Recent Fibromyalgia Findings

Recent Fibromyalgia Findings ImmuneSupport.com

03-08-2006 Source: The Science & Research of CFS, The CFIDS Chronicle Special Issue, 2005-2006. Just released, this issue is generating huge buzz in the CFS community. Copies are available through the CFIDS Association’s website at www.cfids.org for $12 each. Visit http://www.cfids.org/special/default.asp to browse a complete listing of articles, including links to several online samples. Source: Special Issue: The Science & Research of CFS, The CFIDS Chronicle, 2005-2006 Issue. A publication of the CFIDS Association of America.

Although there are some immunological aberrations in FM, including a decreased number of natural killer cells, most researchers now believe that the illness is not an immune system disorder. “Essentially, there is nothing specifically immunological in fibromyalgia – and if there is, whatever little there is, I think it is secondary to the central nervous system problem that fibromyalgia patients have,” says Dr. Muhammad Yunas. “It’s a chronic, neurologic disease.”
Numerous research studies have found biologic abnormalities in FM patients, and it’s increasingly uncommon to hear physicians suggest the illness is all in your head. “There was a time when we thought fibromyalgia was psychosomatic. We now understand the pain in fibromyalgia is caused by an abnormality in the central nervous system in which pain sensations are amplified,” explains Dr. Robert Bennett, an FM expert at Oregon Health Sciences University.
This “central sensitization theory” is described in detail in the August 2005 issue of the Journal of Rheumatology. Basically, the theory is that fibromyalgia results from miscommunication among nerve impulses in the central nervous system – the brain and spinal cord – causing FM patients to feel intense pain when they should only feel mild discomfort or fatigue.
Recent investigations found multiple triggers for this amped-up response to pain. For instance, FM patients have three to four times higher levels than normal of substance P, a central nervous system neurotransmitter involved in pain processing. Researchers also found lower levels of substances that diminish pain sensation, such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
Dr. Daniel Clauw, the director of the Center for the Advancement of Clinical Research at the University of Michigan, says, “The pain of fibromyalgia is not occurring because of some injury or inflammation of the muscles or joints. There is something wrong with the way the central nervous system is processing pain from the peripheral tissues. It’s overamplifying the pain.”
Pharmaceutical companies are now interested in developing drug treatments base on the new research.
Reprinted with kind permission of the CFIDS Association of America, that nation's largest non-profit organization dedicated to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Online at www.cfids.org.

Drug Ends Joint Loss in Osteoarthritis

Study: Osteoporosis Drug Actonel Prevents Destruction of Joint From Osteoarthritis

Nov.16, 2005 -- Higher doses of a popular osteoporosis drug may stave off joint destruction and the need for joint replacement surgery among people with painful knee osteoarthritis, according to a new study.

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego.

Most osteoarthritis drugs treat only pain. Attempts to find a drug that actually modifies the disease process have not been all that successful. A disease-modifying osteoarthritic drug is considered to be the Holy Grail by many rheumatologists.
Wear and Tear

Osteoarthritis, a wear-and-tear condition of joints, affects more than 21 million Americans. It affects not just cartilage (the smooth lining that covers the ends of bones where they meet to form the joint) but also eats away at the bone underneath the cartilage. Osteoarthritis most notably affects the knee and hip joints.

Actonel, a bisphosphonate drug used for osteoporosis, inhibits the cells responsible for the natural breakdown of bone. The researchers say that it may stave off bone loss in the bone located beneath the cartilage in the knee. As a result, the drug may also prevent joint destruction and the subsequent need for joint replacement surgery.

In the two-year study, people with osteoarthritis who already had a significant loss of cartilage in their knee who took 15 milligrams of Actonel per day halted bone loss underneath their knee cartilage. People in the study who took a 50-milligram-per-week dose actually put bone back on the joint, the study showed.

Preventing Joint Destruction

"If you compare the joint to the roof of a house, the tiles are the cartilage and the rafters supporting the cartilage are trabecular bone," explains researcher Christopher Backland-Wright, MD, a professor of radiological anatomy at King's College London University. "You try to keep the roof by keeping the tiles, but ultimately the rafters will crumble and only by supporting the rafters can you maintain the roof."

Put another way, Actonel supports the rafters.

People in the study received either a dummy pill, 5 milligrams per day of Actonel, 15 milligrams per day of Actonel, or 50 milligrams once a week of Actonel. Each group comprised 300 patients.
"Higher doses of [Actonel] in postmenopausal women may delay joint destruction and the need for joint replacement surgery in patients with severe knee OA," he says.

While participants in the high-dose groups were protected against bone loss, there were no such effects among participants taking dummy pill or lower doses, the study showed.

"You save the bone, you save the cartilage," says Eric Matteson, MD, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "If the new findings hold up, it's a cool thing. The results look very promising."

The Importance of Weight Loss

While the new study appears promising, "the most important thing for knee osteoarthritis patients is to lose weight," stresses Elizabeth Karlson, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"Weight reduction or maintaining a normal body mass index improves pain, improves function, and delays the need for joint replacement surgery," she tells WebMD.

Studies have shown that losing just a modest amount of weight losing just a modest amount of weight can reduce pain, relieve stiffness, and improve daily functioning for patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis -- in some cases more effectively than drugs.

SOURCES: 2005 American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, San Diego, Nov. 12-17, 2005. Christopher Backland-Wright, MD, professor of radiological anatomy, King's College London University. Eric Matteson, MD, professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Elizabeth Karlson, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. WebMD Medical News: "Small Weight Loss Takes Big Pressure Off Knee." "Small Weight Loss Takes Big Pressure Off Knee."

Treatments for Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

Since the early 1990’s, Fibromyalgia has become an increasingly common diagnosis. It is estimated that 10%-20% of new patients in a rheumatology practice have Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), and approximately 2% of the U.S. population (3-6 million people) are thought to have the condition.
As most doctors do not recognize the pattern of symptoms as Fibromyalgia, it is my belief that this number is much higher. Because of the widespread musculoskeletal manifestations of this condition, patients suffering from it are very likely to seek complimentary and alternative medicine. This paper will review FMS, with emphasis on complementary and alternative medicine.
Chronic fatigue symptoms overlap noticeably with Fibromyalgia symptoms. Both syndromes are often associated with sleep disturbances, flu-like aches, fatigue, and general malaise. However, Fibromyalgia syndrome is not typically accompanied by fever. Also, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome does not require pain to be present for its diagnosis, as does Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Fibromyalgia

The condition we now know as Fibromyalgia appears to have been recognized for many years, but was known years ago by other names. In the mid 1800's, European literature refers to a "neurasthenia' and "spinal irritation" (exaggerated tenderness to palpation).
In 1904, Sir William Gavers coined the term "fibrositis", which appeared in North America rheumatology texts in 1940. After WWII, 50%-70% of rheumatological referrals from the British armed forces were for fibrositis. In 1981, Yunas, ET. al. began using the term Fibromyalgia, since the condition was shown to not involve inflammation and in 1987, an editorial appeared in JAMA acknowledging the existence of Fibromyalgia.
Chronic Fatigue
There is no known single cause of CFS. Some authorities believe it is a condition shared by many different underlying diseases rather than an entity unto itself. Others believe it is caused by a defect of the immune system. Hormonal deficits, low blood pressure, and viral infections have been studied as possible causes or contributors. The postulated causal link with Epstein-Barr virus hypothesized in the mid-1980s has been discounted.
There has been some correlation between chronic single or multiple viral infections, but CFS has also been noted in the absence of any apparent viral infection. Food allergies are commonly associated with this disorder, as is candidiasis, intestinal parasites and toxic chemical exposure.
Toxin exposure has been suggested to play a significant role in the development and progression of both Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as approximately 47-67% of patients with FM and 53-67% of patients with CFS have reported at least one episode of symptom exacerbation after specific chemical exposure.
Another area of interest is the link between intestinal dysfunction and FM. Although statistics vary, research suggests that up to 70% of patients with FM complain of symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a functional disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain with alternating diarrhea, and constipation.
In comparison with healthy subjects, patients with IBS also tend to experience extra intestinal symptoms that overlap with FM complaints, including increased nerve sensitivity, morning stiffness, headaches, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.
Improved GI health can be achieved with a nutritional regimen known as the 4R-GI Restoration Program, which addresses the four primary stages of healing: Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, and Regenerate. This is an essential part of our “detoxification” program which we will discuss later.

Fibromyalgia Criteria:

The American Academy of Rheumatology has set forth the following criteria for the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia:
1) Subjective aching for at least 3 months.
2) Subjective stiffness for at least 3 months.
3) Widespread pain: (bilateral, above and below the waist, includes axial skeletal pain).
4) Tenderness to palpation (4 kg pressure) at 11 to 18 (bilateral) points as follows:
1. Upper trapezius (shoulders)
2. Supraspinatus (upper back)
3. Gluteal region (buttocks)
4. Pectoralis Major (2nd rib)
5. Inferior Sternoclydomastoid muscle ("lower cervical spine")
6. Greater Trochanter (hip joint)
7. Medial knee (inside of knee)
8. Suboccipital (base of skull)
9. Lateral Epicondyle (elbow)

In addition to the above criteria, sleep disturbance, fatigue, weakness, and irritable bowel syndrome may also be present.

Chronic Fatigue Criteria

1) Persistent, severe fatigue brought on by less than 50% of normal exertion. This fatigue must have lasted for six months or longer, and must be unaffected by any amount of rest.
2) Low grade fever (around 101 degrees)
3) A sore throat
4) Lymph node tenderness
5) Generalized aches and pains
6) Sleep disorders
7) Psychologically related symptoms such as feelings of depression, isolation, and anxiety.

