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May 23 - May 25, 2020
cause food sensitivities can also help reduce IBS...
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The longer food sits in your GI tract, the more toxic waste products are produced that can cross through a leaky gut. Avoiding constipation may require laxatives like magnesium or polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX), along with increased fiber and water. Everyone taking opiates for pain needs a daily laxative—possibly a strong one like senna or bisacodyl—as these medications are
Do Yourself • Take digestive enzymes with meals. • Minimize use of NSAIDs. • Start one to two months of intensive gut repair with L-glutamine and probiotics. • Avoid constipation. • Read about SIBO diagnosis and treatment at www.siboinfo.com. • If you want to learn more about IBS, read A New IBS Solution: Bacteria—the Missing Link in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome
you have GERD, ask your HCP before starting any digestive enzymes that contain hydrochloric acid.
Two European studies found that after twenty sessions of myofascial release, which focuses on gently stretching the fascia that surrounds every muscle, fibromyalgia subjects reported significant pain reduction. What is really great, though, is that they also showed long-lasting pain relief, with reduced levels after one month and six months after their last session (Castro-Sánchez 2011, Sep 2011). I led a pilot study that confirmed these results and found that myofascial release therapy (MFR) relieved pain much better than standard Swedish massage (Liptan 2013).
MFR is by the far the most effective treatment I have found to unstick the fascia and reduce fibromyalgia pain.
herself! A similar therapy is osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a combination of gentle stretching and pressure on the muscles and joints. Since OMT is performed by osteopathic physicians (DOs instead of MDs), it is often covered by insurance.
learn more about the John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release Approach or find a therapist in your area, visit www.myofas
To learn more about Rolfing, or to find a therapist in your area, visit www.
find an osteopathic physician (DO) who performs OMT, go to www.osteopathic.org.
Learn how to do self–myofascial release with Myofascial Stretching: A Guide to Self-Treatment by Jill Stedronsky and Brenda Pardy.
Visit www.craniocradle.com for helpful instructional videos on self–myofascial stretching techniques.
learn more about treating your own trigger points, check out Healing Through Trigger Point Therapy: A Guide to Fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction by Devin J. Starlanyl and John Sharkey, and The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief by Clair Davies
To learn about microcurrent therapy and find a practitioner, visit www.frequencyspecific.com.
for a prescription or order for myofascial release therapy. It is most often done by massage and physical therapists. If you have a prescription, insurance may cover it. • Ask for help identifying any trigger points, and if you have some, request trigger point injections. If your HCP does not perform them, request referral to a provider who does, usually pain specialists, physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation
from food, it must transform that fuel into energy for your cells. In fibromyalgia, energy production is inefficient and out of balance, which is especially deleterious to those tissues that require the most energy—the muscles and brain (McClave 2001). Together, they use almost half of all the body’s energy. Not surprisingly, then, the symptoms of
Carnitine is an amino acid that acts like a key to open the door to transport fatty acids into the mitochondria so they can be oxidized (“burned”) to produce energy. The most readily absorbed form is acetyl-L-carnitine. Carnitine in the diet comes from meat, so it is especially important for vegetarians to add this supplement. Ten weeks of acetyl-L-carnitine reduced overall fibromyalgia symptoms more than a placebo pill (Rossini 2007). Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that increases the ability to convert fuel to energy in mitochondria, and studies on lab rats show that in
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you take any statin medications it is essential to supplement with CoQ10 to limit that side effect. The usual recommended dose is 100–300 mg daily, but you should double this if you are on a statin. Note that it may decrease the effectiveness of blood-thinning medications such as warfarin (Coumadin) or clopidogrel (Plavix), so they should be taken together only under the careful supervision of your health care provider.
