A New Hope for Fibromyalgia Sufferers'
Fibromyalgia tends to be difficult to diagnose as it shares similar symptoms and underlying causes as several other painful conditions. It was originally considered a central nervous system issue, but the current focus is on it being a peripheral nerve disorder that spreads widespread pain, insomnia and fatigue. Diagnostic tests can only diagnose all other diseases or disorders and once eliminated, then it's stated to be Fibromyalgia.
There are several theories on the causes including, but not limited to; physical trauma, extreme psychological stress or an unknown triggers) which causes a flare that slowly increases over time. It is also believed to arise from an overactive nervous system.
The most common complaint from people suffering from fibromyalgia is pain and fatigue. It can be slight to severe and can change from day to day. The pain can range from dull to stabbing, usually in the muscles and joints. It involves several areas on the skin with tender points that, if touched, can increase the pain. Fibromyalgia also results in a loss of restorative sleep with occasional morning stiffness and/or spasms and can leave the person with a feeling of overwhelming fatigue. This can lead to memory issues, commonly known as "fibrofog".
Repetitive movements, due to chores or hobbies, can also increase pain symptoms and cause numbness, tingling and/or burning sensations. This can cause a decrease in daily activities. All of these (and several other symptoms) can also lead to feelings of anxiety or depression.
A new massage technique offers hope for sufferers. It shows great promise in helping to decrease fibromyalgia symptoms. It involves a short assessment focusing on 6 points to determine both whether the client has fibromyalgia and the areas of restrictions. This does NOT involve the trigger points, or 'knots', and will not aggravate symptoms. The technique uses gentle pressure and lymph drainage techniques to focus on releasing specific fascial restrictions (fascia being the connective tissue between organs) in the abdomen and the meninges and membranes in the brain. This helps reduce abnormal pulls on the muscles and nerves that may be escalating the body's response to the pain. It takes approximately 1 to 3 treatments to decrease up to 75 percent of the symptoms.
This technique can help increase quality sleep, energy levels and cognitive abilities. It can decrease dizziness, light headedness, anxiety/ depression, pain and digestive issues.
This massage can also benefit clients with other neuroinflammatory diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, mononucleosis and post-treatment cancer clients. The abdominal portion of the massage can help with IBS, Crohns and Colitis. The brain work with the meninges can help with whiplash, concussions, anxiety/depression, sleep and memory issues.