General Examination and Treatment Goals:

The goal in any treatment regimen must begin with a thorough evaluation of prior treatment history. This must include which provider(s) have already been consulted. Prior treatment, medications, etc., including any successes and failures.
The goal in any treatment plan must take into consideration the patient’s ability to optimize sleep quality and quantity. Educating the patient with emphasis on the patient becoming the active director of their treatment. Increase exercise and activity through guided, achievable goals. Improve aerobic capacity.
Optimize posture, ergonomics, biomechanics, and assess diet and nutritional status as well as making the patient aware of other health care resources when appropriate. FMS and CFS is typically a multi-disciplinary problem.
Specific Treatment Considerations

Diet/B>

When considering what determines your state of health, there are two aspects to be understood. One is your genetic heritage, which up until recently we thought was an unquestionable factor which unfortunately is beyond your control. The other is your environment, which fortunately you have considerable influence over. Of the environmental factors, second only to your thoughts and emotions is your diet and nutritional balance.
In all fairness, when looking to improve your health, perhaps nutritional factors should be considered and engaged even before your thoughts and emotions. There are several reasons for this:

1. Most find nutritional factors easier to control than their thoughts and emotions.
2. Certain nutritional factors make dramatic differences in your ability to think clearly, stabilize your moods and enhance your overall sense of well-being.
3. We can assess your nutritional needs with more accuracy than your mental-emotional needs.
4. We can effectively address your specific nutritional needs with targeted nutritional programs.
Let's now address the dietary fundamentals that will lay the foundation you will need in order to optimize the results of your targeted nutrition program. Contrary to what some might have you believe, your daily food and beverage choices do not require a degree in nutrition, just common sense and common practice. You start with the following distinctions:
1. Choose simple whole foods. Those that Mother Nature has always provided for us.
2. Eat them in their natural form, or as close to it as possible. Less processing generally means more nutritional value.
3. Eat as wide a variety of these minimally processed, whole natural foods as circumstances allow. This maximizes your exposure to various nutrients while minimizing your repeated exposure to potential contaminants (e.g. pesticides, insecticides, etc.).
4. Pay special attention to ensuring sufficient high quality, low fat proteins in your diet. Balance every 15 grams of protein with 2-3 cups of low starch vegetables as often as possible.
5. Be moderate with your starch intake. Stick to the less processed whole grains and whole vegetables.
6. Balance starch/carbohydrates with quality proteins wherever possible.
7. Be sure to get at least 3 pieces/servings (1/2 - 1 cup) of fresh fruit and 4-6 cups of fresh vegetables every day.
8. Reduce animal fats (fatty meats, dairy fats) and eliminate hydrogenated oils, trans fats and processed vegetable oils (i.e. all fried foods, margarines, commercial salad dressings, oils, sauces, confectionaries and baked goods). Instead, substitute monounsaturated oils for low heat stir-fries, light sautéing, salad dressings and baking (e.g., olive oil, canola and almond oils) and Omega3-rich, properly shielded (from air, light and heat) oils, such as flax, pumpkin and walnut for salad dressings and sauces. These nutritious oils are not to be cooked.
9. Drink at least 8 glasses of pure water daily.
10. Substitute herbal and naturally decaffeinated teas for caffeinated beverages and sodas (including chemical containing 'diet' drinks).

Exercise

A healthy life is an active one. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining optimal health. The long term success of any health care program will be diminished if you do not exercise at least to a moderate degree on regular basis. Exercise increases the body's metabolic rate and therefore will help you achieve your ideal weight, although that is not the main reason for doing it. Exercise increases circulation, and improves the delivery of nutrients to the cells in our body that need them.
Exercise improves the removal of metabolic waste products from the body's cells and the elimination of toxins from your body. It will improve your heart's strength and performance, as well as cause the production and release of chemicals in your brain that make you feel good, the so-called "runner's high" produced by endorphins. So exercise has multiple positive benefits, and should be included in your regular schedule and become a part of your life.
To get the most benefit from an exercise program, you must bring your heart rate up to approximately two-thirds of its maximum, and keep it there for a minimum of 15 minutes, at least 3 times a week.
Exercising daily will produce results much faster than every other day and 30 minutes is better than 15! Be sure to listen to your body and do not over do it.
Remember: Inch by inch, anything is a cinch! Just about any form of activity that will meet the above criteria is fine. Walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, bicycling, etc. All can fit nicely into the category of "aerobic exercise", so you do not need to buy a color-coordinated outfit and join an aerobic dance class to get your exercise.
Of course, if you want take up "aerobics", it's great exercise as well. Good shoes with a strong arch support, and loose, comfortable clothes will work fine. The most important thing is to make exercise enjoyable, so that it becomes a regular part of your life, just like eating and sleeping. You must use it, or you will lose it!

Rest and Relaxation

Let us define what is meant by proper rest. Ideally it means: freedom from work or physical activity; freedom from disturbance of mind or spirit, peace of mind. The purpose of proper rest is to restore, to bring back to a former or original condition.
There are presently many theories as to why we require rest or sleep, what happens mentally and physiologically while we sleep and even how much each individual really needs. Based on the information that we have, a rational approach serves to unravel some of the mystery surrounding sleep and the essentials of proper or adequate rest.
When individuals are sleep-deprived their most common complaints are mental fatigue or confusion and musculoskeletal discomfort. These conditions are relieved by subsequent rest. We therefore may extrapolate that sleep is essential to maintain mental clarity and to neutralize structural stress.
The physiology behind the restoration of mental capacity is not yet well understood, however, it would appear to be associated with renewing neurotransmitting chemicals and cell membrane potentials throughout our bodies. These processes in turn are dependent, at least in part, upon the length of rest, the quality of one's nutrition, and the state of one's mind.
Rest also provides time for your logical, analytical `left' brain to relax its dominance and thus allow the emotional and imaginative `right' brain valuable time for `creative' expression. Thus, one of the keys to effective rest is learning how to turn down the volume of your `left' brain while you tune into your `right'! This is where regular use of an exceptional guided imagery tape can be so useful. The physiology behind the other major function of rest and sleep, structural recuperation, is more important.
There is relentless force acting upon our physical structure, day by day, week after week: The constant force of gravity. The more effectively one learns to be aware of this force and to deal with it intelligently, the less destructive its influence. Failure to pay heed and to effectively reduce the effect of this downward pull on our bodies, often results in chronic and recurrent musculoskeletal discomfort (stiff, sore shoulders, neck, and back: hip, knee and ankle distress). Degenerative disc and joint disease, myofascial problems and even headaches.
How then may we better cope with these stresses, especially with those related to the earth's gravity? While most of us are aware of the need for a good night's sleep, too few recognize the need for proper rest and relaxation. Both those who are engaged in heavy physical labor and business executives or white collar workers alike are subjected to a variety of physical stressors throughout their `working hours'.
There is mounting evidence that those who manage to obtain some rest and more resourceful postures during the day not only live more comfortably and work more effectively, they also live longer! Once convinced of the benefits, how does one go about obtaining proper rest during business hours? Proper rest refers to "those inactivity’s which serve to aid restoration of optimal mental and physical function" (i.e. good health).
Our goals here include assisting the nervous system in its ability to cope with the stresses upon it, and assisting the physical body in compensating for the wear and tear of manual activities and the effects of gravity. All that is normally required is 15 to 20 minutes, twice daily, (in addition to your usual night sleep) to counteract the onslaught of stress-related fatigue and wear and tear.
One of the most effective practices involves getting off your feet and laying supine on your back on a firm surface. Any carpeted floor will do nicely. The knees should be bent up toward your chest until your thighs are at right angles to your trunk, perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs resting on a chair seat, couch, or even a box with padding on top.
Stress
Stress can be very damaging to your health. While it is true that without some stress we would not be able to function, excessive stress will ultimately wear you down and make you sick. Dr. Hans Selye studied the effects of stress throughout his life, and identified "dis-stress" as being the most damaging. He stated that this harmful stress had a distinct impact on health and could eventually cause a variety of body systems to deteriorate.
Drs. Holmes and Rahe, in a series of studies done on military personnel, showed that stress could also have a cumulative effect. They catalogued many different stressors, ranging from mild ones such as traffic tickets, to the profound stress associated with the loss of a loved one. They showed that people who were subjected to multiple stresses over a two year period had a much higher likelihood of becoming seriously ill than those not under such stress. This illustrates the importance of eliminating "dis-stress" whenever possible.
How can you reduce stress?! Sometimes it is difficult. Perhaps the stress comes from the type of work you do, and it is not economically feasible to change. You can, however, change the way you deal with that stress. The harmful effects of stress can be minimized if we learn to deal with stressful events in a positive manner. Relaxation tapes, meditation techniques, and biofeedback can all help. Regular exercise has the additional benefit of helping you rid your body of the negative effects of stress (please refer to the section on exercise for more information). A relaxing walk in the park or along a beach can work wonders! If you would like more help in this area, just ask.

