Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain

The Mind-Body Connection

Celeste Cooper, Jeffrey Miller

• Publisher: Healing Arts Press
• Year: 2010
• ISBN:
  9781594779596
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

A guide to coping with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome • Reveals how to deal with each disorder and how treatments can interact or aggravate if more than one disorder is present • Offers techniques to dispel the side effects created by these illnesses Fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome are often seen as interchangeable conditions, a belief held even by many health care providers. Nothing could be further from the truth--however, they do often coexist. Knowing if more than one of these disorders is present is extremely important because the treatment for one of them can often exacerbate the problems caused by the others. Written by a registered nurse and a psychologist who has been treating these conditions since 1994, this book presents an integrative medical approach to these three disorders with a strong emphasis on utilizing and strengthening the mind-body connection to restore well-being. The authors provide a thorough guide to numerous treatment options--from diet, exercise, and herbs to mindfulness meditation, chi kung, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They also offer techniques to dispel the "brain fog" that these disorders often create and show how to overcome the resultant obstacles to effectively communicating with your doctor. The additional information included on the psychological issues that accompany these chronic pain disorders allows this integrative treatment guide to open the door not only to physical recovery but also emotional and mental well-being.

1

Fibromyalgia Pain, Chronic Fatigue Immunodysfunction, and Chronic Myofascial Pain from Trigger Points

In order to address and identify personal needs we must first be able to define what they are and how they affect our lives. This chapter is devoted to promoting a better understanding of fibromyalgia (FM), chronic fatigue immunodysfunction (CFID), and chronic myofascial pain (CMP).

By reviewing the definition, history, demographics, etiology, genetic or gender predisposition, diagnostic criteria, symptoms, and prognosis, you should be able to identify certain characteristics of each disorder. You will receive enough information to complete the interactive exercise at the end of each section. By the end of the chapter you will see how the disorders share certain symptoms, but are differentiated by others.

Our greatest desire is for you to realize you are not alone. We are learning together and by sharing our knowledge, we can make a difference in combating these disabling illnesses.

New studies, theories, and discoveries will continue after the publication of this book, and the resource section includes the best tools available at the time of publication for locating current and breaking information. There are many helpful links at TheseThree.com, which are updated periodically.

Throughout this book fibromyalgia is referred to as FM, chronic fatigue immunodysfunction is referred to as CFID, and chronic myofascial pain is referred to as CMP. All three of these disabling disorders are considered chronic illnesses and can be a devastating disruption to your lifestyle, psyche, and general well-being.

COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS

FM: fibromyalgia or fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS)

CFID: chronic fatigue immunodysfunction syndrome

Also known as:
chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)

CMP: chronic myofascial pain
Also known as:
myofascial pain syndrome/disease (MPS)

It’s important to have a clear understanding of what is known to us now and what remains to be discovered. We hope that having a clearer understanding will help you to identify symptoms related to your disorder(s) and to set goals for enhancing your quality of life. As you journey through the words, paragraphs, and pages of this book, keep in mind that the guidelines and interactive exercises are intended to augment or complement medical care and treatments, not replace them.

During your journey take time at each summary exercise to reflect on the section of road you have just traveled. Brain fog and concentration may be a huge obstacle, but it is important to read the chapters in order, because the information in each one builds on the previous chapter. Don’t get discouraged if you start to feel fatigue; just come back to it when you feel “on top” of things, and you’ll be glad you did. This is a self-help book that depends on your reactions and interactions; it is about you and for you. Have a great journey.

All About Fibromyalgia

It’s Not All in a Name

The term fibromyalgia gives the impression it is a muscle disorder. After reading the rest of this chapter, you will know that this is inaccurate. Research suggests it is a disorder of the central nervous system that affects the muscles and the relay system of brain messaging.

It’s difficult to find correct terminology for each of the three disorders discussed in this book. Although that may seem trivial to some, the name of a disorder can have a tremendous impact on the way it is perceived and treated. Someday, through scientific discovery and advocacy by patients and the health care community, we will get away from ambiguous terms.

fibro: from the word fibrous, meaning “composed of fibers”; an elongated threadlike structure (in this case pertaining to fibers, fascia, tendons, and ligaments).

muscle fibers: having the power to contract and produce movement; fibers responsible for locomotion and performing vital body functions.

algia: pain.

myalgia: muscle pain.

allodynia: “other pain”; pain from stimuli that are not normally painful.

pain: a feeling of distress, suffering, or agony caused by stimulation to specific nerve endings. Usually a protective mechanism that alerts the sufferer to early tissue damage somewhere in the body.

pain threshold: the level that must be reached for a stimulus to be recognized as painful.

