Christine was only 36 but she felt like she was at least 60. “I wasn’t sleeping, I couldn’t exercise without increasing my symptoms and I didn’t have enough energy to take care of my two children.” In short, life was miserable for Christine. She had suffered increasing pain, fatigue and insomnia for five years. Her doctors had given up and she just couldn’t take the pain anymore. Christine, and thousands like her, suffer from fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a condition that causes a cluster of symptoms that result in multiple vicious cycles that ultimately lead to a confusing constellation of problems. Mostly affecting females, it debilitates the patient physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
How many of these symptoms do you have?
- Chronic muscle pain, spasms, tightness or headaches
- Decreased energy
- Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
- Chronic stiffness
- Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks (“fibro fog”)
- Reduced tolerance for exercise
- Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea
- Sensitivity to: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
- Feeling anxious or depressed
- Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
Many women are surprised at how many of these symptoms they check off the list. After all, they have been trying to “cope” with widespread chronic pain for years, and have eventually tried to repress their pain and suffering for the sake of trying to appear “normal.” They have tried getting help from their own doctor, an assortment of specialists and even some alternative approaches without success. The patient’s dream, the perfect drug or supplement or hormone that will take it all away, doesn’t exist.
Many doctors don’t know much about fibromyalgia, so a typical office visit (if you’re lucky) consists of some reassurance, a brochure and prescriptions that cover up the pain or other symptoms without a real attempt at finding the cause of the problem and fixing it. Even though Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is accepted as “real” condition by the Society of Rheumatology, many doctors find it hard to believe that a person could be suffering from all those complaints—especially when “all the lab tests are normal.”
Extensive research done in the last decade shows clear relationships of Fibro/CFS to brain dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, gastrointestinal problems, inflammation, immune system abnormalities, and endocrine disorders (thyroid, adrenal gland, etc.). In fact, there is convincing evidence that certain areas of the brain (shown clearly on SPECT images) are abnormally active in the brains of fibro/CFS sufferers. Fibromyalgia patients also have higher levels of two substances; a nerve chemical called substance P, and nerve growth factor in the spinal fluid. There are also low levels of serotonin, the brain chemical that is low in people with depression and anxiety.
We have found that the best approach to help patients who suffer from Fibro/CFS get their lives back is to get as much information about the effected areas as possible by doing extensive testing (blood, saliva, urine, DNA)—almost never done by your regular doctor. We then formulate individualized treatment to normalize each area of concern, one at a time. My expertise in neurology, endocrinology and the musculoskeletal system is ideal for dealing with the brain, hormone and nerve issues inherent in fibro/CFS.
Back to Christine — after treatment at our office, she is now going back to work, dancing with her husband, and her kids feel like they’ve got their mom back.
Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekHealth.com or FibromyalgiaWalnutCreek.com
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