Structural Care/Chiropractic

The body requires two forms of energy to function: biochemical, provided by the food we eat, and electrical, provided by the brain and nervous system. One cannot function without the other. You can improve the biochemical part by being careful about what you eat, taking your supplements to fill in any "gaps" in your diet or overcome unique metabolic, environmental or genetic circumstances, and ensuring that digestion and absorption are functioning optimally. The electrical component, however, depends on structural integrity.
The brain acts as a control center, producing the energy that flows out through the spinal cord to the rest of the body via the network of nerves. Every function of the body, from the contraction of muscles allowing movement, to the digestive processes, to the production and repair of cells, to our immune function; literally everything depends on proper supply of electrical energy from the brain through the nerves.
Chiropractic is the science of making sure that those nerve signals reach their destination with maximum impact and value. Your personalized, multifaceted chiropractic program will work to ensure that no structural problem impedes optimal electrical energy flow throughout the body. The nutritional program outlined in this report helps to ensure that your biochemical energy needs are also being met. The two depend on one another!

Weight Management/ Detoxification

Your questionnaire responses and our assessment may indicate that you may benefit from a comprehensive weight management program. In our office, we utilize a program that emphasizes a proper, healthy weight loss regimen. This is an exciting program for us to recommend due to both its exceptional results and the simplicity of design.
Unlike many weight management programs, it involves less time spent in food preparation by providing an easy to use single-meal-replacement drink as well as a predetermined food shopping list. Included is a comprehensive patient guide, in addition to this report. We have found the results extraordinary and often include the resolution of other symptoms, such as, bloating, mood swings and fatigue spells. Our hope is you will experience a noticeable increase in your energy, endurance and overall well-being.
Toxins exist everywhere and can lead to serious health problems. They are in food and the environment, and persist because of our insufficient metabolic ability to rid the body of all that we are exposed to on a daily basis. They can drain the body of energy and make you more susceptible to disease and infection. Toxins tend to concentrate in the liver and gastrointestinal tract, both places responsible for eliminating toxins from the body. Since everyone is exposed to toxins, everyone can use a detoxification treatment on a regular basis.
Possible Causes of Toxicities and Risks Include:
Aging, alcohol, bacterial toxins, burns, cigarettes, constipation, drugs, food additives, food allergies, fried foods, heavy metals, intestinal infections, silicone implants, stress, toxic chemicals, metabolites, and pesticides

Purification:

Purification (also known as detoxification or cleansing) is the process of addressing the natural toxins in the body. The liver, digestive tract, kidneys, bladder, lymphatic system, lungs and skin are the major systems/organs that are involved in the neutralization and elimination of toxins.
Because we are exposed to high levels of foreign substances and over consume chemically-treated, synthetically-produced food, extra purification is needed. The program we use at our clinic utilizes whole food supplements, pure food and water to give the body the resources it needs so it can purify and rebuild itself naturally.
Our programs place emphasis on the liver and colon because these two organs play a major role in supporting the digestive system. Many people who complete our purification program experience increased energy, better digestion, less bloating, clearer skin, shinier hair and a disappearance or lessoning of past conditions such as PMS, digestive problems, Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue to name just a few.
Helpful Lifestyle Changes:
Breathe. Avoid stress and seek out ways to relax and resolve stressful conditions in your life. Get sufficient sunlight, exercise, and sleep. Counseling, meditation, and other therapies are proactive ways to relieve stress.
Helpful Dietary Changes:
Drink green tea, a dietary source of catechin. Eat a well-balanced diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat artichokes, which help detox the liver. Eat foods in the Brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts). Increase intake of berries. Keep a food diary to detect individual patterns of sensitivity to foods. Fast regularly.

Supportive Nutritional Supplements:

Coenzyme Q 10 (Ubiquinone) antioxidant, carries oxygen to the tissues, strengthens immune system

Copper assists body detox

Folic Acid strengthens immunity

Magnesium helps reduce stress, used with Calcium

Vitamin B Complex multiple B vitamin aids in improving general health and helps relieve stress, aids liver function

Vitamin C antioxidant

Vitamin E antioxidant

Zinc antioxidant, strengthens immunity (should be taken with copper)

Supportive Herbs Properties/Function:

Acacia catechu source of catechin, fights free radicals

Dandelion blood and liver support, diuretic, treats liver damage, mild laxative

Garlic antibiotic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, inhibits infection, and strengthens immunity

Ginkgo biloba neutralizes free radical that are often produced during stress

Goldenseal detox, strengthens immunity

Hawthorn Berries increases circulation, source of Vitamin C

Milk thistle (Silybum) antioxidant, blood and liver detox and support, neutralizes free radical that are often produced during stress

Turmeric aids liver function

Uncaria source of catechin, fights free radicals

Low Level Laser Therapy

One of the most exciting areas of complimentary and alternative medicine today is the use of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT). Light has been used for healing for many centuries, starting with the Greeks and Romans who recognized the positive effects of sunlight. We know that when sunlight strikes the skin, our whole body feels the benefits. Even our brain is affected by sunlight. As scientists have understood more about the nature of light and its positive effects on the body, they have been able to develop techniques and devices that use light as part of the healing process.
What we usually call light is the visible part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. We are all familiar with the rainbow effect and what we call light is that range of colors. Conventional light has a thermal effect; it warms up the skin. For example, ultraviolet light is the part of the spectrum that is responsible for tanning your skin; infrared light is used as a heat source.
Low-level laser light is compressed light of a wavelength from the cold, red part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. It is different from natural light in that it is one precise color; it is coherent (it travels in a straight line), monochromatic (a single wavelength) and polarized (it concentrates its beam in a defined location or spot). These properties allow laser light to penetrate the surface of the skin with no heating effect, no damage to the skin and no known side effects. Rather, laser light directs biostimulative light energy to the body's cells which the cells then convert into chemical energy to promote natural healing and pain relief.

The History of Laser Therapy

The word "laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The theory was first described by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) who paved the way for the development of the therapeutic laser.
The first low-level therapeutic laser was developed in 1962. By the end of the 1960's, Endre Mester in Hungary was reporting an improved healing of wounds through low-level laser radiation. Since then, scientists and doctors around the world have been using laser light to treat conditions that can affect all age groups.

High Power vs. Low Power Medical Lasers

There are two types of medical laser: high power and low power. High power lasers are used to cut through tissue. Low-level lasers, on the other hand, are used to stimulate tissue repair through a process of bio-stimulation.
Low-level laser therapy is the application of red and near infrared light over injuries or wounds to improve soft tissue healing and relieve both acute and chronic pain. Low-level therapy uses cold (subthermal) laser light energy to direct bio-stimulative light energy to the body's cells without injuring or damaging them in any way. The therapy is precise and accurate; and offers safe and effective treatment for a wide variety of conditions. The energy range of low level laser light lies between 1 and 2000 mW (milliwatts), while for surgical lasers the energy range lies between 3000 and 10000 mW.

How Does Low Level Laser Therapy Work?

Low-level lasers supply energy to the body in the form of non-thermal photons of light. Light is transmitted through the skin's layers (the dermis, epidermis and the subcutaneous tissue or tissue fat under the skin) at all wavelengths in the visible range. However, light waves in the near infrared ranges penetrate the deepest of all light waves in the visible spectrum.
When low level laser light waves penetrate deeply into the skin, they optimize the immune responses of our blood. This has both anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. It is a scientific fact that light transmitted to the blood in this way has positive effective throughout the whole body, supplying vital oxygen and energy to every cell

The Physiological Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy

1. Biostimulation
• Improved metabolism
• Increase of cell metabolism
2. Improved blood circulation and vasodilatation
3. Analgesic effect
4. Anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effects
5. Stimulation of wound healing

How Does Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) Benefit Users?

* Relieves acute and chronic pain
* Increases the speed, quality and tensile strength of tissue repair
* Increases blood supply
* Stimulates the immune system
* Stimulates nerve function
* Develops collagen and muscle tissue
* Helps generate new and healthy cells and tissue
* Promotes faster wound healing and clot formation
* Reduces inflammation

Is Low-Level Laser Therapy for You?

1. Do you suffer pain from an old or new sports injury or accident?
2. Do you suffer from repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome?
3. Do you suffer from lower back pain?
4. Do you suffer from migraine headaches?
5. Do you take pain medications more than three times a week?
6. Do you ever wake up in the night with pain?
7. Do you suffer from skin ulcers, bed or other pressure sores?
8. Do you suffer from acne or rosacea?
9. Do you have potential scarring from a recent surgery?
10. Do you suffer from herpes simplex (cold sores)?

Many acute and chronic conditions can be improved with laser use, including:

*Pain Relief
* Wound Healing
* Arthritis
* Migraine headaches
* Lower back pain
* Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI)
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
* Tendonitis
* Fibromyalgia
* Sprains and strains
* Post-operative pain
* Tennis Elbow
* Golfer's Elbow
* TMJ
* Soft tissue injuries
* Post-operative wounds
* Swelling
* Burns
* Pressure sores
* Herpes simplex
* Acne

Perhaps the most important fact that we have found as a pragmatic clinician is the fact the LLLT seems to work when and where our previous therapies have failed. In our experience, we have had very few patients who have not received benefit from LLLT and many have received truly outstanding help for conditions that had previously defied all other therapies.
Other conditions that LLLT has been found to be very effective for are the following: healing of open wounds; dermatitis; eczema; lack of granulation tissue formation (thus retarding wound healing); overcoming and softening scar tissue formation; fistulas; edema; cysts; bursitis; muscle inflammation, contusions, ruptures, atrophy and contractures; neuritis; neuralgia; nerve injuries; atrophy of nerves; paresis; paralysis; prolapsed disc disease; spondylitis; periostitis; spondylosis; bone fractures and fissures; arthritis, both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis; arthrosis; strains and sprains; dislocations (following reduction); tendonitis; epicondylitis; tendon strains and contusions; tendon ruptures and following tendon surgery; hematoma; tissue infiltration of blood after blood taking or injection.

