992).
Most people say they want to get rid of their pain, but they really don’t.
For some reason, they just really aren’t ready… otherwise they would have done it already or at least be actively working on it… relentless in their determination to get their life back.
Many of these people claim that if they only knew “how to” solve the problem they would. Yet there is more than enough of the how to… it’s everywhere…in books, videos, audios, doctors, etc… our entire website is full of some of the best how to there is when it comes to back pain… yet most people still don’t get relief… but not because the how to didn’t work, they don’t get relief because they are lacking the “want to”… a real desire to do what it takes to eliminate the problem.
I urge you to listen to this audio from Steve Chandler about the difference between the “How to” and the “Want to”… it’s this that can keep you stuck in pain or can set you free.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Healthy Back Institute - 333 Main St. Suite #201 Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Phone: 800-216-4908 Fax: 866-843-4319
The Healthy Back Institute is a Get Healthy and Fit Company
Few widespread health maladies have the ability to camouflage their root cause as well as fibromyalgia. It’s known to mimic symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoarthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder, lupus and a host of other disorders. Somewhere, hidden among all the symptoms, is a root cause and an elusive cure.
Menthol, one of nature’s most effective natural pain relievers, can already be found in products throughout your medicine cabinet, purse, and even your pocket.
Three months ago I sounded the alarm about 
A group of researchers in Denmark recently discovered a 90-day course of antibiotics led to a 75% success rate in reducing or eliminating 
