Fibromyalgia

Clavicle or shoulder pain in fibromyalgia is like any other symptom in that it can easily wax and wane, but might be more common than you think. With a recent shoulder injury (and labral tear) myself, I have seen even more clearly the process of shoulder injuries, stiffness, and how fibromyalgia symptoms can “interplay” with common shoulder/ clavicle injuries or tears.  One thing I do in working with fibromyalgia is to convey the importance of…

It is not so uncommon to experience fibromyalgia and ankle pain.  Although it might not be one of your first symptoms when living with fibromyalgia, you might find that you start experiencing pain in one or both ankles. This pain may extend to your toes, heel, and even up into your calves. It may also just stay around your ankles and may or may not come with swelling.  This is an important weight-bearing area of…

When fibromyalgia affects the lower part of the body, this is somewhat different than upper body pain due to the weight-bearing nature of both legs and feet. Although this is just one area of the body affected, I rarely meet a person with fibromyalgia who does not have some kind of leg and/or fibromyalgia foot pain.  Fibromyalgia foot pain can be exacerbated by multiple trigger points in the lower body, overactive nerves, and even ongoing…

Adrenal stress and adrenaline dominance can occur when our adrenal glands accumulate too much stress while creating imbalance within the pituitary and hypothalamus (in the brain). This can be common with any chronic illness due to the internal physiological stress on the body. Fibromyalgia and all of its complexities can present a real challenge to the entire endocrine system and especially the adrenal glands. Many people say the words “adrenal fatigue” but we need to…

Sciatica pain and fibromyalgia often coexist in the same person but may require different treatments and pain management options. Fibromyalgia itself is known for causing pain in various regions of the body. Many of us living with fibromyalgia may also have secondary diagnoses when symptoms overlap with other conditions. As complex as fibromyalgia is, we don’t want to miss other conditions that may need separate attention.  Sciatica is one of the most common conditions to…

It is not uncommon to have hip flexor issues, or pain in this area with fibromyalgia. The hips, hip flexors, and lower back correlate with fibromyalgia pain areas due to tender areas around the lower back, many more trigger point areas and other conditions that affect the surrounding areas.  The hip flexor muscles allow your hips to move with flexibility. You are engaging these muscles whenever you move your legs, and that means your hips…

Many people assume that carpal tunnel syndrome only occurs in people who spend a lot of time typing on a computer or engaging in repetitive motions like swinging a tennis racket, but this is far from the truth. This syndrome produces pain, stiffness, numbness, tingling, and/or burning from the compression of the median nerve located in the wrist and forearm area.  While an activity like typing on a computer can put strain on this nerve and is…

What do amino acids, enzymes, the MTHFR gene and fibromyalgia have in common?  More than you might think! The MTHFR gene is something to seriously consider if you have been living with fibromyalgia.  The Role of Amino Acids Bodybuilders and athletes take various types of amino acids to improve performance, burn body fat, or accomplish other desirable goals. We also address this need for certain amino acids in treating various symptoms within fibromyalgia here in…

Did you know that fibromyalgia and TMJ pain often go together?  Unfortunately for many fibromyalgia patients, this is a painful reality. Your jaw is one part of the body that you don’t think about much until it starts to hurt or malfunction. This vulnerable area of your body allows you to do so many daily activities that many people take for granted like eating, yawning, talking and drinking.   However, when you start to notice…

Restless leg syndrome and fibromyalgia can both cause issues for sufferers.  As if fibromyalgia doesn’t cause enough distress when you’re awake, it often disrupts your sleep as well. It’s common for sufferers to report difficulty falling and staying asleep due to pain, but restless leg syndrome is another condition that can lead to frequent sleep disruptions. This condition can occur while you’re sound asleep, waking you up multiple times in a single night. It can…