Pharmacological Considerations

Pain relief, improved sleep, and improved mood are examples of goals that prescription medicines can help you reach. Generally speaking, patients with Fibromyalgia do not tolerate medicines well. There are often side effects such as nausea, drowsiness, or lightheadedness. One person may tolerate a particular medicine, but the next person will get sick on it. Prescribed medicines can provide great benefits to many however; they should not be used in lieu of natural forms of treatment and treating the “cause” of the problem. Categories of drugs used in the treatment of Fibromyalgia can include:

1) Analgesics

2) Anti-inflammatory medicines

3) Antidepressant medicines (tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

4) Muscle relaxants

5) Sleep modifiers

6) Anti-anxiety medicines

7) Other medicines used to treat chronic pain

1) Analgesics: Analgesics are pain killers and can include over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin and acetaminophen, or prescription-strength pain pills like narcotics (opiates), codeine, Vicodin, Darvocet, Oxycontin and Percocet. Ultram is a pain reliever that differs from narcotics in its action on the central nervous system.
These medications do not alter the Fibromyalgia, but they can help take the edge off of pain. Narcotic medications have potential for adverse side effects including drowsiness, difficulty with concentrating, and addiction, so they should be used carefully.
Many people with Fibromyalgia are sensitive to codeine medicines, which can cause nausea or an allergic reaction. Ultram can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to codeine, and a small number of people taking Ultram have seizures.

2) Anti-Inflammatory Medicines: Anti-inflammatory medicines include aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, Naprosyn, Lodine, Daypro, and Cox-II inhibitors, and corticosteroids such as prednisone or dexmethasone. These medications are both anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Some of these medicines, such as ibuprofen, are available both over the counter and by prescription.
Because Fibromyalgia is not a true inflammation, these drugs may be less effective in reducing pain. However, these drugs can be helpful in reducing pain that flares up with excessive physical activity, tendonitis, or bursitis, and should be used only as needed.
The major side effect of the anti-inflammatories is bleeding from gastrointestinal ulcers. This problem is more common the longer the medicine is taken. However, a new medication class is available, Cox-II inhibitors, which include Celebrex (Searle Pharmaceuticals), and Vioxx (Merck) are now under scrutiny with Vioxx currently pulled off the shelf. Post market studies now confirm that Vioxx raises the risk of serious cardiovascular events including heart attack and stroke. About 2 million people worldwide were on the drug at the time of its withdrawal. As with any medication, caution should be taken when using any Cox-II inhibitor.

3) Antidepressant Medicines: The antidepressant medicines include tricyclics (for example, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, doxepin, and trazodone), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor, Serzone, and Celexa). These medicines can treat pain and alter sleep and mood disturbances seen in Fibromyalgia. The tricyclic medicines are effective, but frequent side effects include dry mouth and drowsiness.

4) Muscle Relaxants: Muscle relaxants can decrease pain in people with Fibromyalgia. Medicines in this family include Flexeril, Soma, Skelaxin, and Robaxin. The most common side effect is drowsiness, although Soma and Skelaxin cause less of it.
Medicines in the antispasticity category have been used to treat muscle spasms. Two of these medicines, Zanaflex and Baclofen, have been shown to help reduce back muscle spasms and pain.

5) Sleep Modifiers: Various medicines including those already mentioned, are used to treat insomnia (analgesics, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants). True sleep modifiers include benzodiazepines like Restoril and the hypnotic non-benzodiazepines such as Ambien.
The most common reported concern about using sleep modifiers, especially benzodiazepams, is the habit-forming potential. Ambien is reported to be less habit-forming but can cause rebound insomnia when it’s stopped.

6) Anti-Anxiety Medicines: Anxiety is a common problem in Fibromyalgia and contributes to pain, muscle tension, and irritability. It can make depression and insomnia worse. Various medicines including antidepressants and muscle relaxants treat anxiety. Benzodiazepines such as Klonopin, Ativan, and Xanax, are commonly used medicines. These medicines also cause sedation and thus can improve sleep. Possible side effects include depression and decreased memory. Sometimes it is hard to determine whether symptoms are due to Fibromyalgia or are side effects of medication.

7) Other Medicines Used to Treat Chronic Pain: Other medicines can be used to treat pain. Some pain medicines were originally developed for a different purpose. For example, anti-seizure medicines known as neuroleptics (including Neurontin, Dilantin, Depakote, and Tegretol) were later found to be helpful in treating pain, particularly neuropathic pain. People with Fibromyalgia who have a lot of burning or electric shock feelings in their hands and feet may improve from a trial of neuroleptic medicines.
Other conditions associated with Fibromyalgia such as irritable bowel syndrome can cause severe cramping pain and may require separately prescribed medications. Medicines used to treat irritable bowel syndrome include Metamucil, Levsin, and Levbid.
Medications can play a very important part to any patients treatment protocol who is dealing with chronic pain and fatigue issues. However, the role of medications should not be used as a substitute to correct the cause of the problem if at all possible.

Referral and Co-Treatment

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic pain patients often have complex presentations, and may require management by more than one practitioner. The proper combination of therapeutic approaches may have a synergistic effect. The chiropractor may be in a unique position to facilitate or coordinate the referral and co-treatment process.
Following is a list of resources to consider, using clinical judgment and the patient's history:

1) Primary care provider, M.D.

2) Rheumatologist

3) Psychotherapist, counselor, or related professional

4) Naturopath

5) Acupuncturist

6) Physical Therapist

7) Personal trainer

8) Support group

Warning!

As with any advice or recommendations, seek professional help when evaluating or starting a new health care program. Refer to the individual supplement or herb for complete information. The statements regarding nutritional supplementation and herbs have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products listed in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is not to be considered medical advice or a substitute for current medical treatment. It is intended to help you make positive informed decisions about your health.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Ross has a phone consulting practice in which he consults with patients all over the nation. He can be reached directly at his clinic at 858-481-1131,and by my e-mail at info@drstevenross.com as well as through his website at www.drstevenross.com.

For more resources pertaining to this article visit : http://www.immunesupport.com/library/bulletinarticle.cfm?ID=6851

Veteran's Cost of Living Increase Passed

The U.S. Senate and the House passed one of the largest increases in the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for veterans in recent memory. The bill (S. 1234) now goes to the President for signature. Those veterans who are 100 percent disabled, their compensation will increase by approximately $1,100 for 2006, up from $27,588 to $28,716. The increase is based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index. Veterans will see the increase in their January 1, 2006, paychecks. According to VA officials, nearly 2.6 million veterans with service-connected disabilities will benefit. Surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths were service-connected and their children will benefit from the increase, as will surviving spouses who are so disabled that they need aid or are permanently housebound. The funding increase will also benefit surviving children who are between 18 and 22 and are seeking higher education in an approved educational program. How do you feel about this action? Let your public officials know how you feel!

House Passes $70 Billion for VA Funding

The house recently passed H.R. 2528, the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006, which appropriates $70 billon for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Funding for Veterans medical care has increased by 18% over the last two years. For the first time ever, this bill allocates $2.2 billion solely for mental healthcare and doubles funding for mental health research. The bill also includes recommendations that the VA initiate a new pilot program to provide a comprehensive restructuring of the complete revenue collections cycle and states that the VA provide quarterly progress reports to the Committees on Appropriations in both Houses of Congress. This will allow the VA to improve their revenue collections of billed amounts from third party insurance companies. How do you feel about this action? Let your public officials know how you feel!

Centers to Study Gulf War Ailments

Gulf War veterans returning from Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm display unusual levels of medical complaints that will be the subject of a research program at the Durham VA Medical Center. Three-year funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs is to start in January, 2006 with $180,000 to initiate animal studies into the possibility that prolonged exposure to chemicals such as pesticides and agents used to protect troops from chemical attacks might affect memory and learning. The research is also to explore possible drug therapies to reverse such problems. Meanwhile, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas would be designated a Gulf War illness research. The provision also requires VA to spend $75 million over the next five years on Gulf War illness research.

Putting Pain in Its Place: Coping Tips for Fibromyalgia and More

Bound by chronic suffering, students learn mind-body coping techniques

By Mark SauerUNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERSan Diego, CANovember 15, 2005