Mitochondria also need B vitamins and magnesium.
carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, and CoQ10 in a product called RevitalAge Nerve, by Pure Encapsulations. It’s as close as I have found to an all-in-one supplement for mitochondrial support in fibromyalgia, but if you are on a statin you will still need extra
Keep in mind that you may not need to take these supplements forever. Often three to six months gives your system a reboot, and as long as you eat well and exercise
the-counter vitamin D? I find the over-the-counter form (cholecalciferol, or D3) to be more effective—
since it is so important in muscle and mitochondrial function. I usually recommend between 1,000 and 5,000 IU daily, depending on blood levels (see text box below). The in-range level is 60–80 ng/ml, and anything higher than 150 ng/ml may have negative side effects. Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it is
Many people with fibromyalgia do well with a Paleo-type diet,
buy organic! Apples Sweet bell peppers Strawberries Nectarines Grapes Cucumbers Celery Cherry tomatoes Peaches Snap peas Spinach Potatoes Source:
eat breakfast every day! It
MediClear by Thorne Research, a rice-and-pea-protein-based dietary supplement.
Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins Oatmeal with peanut butter
Eat breakfast. • Increase protein and healthy fats. • Don’t skip meals. • Supplement your mitochondria with CoQ10, alpha-lipoic acid, and acetyl-L-carnitine.
Check vitamin D levels.
Hidden infections, such as chronic sinusitis or dental infections, can be potent triggers,
Several studies have found levels of inflammatory cytokines in fibromyalgia patients that were as high as those in the blood of someone with the flu (Bazzichi 2007; Wang
In addition, white blood cells from fibromyalgia patients don’t respond normally when exposed to certain irritating substances in a lab. The cause of this is currently unknown, but it is most likely due to effects of the stress response interfering with immune function.
We’ll figure out your specific needs by starting with the most common triggers: gluten, dairy, and sugar.
Testing and treatment for food sensitivities is generally done by alternative providers like acupuncturists, naturopaths, and chiropractors. Complicating matters further, there is no perfect diagnostic tool. The immune response is so complex and intricate that it makes
recommend the ELISA/ACT (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/Advanced Cell Test) as the most reliable and useful. I personally noticed a significant reduction in flulike achiness after eliminating foods that it identified.
avoiding the trifecta of the most common problem foods: gluten, dairy, and sugar. Linda, whom
MSG and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are very common catalysts for immune responses (not to mention being toxic to the brain) and are known to flare up fibromyalgia pain, so I recommend that everyone with fibromyalgia avoid them completely (Smith 2001).
Krill oil, which comes from small shrimplike creatures, has similar benefits. At 300 mg per day it can reduce arthritis pain and inflammation (Deutsch
Another anti-inflammatory supplement is turmeric,
Meriva is a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine made by Thorne Research that I have found very effective. Usual dosage is 1,500–2,000 mg daily, divided, taken with meals to avoid nausea. Start low and slowly
Although fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease, some patients do have mild autoimmune-type inflammation, which can be seen in a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. High ANA levels are seen in lupus, but if the results show only a slightly elevated antibody load, it is usually considered “normal” and disregarded.
course, most people with chronic sinusitis get treated with antibiotics, which just makes things worse. Yeast overgrowth can be detected by checking blood levels of antibodies to Candida albicans.
To treat chronic sinusitis, in addition to these steps I recommend daily nasal irrigation with saline water to help rinse debris from your nasal cavity.
Do an eight-week trial diet that avoids the trifecta of the most common inflammatory foods: gluten, dairy, and sugar. The Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.org) has good information about eating gluten-free. More recipes and resources for a non-grain, non-dairy Paleo-type diet can be found at www.paleoleap.com, www.nomnompaleo.com, and www.thepaleodiet.com. • Supplement with fish oil and turmeric (curcumin) to reduce inflammation. • Read about yeast overgrowth in The Yeast Connection Handbook by Dr. William Crook. • Take probiotics to balance out yeast and add more healthy bacteria. Good
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you take NSAIDs regularly, ask about changing to celexocib to reduce the risk of gut leakiness.
Cortisol also controls how much glucose gets into the cells to be burned for energy, so if levels are too high or too low, the cells won’t get enough energy, which also causes fatigue.
The result is adrenal burnout, a decrease in the glands’ ability to carry out their normal functions.
most doctors have never heard of or don’t believe in the concept of subtle adrenal dysfunction like that seen in fibromyalgia.
