Fibromyalgia in Port St. Lucie FL

Are you suffering from Fibromyalgia in Port St. Lucie FL? Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that affects 1 in 50 people in the U.S. The exact cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown, but researchers believe that the way the brain processes pain is altered. This will cause the pain to intensify and spread throughout the body. Each sufferer experiences a variety of symptoms including extreme fatigue, muscle aches, depression, thyroid imbalances, gastrointestinal disorders, food allergies, and sleep disturbances. It is very important for those with fibromyalgia to know their triggers and avoid them.

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Understanding Fibromyalgia in Port St. Lucie FL

Despite high rates of occurrence, the cause of fibromyalgia remains poorly understood. Proposed causes have included; hereditary factors, stress, hormonal imbalances, illness, trauma, and a seemingly endless list of other possibilities. Largely due to the vast number of potential causes, western medical practitioners have struggled with treating this clinical syndrome, relying heavily on medications to treat pain and fatigue symptoms. As a result, many patients have turned to alternative medical treatments, including chiropractic, for relief. Expedition Chiropractic in Port St. Lucie FL has offered patients relief of fibromyalgia and this article is intended to teach you about the condition and your various treatment options.

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Is Chiropractic a Treatment for Fibromyalgia?

Specific chiropractic adjustments help to realign the body and restore nervous system function. Because those with fibromyalgia have a faulty central nervous system, keeping the spine aligned is key.

Chiropractic care has been proven to relieve symptoms after just one visit in fibromyalgia patients. Chiropractic adjustments help pain and mobility issues without any medication or surgery.

As mentioned earlier, muscle tightness and spasms are one of the main clinical features of fibromyalgia. Since muscles have a large role in holding the spine in its proper position, it is easy to imagine the effects this condition can have on the back. As the muscles become tight and over work, they pull on the spine. Since the spine can only adapt so much, it eventually starts to lose its normal motion and functionality. One of the major roles of the spine is maintaining proper function of the nervous system, and it just so happens that one of the major functions of the nervous system is controlling the function of the muscles. You can begin to see the disastrous cycle that begins to develop with fibromyalgia. Once this cycle is out of control, patients begin to suffer many of the aforementioned symptoms.

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Symptoms Associated with Fibromyalgia

While long lasting pain that seems to affect every portion of your body is the main symptom of fibromyalgia, our patients at Expedition Chiropractic have reported experiencing some of the following symptoms:

1. Muscle spasms
2. Feeling tired all the time
3. Difficulty sleeping
4. Headaches
5. Achy sensation that is usually worse in the morning
6. Digestive problems
7. Problems tolerating minor changes in heat and cold
8. Anxiety or depression
9. Difficulty remembering day-to-day tasks
10. Frequent feelings of having to go to the bathroom

Fibromyalgia isn’t the only condition that has been found to cause the symptoms listed above. This condition is often grouped with two other conditions that produce similar symptoms, but have much different causes; lupus and chronic fatigue syndrome. These conditions can be thought of the rungs on a ladder, the higher you go the more severe they get. On this ladder, fibromyalgia would be the bottom rung, chronic fatigue syndrome would be the middle, and lupus would be at the top. With all of these conditions being more common in females and producing symptoms that mimic each other, it can be hard to differentiate them. However, lupus is believed to be caused by an autoimmune disorder and fibromyalgia seems to be related to stress and disturbances with a person’s metabolism.

The relationship between fibromyalgia, stress, and metabolism can be confusing. Basically, a person who is under chronic stress creates conditions that result in less blood flowing to certain areas in the brain. Typically, the lack of blood flow effects an area of the brain called the pituitary gland, which is extremely important in secreting a specific set of hormones that regulate metabolism and stress responses. When these hormones are not secreted properly, the many symptoms associated with fibromyalgia begin to appear.

Since the majority of people tend to experience pain throughout the muscles in their bodies, it is important to discuss the changes that occur there. The key factor that is thought to be responsible for the muscle discomfort experienced with fibromyalgia is ground substance. Ground substance is exactly what it sounds like, a material that is found in almost all of the structures in the body and is responsible for the tissues strength, healing, and regeneration. When one of these tissues is typically damaged, this substance is converted into whatever is required to stimulate the healing process. Due to a lack of healing and conversion, this substance builds up in its tissue causing the trigger points, muscle tightness, and pain associated with fibromyalgia.

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If you are suffering with fibromyalgia and want more information on how Expedition Chiropractic can help you call our office at (772) 245-7069.