They lay on their backs, closed their eyes and concentrated on the simple act of breathing.
"Notice your breath as you inhale and exhale, how your belly moves, or how the air tickles your nose," Janet Wolf said, her voice taking on the soothing tone of a hypnotist.
The dozen people on floor mats, men and women from various walks of life, ranged in age from their 30s to retirement. They had one thing in common: chronic, debilitating and often unbearable pain caused by injury or disease.
They had been to specialists, had surgeries, and had tried all kinds of pain medications and relief techniques, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, yoga, tai chi, nutrition therapy, aqua therapy, massage and manipulation.
Some of it had worked, at least to a degree; some not at all.
Now they were trying to manage their pain with their minds.
Wolf, who has taught pain-management courses to more than 8,000 people in San Diego County over the past 12 years, was showing them how to shift focus to a safe and calming place far from their all-consuming pain.
"With pain, the volume goes up and down; a lot of neuroimaging studies have shown that," said Dr. Robert Bonakdar. "The question is, what can we do to continually turn the volume down? That's what this class is all about." Bonakdar, director of pain management at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, said the idea of Pain Management Essentials, which meets weekly for eight, two-hour sessions, is not to suggest that "the pain is all in your head."
"We get patients to link the mind-body aspects of their pain," said Bonakdar. "Does the pain control their lives? Do they see themselves only in terms of their pain? Or can they see themselves beyond the pain?"
This approach, which is increasingly offered at pain centers in San Diego and across the nation, is counter to how medicine is conventionally practiced in this country, Bonakdar said.
Integrative medicine blends the conventional with Eastern ideas, like guided imagery and relaxation exercises.
"Western medicine is disease or injury-oriented – you see a broken back, you do surgery and fix it," he said. "When things fall out of that paradigm, the doctor and patient often get frustrated."
An estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, and 80 percent of us can expect to experience "some type of back pain that will be somewhat disabling," Bonakdar said.
"Patients can't cope, they don't have the tools to deal with this pain. We're trying to expand the tool box and get doctors and patients to use all of them."
Sometimes psychological pain – impatience, frustration, anger, self-pity, being a burden to others – can be greater than physical pain, Wolf said. "And that won't show up on any X-ray."
Wolf offers touchstone phrases:
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."
"Be willing to do things differently – major changes in lifestyle can bring relief."
"You don't have to believe this will work, you just can't not believe."
Her challenge with a class that is at once highly motivated and constantly distracted is to turn such bromides into beliefs, to teach them to calm the screaming pain demon within, freeing themselves to resume life at an acceptable level.
It is the relationship between the psychological and the physical – the critical vortex of pain – that Wolf goes after.
The pain gate
Andrea Seavey's reason for being there sounded like a song lyric: She hasn't got time for the pain.
"When I got up in the morning, my feet felt like I was walking on broken glass," said Seavey, a 65-year-old registered nurse, who retired in 2001 after being disabled by a broken foot. She then discovered she has an underlying, degenerative nerve condition in her legs and feet.
Seavey couldn't get going. She would take pills for the pain and go back to bed, not getting up until most of the morning was gone. "I started the day late, couldn't get to sleep at night, and my mind was affected by all the drugs I was taking for the pain," she said. "I wanted the time back that I was wasting; I wanted my mind back, too. That's why I tried this class."
Wolf explained to her students about the "pain gate," a theory developed in 1965 that says pain signals pass through a portal in the central nervous system to the brain, and that we can exert control over whether the gate is closed or open.
Relaxation, positive thinking and exercise, Wolf said, are ways to close the pain gate. A key to control is understanding that negative emotional reactions (like anger and frustration) to stressful situations open the gate.
Seavey, who has cut back significantly on her pain medications, characterized Wolf's class as "life-changing."
"I've given up my reaction to the broken glass. I get up by 8 and just start walking on those feet and I don't think about them – I'm controlling my reaction to what I'm physically feeling," she said. "I don't take a pill now till maybe 2 p.m., when the real pain gets too bad.
"A big plus of this class was being in a room with other people experiencing the same thing I was, knowing they all could understand."
Patrick Attardo understands.
Disabled after suffering a back injury in 1997 while working as a nurse, Attardo continued to have severe lower-back pain and spasms after lumbar-disc surgery.
He tried all sorts of treatments and techniques – acupuncture, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, three years of deep-muscle massage. Some worked. So did a previous pain-management class and, for awhile, a pain-management support group.
"I went into (the Scripp's class) with a positive attitude, telling myself I had nothing to lose and everything to gain," said Attardo. "It was hard work – keeping journals, doing homework assignments. But it was worth it.
"We faced questions like: What is pain? How does it start? What does it do to you if you don't do anything to it? In addition to relaxation techniques, we learned there is no wand they pass over you and it's, 'OK, you're good to go.'
"I was a guy who went at 110 mph all the time," said Attardo, 51. "I've learned to re-gear myself, to go at a much slower pace but still keep moving. That's one of the hardest things to deal with, to re-gear and feel good about doing less than you used to do. That has taken me years to learn."
Invisible pain
Carol Sveilich said alternative medicine and psychological approaches to controlling chronic pain have become far more accepted in recent years, especially among traditional physicians.
"When I first started running a pain support group in the early '90s, most of the physicians I spoke with would roll their eyes – they thought it was flukey, dangerous," said Sveilich. "That mindset is rapidly changing."
For more than 15 years, Sveilich has dealt with chronic muscle and joint pain from fibromyalgia. She also has Crohn's disease, inflammation of the small intestine.
Her experience with the support group the former UCSD academic counselor ran for nine years evolved into a book, "Just Fine: Unmasking Concealed Chronic Illness and Pain" (Avid Reader Press).
"One of the things I show in the book is there isn't a magic bullet for everyone, and people who have lived with chronic pain for a long time often turn to alternative, or complementary, approaches," she said.
"I remember one gentleman who was suffering in his back and neck from an accident. He had tried all kinds of procedures, medications, surgeries; nothing worked and he was suicidal. What turned it around for him was an eight-week course at UCSD that gave him the tools – coping mechanisms, mild exercise – that he otherwise would never have gotten."
Sveilich said pain sufferers who appear healthy "face a double-edged sword."
"Some are glad they appear normal and don't have people feeling sorry, or questioning them; others wished it showed more because they weren't being taken seriously and were being scrutinized by family, friends or co-workers."
A big part of coping with chronic pain and controlling it, Sveilich discovered, is realizing your reaction to it is critical and that it typically goes in stages.
"I spoke with people at every level – the newly diagnosed who were still angry and bitter, then depressed, to those who had gone through that and made peace with what they had," she said.
"We all go through these stages. The ultimate question is what are we going to do about it?"
© Copyright 2005 Union-Tribune Publishing Co

Here is an important FMS/CFS Q&A report

Q & A with Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.: Treating the Pain and Fatigue of FM and CFS Comprehensively ImmuneSupport.com

11-09-2005 Dr. Teitelbaum is a board certified internist and director of the Annapolis Center for Effective CFS/Fibromyalgia Therapies. Having suffered with and overcome these illnesses in 1975, he spent the next 30 years creating, researching, and teaching about effective therapies. He sees patients in Kona, Hawaii and Annapolis, Maryland (410-266-6958). He is the senior author of the landmark study "Effective Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia -- a Placebo-controlled Study". He lectures internationally. He is also the author of the best-selling book” From Fatigued to Fantastic!”, “Three Steps to Happiness! Healing through Joy", and the recently released “Pain Free 1-2-3- A Proven Program to Get YOU Pain Free! “ His web site can be found at: www.Vitality101.com.

“Dr. Teitelbaum believes one not-so-obvious factor of painful conditions, like fibromyalgia, may be an energy crisis in the body's cells. That's where the sugar ribose comes in. Ribose is used by the cell's power-generators, mitochondria, to make energy molecules for the body. Ribose is actually one component of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The body creates some of this special type of sugar, however, some people are not able to create enough of their own ribose -- leading to less energy and more pain.” (source: Ivanhoe Newswire, reported by Vivian Richardson, online at www.ivanhoe.com)

ImmuneSupport.com: Dr. Teitelbaum, I read the preceding piece of intriguing information in a recent Ivanhoe Broadcast News interview, and I’m sure our readers would like to know more. Could you please explain in more detail why cells become vulnerable to an “energy crisis,” how ribose can help fibromyalgia (FM) patients, and how you incorporate it into an overall treatment program? Please include the highlights from your recent research study.

Dr. Teitelbaum: I do not view CFS and Fibromyalgia as the enemy. Rather, I see them as attempts on the body’s part to protect itself from further harm and damage in the face of any of a number of overwhelming stresses. Research has implicated mitochondrial and hypothalamic dysfunction as common denominators in these syndromes. Dysfunction of hormonal, sleep and autonomic control (all centered in the hypothalamus) and energy production centers can explain the large number of symptoms and why most patients have a similar set of complaints.

To make it easier to understand, we use the model of a circuit breaker in a house:
“If the energy demands on your body are more than it can meet, your body “blows a fuse”. The ensuing fatigue forces the person to use less energy, protecting them from harm. On the other hand, although a circuit breaker may protect the circuitry in the home, it does little good if you do not know how to turn it back on or that it even exists.”

This analogy actually reflects what occurs. Research in genetic mitochondrial diseases show not simply myopathic (muscle) changes, but also marked hypothalamic disruption. As energy stores are depleted, hypothalamic dysfunction occurs early on (because this is the most energy dependent area in your body), resulting in the disordered sleep, autonomic dysfunction, low body temperatures, and hormonal dysfunctions (despite normal blood tests) commonly seen in these syndromes.

In addition, inadequate energy stores in a muscle results in muscle shortening (think of rigor mortis) and pain which are further accentuated by the loss of deep sleep.
Therefore, restoring adequate energy production and eliminating the stresses that over-utilize energy (e.g.-infections, situational stresses, etc) restores function in the hypothalamic “circuit breaker” and also allows muscles to release-allowing pain to resolve. Our placebo controlled study showed that when this is done, 91% of patients improve, with an average 90% improvement in quality of life, and the majority of patients no longer qualified as having FMS by the end of three months.