Definition

Fibromyalgia is defined as follows, according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria:

From patient history: widespread aching lasting more than three months

From examination: local tenderness at eleven of eighteen specific sites

Please keep in mind that the ACR criteria, while still used for diagnosis, may lead to underdiagnosis in many people, both women and men. More importantly, FM is a disorder characterized by widespread pain, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and sometimes psychological distress. People with fibromyalgia may also have other symptoms, such as morning stiffness, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, headaches (including migraines), irritable bowel syndrome, problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called “fibro fog”), painful menstrual periods, and other pain syndromes.¹ It is a chronic, noninflammatory disorder characterized by widespread allodynia, fatigue, and multiple tender points. Although it’s not a life threatening or progressive illness, symptoms can intensify or diminish without warning.

History

Fibromyalgia is not a new syndrome or disorder. It has been officially recognized by the health care industry for the past two decades, and has been known to exist for more than a hundred years. Symptoms of what we know today as FM were first described in the seventeen hundreds, and the disorder was first observed and documented by British surgeon William Balfour in 1816. In 1904 the same collection of symptoms was recognized by another British fibromyalgia pioneer, Sir William Gowers, who described chronic soft tissue syndromes as fibromyocitis.²

When Dr. Gowers identified this same collection of symptoms, he described it as “a disorder affecting women of blameless habits and abstentious clergymen,” and treated these patients with exercise instead of aspirin.³ This treatment suggests that as early as the nineteen hundreds Dr. Gowers did not consider this disorder inflammatory by nature, even though many of his colleagues of those days thought it was. He was a true pioneer in understanding the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Later in the nineteen hundreds the term fibrositis appeared in North American rheumatology textbooks. In the 1940s fibromyalgia was thought to be associated with depression and stress, and later, in 1975, Harvey Moldofsky and Hugh Smythe, both Canadian medical doctors, noted sleep abnormalities and fatigue in patients with diffuse musculoskeletal tender points. They also believed that fatigue could occur due to a disruption in an individual’s normal circadian rhythm, regardless of normal sleep duration.⁴ Even today, there are those who believe FM may be secondary to psychological stress or disordered sleep. Today evidence includes the physiological upset, regardless of what the aggravating factor might be. Still, by the very name itself—fibrositis—it seems the medical community back in 1904 believed the disorder to be inflammatory in nature. Conventional medical practitioners would have considered it foolhardy for someone to follow Dr. Gower’s theories and delay proper treatment.

Finally, in 1981 a connection was made between fibromyocitis and the non-inflammatory systemic symptoms. This led to adoption of the term “fibromyalgia” to identify the syndrome variously described as fibromyocitis, muscular rheumatism, tension myalgia, psychogenic rheumatism, tension rheumatism, neurasthenia, and fibrositis.⁵

EARLIER TERMS FOR FIBROMYALGIA

fibromyocitis
muscular rheumatism
tension myalgia
psychogenic rheumatism
tension rheumatism
neurasthenia fibrositis

Twenty years ago, fibromyalgia as we now understand it was unrecognized, but the continued symptoms of diffuse muscle pain and fatigue suffered by people with FM led them on a quest for help. Today, it can no longer be denied. History has changed the future for those of us who suffer from this disabling disorder.

Demographics (Age, Gender, and Genetic Predisposition)

The predisposition to FM comes from multiple factors. Often identified as triggers are virus, trauma (accidental or surgical), chemical exposure, abuse (emotional or physical), a prior debilitating illness, or any of these in combination.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population has FM, and the ratio of women to men is 7:1.⁶ While the onset of the syndrome can occur at any age and affect either gender, it predominately affects females between puberty and menopause and knows no boundaries related to economic, social, or racial status.

Likewise, the severity of...

Table of contents

• Cover Image
• Title Page
• Epigraph
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Fibromyalgia Pain, Chronic...
• Chapter 2: Communicating your health Care needs
• Chapter 3: Dialogues Within and Without
• Chapter 4: My Body Is Matter and It Matters
• Chapter 5: The Power of Mind, Body, and Spirit
• Chapter 6: Dealing with Circuit Overload
• Chapter 7: Approaching the System Systematically
• Epilogue
• Resources for Maximizing Health Care, Relationships, and Emotional Well-Being
• Glossary of Acronyms
• Footnotes
• Endnotes
• About the Authors
• About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
• Books of Related Interest
• Copyright & Permissions