Explore effective treatments for Fibromyalgia, including medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and holistic approaches to manage symptoms.
Thyme is an herb from the mint family. This is a truly ancient herb, used by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans for ceremonial and ritualistic purposes. Through the Middle Ages where it was also used for religious and medicinal reasons. It is an incredibly potent yet simple herb affecting multiple systems in the body and capable of treating dozens of diseases. It contains one of the strongest antioxidants known and is proven to kill 98% of…
Many fibromyalgia sufferers have been told that the pain is “all in their head.” New research indicates there may be some truth to that, and that overactive brain networks could play a role in the hypersensitivity of fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disorder characterized by deep tissue pain, fatigue, headaches, mood swings, and insomnia. There is no known cause and successful treatments have been elusive. In a lengthy study published in the journal Scientific…
Let’s be perfectly honest. Most doctors have a difficult time with chronic pain patients. One physician described it to us many years ago: “When I see a patient suffering severe chronic pain come in the front door I want to go out the back door.” That’s because there are few good options. Drugs like hydrocodone or oxycodone used to be prescribed in huge quantities. Now gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) are on the ascendency and…
Fibromyalgia (FMS) is not just about chronic pain and fatigue, although if you spoke to the majority of general practitioners, you would think those were the only symptoms people get. FMS is a complex, multifactorial condition and is a condition of exclusion. In other words, many, many conditions have to be excluded before a diagnosis can be made. It can, and in my case, it has, affected almost every system of my body from my skin and gastrointestinal…
Over the years, various medications have undergone evaluation for use in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Those medications include muscle relaxants, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), sedatives, and tricylic antidepressants. Tricylic antidepressants actually have some history in the treatment of fibromyalgia. In fact, several of these antidepressants are used in the treatment of the condition. Nortriptyline, doxepin, and amitriptyline are all used in the treatment of fibromyalgia. When used for fibromyalgia, in particular, it has been…
Cannabis, also known by many other names, is a derivative of the Cannabis plant that is popularly used as a psychoactive drug and medication. This controversial drug, which many would know it as weed or marijuana, has taken a bad rap due to it being exploited for recreational purposes. However, apart from being the star of a party, Cannabis has many medical purposes including treating fibromyalgia. What is Medical Cannabis This refers to cannabis in the form…
Every so often he grabs his left shoulder and winces. It hurts when he walks when he sits still when he rises from his couch, and when he missteps in a damp meadow. More than hurts. It seems a kind of agony, though he never mentions it. There are times when he cannot help but show this, the fallout from a car accident four years ago, in which the car he was driving flipped and…
Lyrica is the brand name for a prescription medicine called pregabalin. Although it is an anticonvulsant or an anti-epileptic drug, pregabalin is commonly prescribed to alleviate nerve or neuropathic pain – a type of pain caused by damage to, or a disease affecting nerves. Neuropathic pain doesn’t normally respond to common painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. This is because the mechanisms that cause neuropathic pain are different from the underlying causes of other pain. History Pregabalin is closely related…
In fibromyalgia patients, music therapy can reduce pain, depression, anxiety, and improve sleep. The findings come from researchers at the University of Granada who found that music therapy combined with relaxation techniques can help improve many areas in the lives of fibromyalgia patients. With improved depression, anxiety, sleep, and reduced pain, a patient’s quality of life can greatly improve. Study participants were fibromyalgia patients from Spain who underwent a basal test prior to treatment, a post-basal test four weeks after the treatment,…
A low-quality sleep is a major issue cited by people with fibromyalgia. And, unfortunately, there are many factors that could be contributing to this, including your bed itself. Sleep is hugely important for everyone, but especially for those with fibro. Sleep is the time when your body relaxes and regenerates — that is if you’re actually able to sleep. Whatever causes your inability to get a good night’s sleep with fibromyalgia, choosing a good mattress may…