An editorial in the Journal of the American Academy of Pain Management noted that “Teitelbaum’s study and years of clinical experience show that his protocol is an excellent and highly effective part of the standard of practice for treating Fibromyalgia and MPS” (see the full study text at They lay on their backs, closed their eyes and concentrated on the simple act of breathing.
"Notice your breath as you inhale and exhale, how your belly moves, or how the air tickles your nose," Janet Wolf said, her voice taking on the soothing tone of a hypnotist.
The dozen people on floor mats, men and women from various walks of life, ranged in age from their 30s to retirement. They had one thing in common: chronic, debilitating and often unbearable pain caused by injury or disease.
They had been to specialists, had surgeries, and had tried all kinds of pain medications and relief techniques, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, yoga, tai chi, nutrition therapy, aqua therapy, massage and manipulation.
Some of it had worked, at least to a degree; some not at all.
Now they were trying to manage their pain with their minds.
Wolf, who has taught pain-management courses to more than 8,000 people in San Diego County over the past 12 years, was showing them how to shift focus to a safe and calming place far from their all-consuming pain.
"With pain, the volume goes up and down; a lot of neuroimaging studies have shown that," said Dr. Robert Bonakdar. "The question is, what can we do to continually turn the volume down? That's what this class is all about." Bonakdar, director of pain management at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, said the idea of Pain Management Essentials, which meets weekly for eight, two-hour sessions, is not to suggest that "the pain is all in your head."
"We get patients to link the mind-body aspects of their pain," said Bonakdar. "Does the pain control their lives? Do they see themselves only in terms of their pain? Or can they see themselves beyond the pain?"
This approach, which is increasingly offered at pain centers in San Diego and across the nation, is counter to how medicine is conventionally practiced in this country, Bonakdar said.
Integrative medicine blends the conventional with Eastern ideas, like guided imagery and relaxation exercises.
"Western medicine is disease or injury-oriented – you see a broken back, you do surgery and fix it," he said. "When things fall out of that paradigm, the doctor and patient often get frustrated."
An estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, and 80 percent of us can expect to experience "some type of back pain that will be somewhat disabling," Bonakdar said.
"Patients can't cope, they don't have the tools to deal with this pain. We're trying to expand the tool box and get doctors and patients to use all of them."
Sometimes psychological pain – impatience, frustration, anger, self-pity, being a burden to others – can be greater than physical pain, Wolf said. "And that won't show up on any X-ray."
Wolf offers touchstone phrases:
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."
"Be willing to do things differently – major changes in lifestyle can bring relief."
"You don't have to believe this will work, you just can't not believe."
Her challenge with a class that is at once highly motivated and constantly distracted is to turn such bromides into beliefs, to teach them to calm the screaming pain demon within, freeing themselves to resume life at an acceptable level.
It is the relationship between the psychological and the physical – the critical vortex of pain – that Wolf goes after.
The pain gate
Andrea Seavey's reason for being there sounded like a song lyric: She hasn't got time for the pain.
"When I got up in the morning, my feet felt like I was walking on broken glass," said Seavey, a 65-year-old registered nurse, who retired in 2001 after being disabled by a broken foot. She then discovered she has an underlying, degenerative nerve condition in her legs and feet.
Seavey couldn't get going. She would take pills for the pain and go back to bed, not getting up until most of the morning was gone. "I started the day late, couldn't get to sleep at night, and my mind was affected by all the drugs I was taking for the pain," she said. "I wanted the time back that I was wasting; I wanted my mind back, too. That's why I tried this class."
Wolf explained to her students about the "pain gate," a theory developed in 1965 that says pain signals pass through a portal in the central nervous system to the brain, and that we can exert control over whether the gate is closed or open.
Relaxation, positive thinking and exercise, Wolf said, are ways to close the pain gate. A key to control is understanding that negative emotional reactions (like anger and frustration) to stressful situations open the gate.
Seavey, who has cut back significantly on her pain medications, characterized Wolf's class as "life-changing."
"I've given up my reaction to the broken glass. I get up by 8 and just start walking on those feet and I don't think about them – I'm controlling my reaction to what I'm physically feeling," she said. "I don't take a pill now till maybe 2 p.m., when the real pain gets too bad.
"A big plus of this class was being in a room with other people experiencing the same thing I was, knowing they all could understand."
Patrick Attardo understands.
Disabled after suffering a back injury in 1997 while working as a nurse, Attardo continued to have severe lower-back pain and spasms after lumbar-disc surgery.
He tried all sorts of treatments and techniques – acupuncture, biofeedback, electrical stimulation, three years of deep-muscle massage. Some worked. So did a previous pain-management class and, for awhile, a pain-management support group.
"I went into (the Scripp's class) with a positive attitude, telling myself I had nothing to lose and everything to gain," said Attardo. "It was hard work – keeping journals, doing homework assignments. But it was worth it.
"We faced questions like: What is pain? How does it start? What does it do to you if you don't do anything to it? In addition to relaxation techniques, we learned there is no wand they pass over you and it's, 'OK, you're good to go.'
"I was a guy who went at 110 mph all the time," said Attardo, 51. "I've learned to re-gear myself, to go at a much slower pace but still keep moving. That's one of the hardest things to deal with, to re-gear and feel good about doing less than you used to do. That has taken me years to learn."
Invisible pain
Carol Sveilich said alternative medicine and psychological approaches to controlling chronic pain have become far more accepted in recent years, especially among traditional physicians.
"When I first started running a pain support group in the early '90s, most of the physicians I spoke with would roll their eyes – they thought it was flukey, dangerous," said Sveilich. "That mindset is rapidly changing."
For more than 15 years, Sveilich has dealt with chronic muscle and joint pain from fibromyalgia. She also has Crohn's disease, inflammation of the small intestine.
Her experience with the support group the former UCSD academic counselor ran for nine years evolved into a book, "Just Fine: Unmasking Concealed Chronic Illness and Pain" (Avid Reader Press).
"One of the things I show in the book is there isn't a magic bullet for everyone, and people who have lived with chronic pain for a long time often turn to alternative, or complementary, approaches," she said.
"I remember one gentleman who was suffering in his back and neck from an accident. He had tried all kinds of procedures, medications, surgeries; nothing worked and he was suicidal. What turned it around for him was an eight-week course at UCSD that gave him the tools – coping mechanisms, mild exercise – that he otherwise would never have gotten."
Sveilich said pain sufferers who appear healthy "face a double-edged sword."
"Some are glad they appear normal and don't have people feeling sorry, or questioning them; others wished it showed more because they weren't being taken seriously and were being scrutinized by family, friends or co-workers."
A big part of coping with chronic pain and controlling it, Sveilich discovered, is realizing your reaction to it is critical and that it typically goes in stages.
"I spoke with people at every level – the newly diagnosed who were still angry and bitter, then depressed, to those who had gone through that and made peace with what they had," she said.
"We all go through these stages. The ultimate question is what are we going to do about it?"
© Copyright 2005 Union-Tribune Publishing CoCFS and FMS are now very treatable!

Your body can become susceptible to an energy crisis for many reasons. For example, a number of infections have been shown to directly inhibit energy production and your mitochondrial "energy furnaces." Others may have a genetic problem that results in your body going into “immune overdrive and exhaustion" in the face of certain infections.

Some people simply get overwhelmed by a massive amount of life stresses (often because we are "people pleasers"), are more sensitive to the increased chemical exposures seen in modern life, or have inadequate sleep after an injury or having a baby. There are literally thousands of ways to overdraw your body's energy resources and trigger CFS/fibromyalgia.

Using this model, you can treat the illness by avoiding excessive energy losses (e.g., infections, toxic jobs or relationships, etc.) or by increasing energy production. As discussed above, our research and clinical experience has shown that by treating "SHIN" (sleep, hormonal deficiencies despite normal blood tests, infections, and nutritional deficiencies), 91% of CFS/fibromyalgia patients improved with an average 90% improvement in quality of life. Nutritional support is an especially important and a powerful part of getting well. In addition to its role in making DNA and RNA, those of you familiar with biochemistry remember ribose as the key building block for making energy. In fact, the main energy molecules (like “energy dollars”) in your body (ATP, FADH, etc.) are made of ribose plus B vitamins/phosphate. That makes these energy molecules similar to the paper that money is printed on -- kind of like being able to print your own “energy currency.”

ImmuneSupport.com: You specialize in the comprehensive, whole-person treatment of the spectrum of symptoms and issues that FM and CFS patients face. How does your approach differ from the limited care many patients receive, and what advice can you give our readers about seeking out more comprehensive care?

Dr. Teitelbaum: These illnesses do not have a single cause, and trigger a cascade of problems that need to be treated. Our research has shown that when you treat all of the underlying problems simultaneously, people get well! The other difference is that the FDA will generally only approve individual treatments, and therefore research dollars are spent looking for a "magic bullet." When you use only a single treatment you may improve one system in your body, but you then stress other systems which often later crash. This is why patients often feel better for a while on single treatments, only to have them stop working. Our study showed that by using a comprehensive medicine approach, at the two-year follow-up patients were continuing to feel better and better, while having been able to come off of most of the treatments as their bodies healed.

ImmuneSupport.com: Your new book, Pain Free 1-2-3! (McGraw Hill), will be available this February. Could you give us a sneak peek at some of the main topics this book will cover that concerns FM and CFS patients?

Dr. Teitelbaum: The table of contents below (from the first edition now available at www.Vitality101.com) gives an idea of the scope of the book. Except for cancer pain, most of these issues are common in and relevant to CFS/FMS.

Table of Contents
Introduction—From Pain to Pain Free!

Section 1 General Principles of Pain Relief—Giving Your Body What It Needs to Heal and Eliminate Pain
Chapter 1 Getting Started—Why We Have Pain
Chapter 2 Optimizing Nutritional Support Easily
Chapter 3 Getting 8 hours of Sleep a Night—The Foundation of Pain Relief
Chapter 4 Treating Hormonal Deficiencies
Section 2 Eliminating the Underlying Causes/Triggers of Your Pain
Chapter 5 Infections
Chapter 6 Body Work, Structural Issues and Trauma, By Bren Jacobson
Section 3 Types of Pain
Chapter 7 The Biochemistry of Pain
Chapter 8 Neuropathic (Nerve) Pain and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) Chapter 9 Myofascial (Muscles/Ligament/Tendon) and Fibromyalgia Pain
Chapter 10 Arthritis Pain
Chapter 11 Inflammatory Pain
Chapter 12 Other Pains—Osteoporosis and Cancer Pain
Section 4 Evaluating and Treating Common Pains Based on Their Locations
Chapter 13 Headaches and Facial Pain
Chapter 14 Back Pain
Chapter 15 Indigestion, Ulcers, Acid Reflux, and Gastritis—Getting off Acid Blockers Naturally
Chapter 16 Spastic Colon
Chapter 17 Noncardiac Chest Pain
Chapter 18 Pelvic Pain Syndromes—Menstrual Cramps, Vulvadynia, Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis and Prostadynia
Chapter 19 Wrist, Hand, Shoulder, Leg, and Foot Pains
Section 5 A Review of Effective Therapies
Chapter 20 Natural Remedies
Chapter 21 Structural Therapies—Chiropractic and Osteopathic Medicine
Chapter 22 Prescription Therapies—We’re Way Past Aspirin!
Chapter 23 Prolotherapy
Chapter 24 Traditional Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture for Coordinated Wellness-Care
Chapter 25 Sexual Dysfunction, Depression, and Mind-Body Aspects of Pain
Chapter 26 Eliminating Weight Gain
Appendix A: Summary (like “Cliff Notes”) and Flowcharts for Quickly Evaluating Your Pain and Determining How to Treat It
Appendix B: Treatment Protocol
Appendix C: Resources
Appendix D: Study Abstract—Effective Treatment of Fibromyalgia and CFS; Editorial published in Journal of the American Academy of Pain Management
Appendix E: Why Physicians Do Not Focus on Pain Medicine
Appendix F: Myers’ Cocktails
Appendix G: Footnotes/references

ImmuneSupport.com: After pain, fatigue is a primary problem for FM and of course CFS patients. Do you have any new strategies for defeating the debilitating fatigue that CFS and FM patients struggle with?
Dr. Teitelbaum: In our recent study, ribose was shown to help in treating fatigue with the average CFS/FMS patient, with up to a 45% improvement in energy.
The entire “SHIN Protocol” helps with increasing energy - often dramatically as well. Prescription medications that can help directly are Provigil, which I find modestly helpful. But please note, we have no idea what the long term risks of this medication are. Much more effective, and I feel safer, is the use of Dexedrine.
Although in the Amphetamine family (like Ritalin), it can be very helpful in CFS as it can normalize low Dopamine levels, treat the NMH, decrease the average 32 pound weight gain seen in this disease(which can then also decrease both pain and sleep apnea), and help energy directly. As long as the rest of the body is supported with the “SHIN Protocol” we have found it to be very safe and effective, despite theoretical concerns that have been raised, and we know its long term effects.
ImmuneSupport.com: Of the new prescription drugs available, do you like any of them for helping with FMS and CFS issues? A new study of Milnacipran was completed recently, and I just read that Ampligen could soon be available due to a new manufacturing agreement.

Dr. Teitelbaum: My two new favorites are Lyrica (Pregabalin) for pain and Xyrem (GHB) for sleep and pain. I have concerns with Ampligen, as it is a new category of medication (like Provigil) so we have no idea what the long term risks might be. In addition, if it continues to cost about $30,000+ per course of treatment, you can expect your insurance company to make your life miserable trying to get it. The SHIN protocol is much safer with no dangerous side effects in over 3000 patients, much more effective, much less expensive, and gives the body what it needs to restore health and balance-using largely natural therapies. I’ve only needed to recommend Ampligen in three of the over 3,000 CFS/FMS patients I’ve treated.

ImmuneSupport.com: Of the newer alternative therapies available, do you like any of them for helping with FM and CFS issues? Lately I’ve been reading about neurocognitive feedback, acupuncture, and even hypnosis (to help with IBS).
Dr. Teitelbaum: As we’ve noted for many years, the IBS (and chronic sinusitis) routinely goes away when you treat the yeast/Candida issues. For IBS, make sure parasites and other bowel infections are also treated. Prolotherapy and acupuncture can help many types of pain, but are usually not powerful enough by themselves in treating FMS. A neurofeedback treatment called Flexyx (see www.flexyx.com ) can be more helpful for FMS pain. For those of you with severe sensitivities/allergies, treating food and other sensitivities using a special acupressure technique called NAET can be helpful in treating CFS/FMS.
ImmuneSupport.com: Is there something simple that our readers can try right now to help with their pain and fatigue, without going to much trouble or expense?
Dr. Teitelbaum: I strongly recommend that you add a few key things as you start applying “SHIN”:

B-Hormones- Get a trial of Armour Thyroid from your doctor-even if your blood tests are normal.
C-Infections-Presume that Yeast/Candida overgrowth is present and treat it with Acidophilus plus Diflucan 200 mg /day for 6 weeks. D-Nutritional support- Use a vitamin powder. Increase salt and water intake and eliminate sweets (stevia is OK).
ImmuneSupport.com: Are you involved in any exciting new CFS or FM research?
Dr. Teitelbaum: The next study we hope to do will be a “Gold standard” placebo controlled study on Ribose/Corvalen in CFS/FMS to follow up our initial pilot study. If you would like to be part of the study (it’s easy – we’ll mail it to you), e-mail us at office@endfatigue.com so we can let you know when it’s starting. After that, we’re planning a study on highly effective natural treatments for infertility (also common in CFS) followed perhaps on a study exploring the effectiveness of detoxification.
ImmuneSupport.com: Thank you for your time! Any parting advice or comments for our readers? It is so easy to lose hope from time to time, and feel discouraged and frustrated when you are struggling with these debilitating illnesses.
Dr. Teitelbaum: I had CFS and Fibromyalgia and have treated thousands of people successfully. Don’t spend 20 years trying to train your doctor! My web site has a list of practitioners who know how to help you NOW, or you can even come to our clinic (410-266-6958). Despite the confusion and politics surrounding CFE/FMS, these are very treatable illnesses.
Best wishes,Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.

Kent Holtorf, M.D.: A New Standard For the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia ImmuneSupport.com11-09-2005

By Kent Holtorf, M.D.

Dr. Holtorf received his Doctorate of Medicine from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 1991. While in medical school, Dr. Holtorf's symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome emerged and he spent the early part of his medical career searching for the causes and the cure for this little know condition. In 1994, Dr. Holtorf used this knowledge to begin a family practice specializing in natural hormone replacement and optimization, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Hypothyroidism.

Board Certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine and certified in oxidative medicine, Dr. Holtorf established the Hormone and Longevity Medical Center, Inc. in Los Angeles in 2001 to continue his specialized care of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. Last year, Dr. Holtorf joined with one of his Fibromyalgia patients, Bob Baurys, to become the Chief Medical Officer of the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. By training FFC physicians and staff, Dr. Holtorf and his proven medical protocols now give hope and help to the millions of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients nationwide.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia are complex diseases that involve multi-system disturbances and abnormalities. Because of this complexity, these conditions have been poorly treated by the current medical system in this country.

These conditions do not lend themselves to be successfully treated with the eight to fifteen minute visits that address only a portion of the wide spectrum of underlying dysfunctions. Through a more detailed evaluation, all identifiable etiologies contributing to the symptomology may be appropriately addressed, and when multifaceted treatment is instituted that addresses the entire spectrum of these diseases, truly remarkable success and total cures can be obtained.

In general, successful treatment can be viewed in components. Treatment needs to be individualized, components may occur in different order and multiple components are often addressed simultaneously, but these can be broken down as follows.

Component One: Stabilize the Patient
This is a component in which pain and sleep disturbances are addressed. This may include the use of, sleep medications, pain medications and antidepressants. This is in general a temporary "stop gap" phase because as the treatment progresses and the underlying problems are addressed, the medications that "mask the symptoms" are no longer needed. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of patients are never brought past this stage by their doctors. This is because this component is the limit of training for most doctors, but it really should only be the first step.

Component Two: Mitochondrial Enhancement
This component is actually integrated throughout the treatment program and tapered as the patient returns to normal functioning. The mitochondria are the energy producers of the cells and are critical for normal functioning. But they are shown to be poisoned in these conditions, leaving the cells starving for energy.

Many things can poison the mitochondria including hormonal deficiencies, toxins and infections. Mitochondria dysfunction may be the common denominator and underlying mechanism that explains the symptoms of CFIDS/FM. In addition to the treatments above to rid the body of the offending agents, specific nutrients can be given to jump start the mitochondria and get the body functioning again. These can also be administered orally or via an intravenous route.

Component Three: Balance the Hormones
There are a number of hormonal deficiencies with these conditions that must be addressed to assure successful treatment. Unfortunately, these hormonal deficiencies are often missed or poorly treated because doctors have come to rely on standard blood tests that require an intact pituitary and hypothalamus for diagnosis and dosing of hormone levels.

There is, however, severe hypothalamic and pituitary dysfunction with these conditions, making the standard blood tests inadequate. Some typical hormones functions, not just levels, that need to be evaluated include thyroid function, growth hormone, testosterone, aldosterone, cortisol, DHEA, pregnenolone, estradiol, progesterone, among others. When they are properly treated and balanced, tremendous results can be achieved.

Component Four: Treat the Infectious Components
There are multiple infections that either may be the cause of CFIDS/FM or contribute to the dysfunction. Because of the immune dysfunctions, there is often more than one infection that must be addressed. Potential pathogens include a variety of viruses such as Epstein Barr (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV6), Enteroviruses, such as Coxsackie, Echo, and Stealth virus.

Bacterial infections include intracellular organisms such as Mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumonia, Borrelia Burgdorferi (Lyme Disease) and Ehrlichia. A number of yeasts such as Candida and parasites must also be evaluated. Infections with many of the above organisms will also further suppress the immunity, often resulting in further infections with other organisms.

Thus, many organisms must be evaluated and treated along with an assessment and treatment of the immune system. If a poor immune system is not addressed, successful eradication of the organisms is not likely, even with the most potent treatments. Treatment may be administered with oral medications or via an intravenous route. A combination of IV and oral medication in conjunction with immune modulation is extremely powerful.

Component Five: Address Unique Etiologies
There are a number of problems that must be addressed in select patients. For instance, some individuals have a coagulation defect that is set off by a chronic infection. This results in the laying down of a fibrin coating on the lumen of the vessel causing impaired oxygen and nutrient transfer. This can result in fatigue, muscle aches and "brain fog". If suspected, diagnosis requires specialized testing. If not treated, not only are the cells starved for oxygen and nutrients, but it is very difficult to eradicate any infection because they will "hide" in the fibrin coating.

Also, if the organism is one that produces neurotoxins, this must also be addressed. These substances can remain in the body and continue to cause symptoms long after the organism that produced them are gone. Special testing and protocols must be done to rid the body of these tiny toxins.

Component Six: Maintenance
Here is where the patient is weaned to just a few core medications and supplements to remain symptom free and maintain their health. Significant recovery or complete resolution of symptoms is the rule rather than the exception when a multifaceted treatment plan is instituted.
(c) 2005 Kent Holtorf, M.D. Reprinted with permission.

An apology for...

I apologize, that I haven't put alot of time lately into the blog, but as anyone who has read this blog already knows I suffer greatly on a daily basis from my illnesses.

I have been sick and in bed quite a bit and just really not up to the task of posting every day. I will try to keep posting a little more often but can't guarantee anything.
Here is something that I will probably post each year at this time, because for one it is important to recognize the sacrifices made by all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines on a daily basis around the world. But also because I myself am a veteran that gave all I could for my country and I am very proud to be a veteran of the armed forces of The United States of America.

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A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Americans owe a great debt of gratitude to those who have sacrificed for our liberty and for the security of our Nation. We express deep appreciation to our veterans -- the men and women who stepped forward when America needed them, triumphed over brutal enemies, liberated continents, and answered the prayers of millions around the globe. From the beaches of Normandy and the snows of Korea to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our courageous veterans have sacrificed so that Americans and others could live in freedom. As we mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II this year, we remember the millions of veterans who crossed oceans and defeated two of the most ruthless military forces the world has ever known. The freedom that the children and grandchildren of these veterans now enjoy is a monument to their fallen comrades and the generations of patriots who have served our country. Through their commitment to freedom, America 's veterans have lifted millions of lives and made our country and the world more secure. They have demonstrated to us that freedom is the mightiest force on Earth. We resolve that their sacrifices will always be remembered by a grateful Nation. With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor veterans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2005, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 6 through November 12, 2005, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I urge all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to encourage and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

5 Tips for Feeling Better

Excerpt from “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fibromyalgia” by Lynne Matallana. From chapter 20, “Twenty-Five Quick and Easy Tips for Feeling Better”

By Lynne Matallana


When we deal with a big problem, we often feel that it will take a big solution to help resolve the problem. Luckily, this is not always the case. Many difficult symptoms of fibromyalgia can be dealt with via small lifestyle changes or easy, unsophisticated treatments. It is always exciting to find a simple remedy that has a big effect on your health. Although some simple remedies have no steadfast scientific explanation as to why they work, we accept them because they do work. How many of us have suffered with a common cold, only to feel better after eating a bowl of grandma’s homemade chicken soup?
You should rest assured that like grandma’s soup, there are some easy tips you can practice to help improve fibromyalgia symptoms. Don’t underestimate the impact that an easy tip might have on your quality of life!
Problems with Cognition and Memory
Tip: Slow down the pace of your life.
Explanation: Among the more common fibromyalgia symptoms are cognition and memory problems, affectionately referred to as fibro fog. Many memory problems result from doing too many things at one time or continuing to function even when you are overly fatigued. Slowing down and paying attention to the amount of thoughts and activities you are processing through your brain at one time can help reduce the symptoms of foggy memory. After you have reduced the amount of information you are processing, practice the following: Repeat things to yourself, write things down, and eliminate things in your environment (noise, interruptions, excessive light, bad smells, and so on) that distract or over-stimulate you. If you have to do something that requires a lot of concentration, try doing it at a time when you feel less fatigued.
Sore, Stiff Muscles
Tip: Soak in an herbal bath and lightly massage your muscles with an herb-filled washcloth.
Explanation: A warm or hot-water bath, filled with a mixture of soothing herbs, can calm sore muscles and relax your mind. Deep, moist heat can even calm your internal organs.
Take a small handful of each: valerian, lavender, linden, chamomile, hops, and burdock root; simmer the herbs for 15 minutes in two gallons of water. Strain the herbs from the infused water and place them in a soft cotton washcloth. Pour the infused water into your bath, adding enough warm water to fill the tub three-quarters of the way full. Soak in the herbal water for 20 to 30 minutes. (If you have dry skin, reduce the amount of time you spend in the water.) Use the herb-filled cloth to lightly massage areas of your skin or muscles that are particularly painful or tense.
Feelings of Stress, Loneliness, and Fear
Tip: Adopt a pet.
Explanation: Research shoes that pets have a therapeutic effect on their owners. They can actually reduce a person’s blood pressure, muscle tension, and other physical stress responses. They also have a positive effect on their owner’s mood. Animals are excellent companions who give unconditional love and don’t talk back. They bring out our nurturing spirit and help us feel more secure and safe. Studies have shown the pet owners live longer, healthier lives. So what kind of pet is best? Pick a pet that fits your interests, temperament, lifestyle, and environment. Anything from a tropical fish, dog, bunny rabbit, or even a horse will have that affect; a pet has the ability to divert your attention away from your pain and beyond yourself.
Excessive Pain While Trying to Do Household Chores
Tip: Pay attention to your back. Household chores can put extra strain on your spine and the muscles in your back.
Explanation: Fibromyalgia pain can be exacerbated by simply doing the normal daily activities of caring for your home. To protect yourself from hurting your back or causing additional body strain, remember to practice the following:
--When you attempt to pick up a heavy object, always bend from the knees, not the waist. As you lift, hold the item as close to your body as possible. Turn by stepping in the direction you want to go. This will protect you from twisting your body and straining your spine. Think about what you are doing to prevent quick, painful movements.
--While talking on the phone, do not cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder. Always hold the phone with your hand, or better yet, use the speaker phone or headset.
Relax your back by taking rest breaks when doing household chores. If you sit on a couch, do not prop yourself up by using the couch’s arm. This can cause your back to be put in an unnatural position and result in lack of circulation to your arms, shoulders, and back. Use smaller pillows at the small of your back or under your arms to provide you with support and good posture.
--When doing a chore that requires you to stand in one place for an extended period of time, use a footstool to prop up one foot. This takes the strain off your back and keeps you from locking your knees under you.
--Store pots, pans, and bowls in cabinets that are at waist level. This eliminates the need to bend and life these heavy objects.
--Eliminate reaching and bending by using long-handles dusters, mops, and cleaning brushes. Use a “grabber-device” to help pick up lightweight items or things out of your easy reach.
--Share the chores with your family. This allows you to perform the tasks that are less stressful on your back and body.
--When doing laundry, don’t overload a laundry basket and carry it through your house or down your stairs. Instead, place a few clothes in a dirty towel or sheet. Make the bundle light enough to carry or drag the bundle behind you. There is no need to carry laundry down a staircase when you can drop it over a railing.
Sore Feet, Bruises, and Stomach Upset
Tip: Using earthy solutions can relieve pain, fatigue, and a variety of other symptoms.
Explanation: Earthy solutions include plants, herbs, and natural food products that can bring relief to health problems. Remember, however, that just because something is derived from a plant or is called natural does not mean that it is always safe. Use common sense and always tell your health care professional what you are taking.
Examples of earthy solutions include the following:
--Sore feet. Soak sore feet in peppermint and chamomile tea.
--Bruises. Rub in Arnica oil or cream. Arnica montana is a daisy-like mountain flower that seems to relieve bruising and swollen joints and muscles.
--Intestinal upset. Acidophilus changes that intestinal flora and reduces the chance of getting diarrhea, stomachaches, gas, and bloating.
--Fungus. Tea tree oil is helpful in eliminating fungal infections including athlete’s foot.
--Stomach upset. Chamomile tea (made from the chamomile flower) can help relieve nausea and menstrual cramps, and promote sleep.
--Cut or insect bite. Lemon oil can act as an antibacterial antiseptic for minor cuts and insect bites. Lemon juice is a digestive stimulant that helps with digestion and constipation.
--Anxiety. Lavender tea possesses the ability to calm the nervous system and relax your mood. Even the smell of lavender can have a calming effect.
Editor’s note: The preceding five tips are excerpted from “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fibromyalgia” by Lynne Matallana, reprinted with permission, and copyright © 2005 Lynne Matallana. There are 25 terrific tips in the chapter from which these 5 tips are taken. To buy the book, please click on the following link: http://www.immunesupport.com/shop/Books.cfm