Fibromyalgia & Muscle Pain

Fibromyalgia - What it is, how it feels and what to do about it…

FIBROMYALGIA & MUSCLE PAIN

Leon Chaitow DO MRO

ISBN 0-7225-3098-6 (Thorsons Health Series)

Leon Chaitow is a renowned Registered Osteopath and Naturopath. He is a Senior Lecturer in Complementary Health Studies and is an established author of books and articles on health related issues.

Several years ago, I did a Course on this subject with Leon Chaitow at the University of Westminster. At the time I booked I spoke directly to Leon because I was concerned that as I had only recently qualified in massage, this Course may be "over my head" although I was fascinated in the Course content. He assured me that it wouldn't. He told me that these courses were attended by Osteopaths, Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and the like and very often it was the "lowly" massage therapist who was often "quicker on the uptake".

So I took the bull by the horns and registered. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end. This man has so much to give, so much to demonstrate and so little time in which to do it in.

By 2 00pm the first afternoon, I was overwhelmed and more than one person didn't make it through that first day and didn't return ! This book is more or less the culmination of that weekend. Leon speaks at a rate of knots, assumes a certain level of knowledge and experience and I very soon realised that I needed to fasten my seatbelt, hold on tight and most of all LISTEN and LEARN because he was taking no prisoners over the next two days.

Leon describes FIBROMYALGIA (formerly called Fibrositis) as fast becoming a "common and widely researched disorder. Sufferers experience widespread muscle pain and other associated symptoms which may include disturbed sleep, bowel disorders, headaches, anxiety, chronic fatigue, ME, irritable bowel syndrome and PMS".

Because many of the symptoms are so similar to other illnesses, "FIBROMYALGIA is difficult to diagnose". This book explains what FIBROMYALGIA is and how it affects sufferers. Leon looks at the value of various self help measures, "NOT TO BE USED IN ISOLATION but to be used to enhance treatment recommended by your health advisor".

He starts by asking "Do you remember the last you had flu ? The aches, pains, stiffness, headache, lethargy, disturbed sleep, inability to concentrate, discomfort and other sheer unpleasantness of it? Imagine having 'flu all the time (but without the fever and with the muscle pain as the strongest symptom) for months or years - and you have an idea of what fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) can be like".

The Introduction also offers a list of symptoms of Fibromyalgia and the illnesses associated with it including allergies, chronic rhinitis, bruising, restless leg, sleep apinoea, teeth grinding, light sensitivity, foggy brain, dyslexia and so on.

He goes on to explain the official definition of Fibromyalgia which aims to discover points or pain in specific areas and how widespread they may be. It also gives an example of "widespread" pain ie pain in 11 out of 18 tender points. Apparently, "experts" disagree about the sensitivity of tender points according to the age, sex and race of the person. Disagreement also exists about how many tender points are needed before diagnosing fibromyalgia. Ie 3,7 or 11 out of 18, 19 out of 75 or 10 out of 25.

At the time this book was published (1995) the official view was 11 out of 18. Thus to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, patients have to "meet this criteria". However there are American Researchers who believe that only 3 are required for diagnosis. Confused ?…..The book also gives a diagram pointing out all these "tender points".

How many people are affected by fibromyalgia ? Apparently, in 1995, in America, there were between 3 and 6 million, mainly between the ages of 26 and 35. (the vast majority being women). And it is fast becoming recognised in children.

How disabling is Fibromyalgia ? It is reported in the book that out of 394 patients, 100 women and 12 males were shown to be sufficiently badly affected by the condition as to be unable to work, therefore they were effectively "disabled".

There is also an explanation of "Names and "Conditions" ie in the say same way that Fibrositis has become Fibromyalgia, so Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has replaced "Chronic Epstein-Barr Syndrome". In Victoria times it was known as "nervous exhaustion". There is still some debate however as to whether Chronic Fatigue is the same as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or post viral fatigue as it is known in the USA. In the book Leon refers to the two names together because to a large degree the symptoms are identical.

He then goes on to discuss whether they are the same. They both seem to begin after an infection or severe shock. The only difference appears to be that for some people the fatigue is the most dominant but for others the muscular pain are the symptoms causing the most distress.

He also discusses the similarities between Myofascial Pain Syndrome and remarks that some experts still talk about "muscular rheumatism". There appears to be dozens of similar words and terms describing essentially the same problem. Leon points out that this confusion over names is a widespread problem and a major contributor to the lack of progress and thus no concentrated effort in research.

He explains that when a word ends in "itis", "in medicine it signifies an inflammatory process. However, NO EVIDENCE has EVER BEEN produced that the muscular aches and pains (one of the major symptoms of Fibrositis and/or fibromyalgia) have much to do with inflammation. Could this explain why drugs have no effect ? The fact that drugs have no effect also drew many doctors, in the early days, to conclude that the condition itself is "fiction" which meant that suffers received very little support or sympathy. This was one of the reasons why the name was changed from "Fibrositis" to "fibromyalgia". It immediately suggests that there is more to the condition than just muscular pain.

The author then goes on to explain the conditions and symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia and believe you me, it is definitely more than just muscular pain. The list is endless from cold extremities, dry mouth, headaches, white spots on nails, frequent urination, yeast infections, muscle twitching, thyroid problems and so the list goes on. Apparently, out of 880 patients tested by Dr Carol Jessop in 1990, (a leading physician from San Fransisco), 82 PERCENT had yeast present in stool samples. ALSO 30 PERCENT had parasites in the same samples. Dr Jessop also reported that a large proportion of her patients had reported a number of symptoms BEFORE the onset of chronic fatigue from irritable bowel syndrome, recurrent childhood ear, nose and throat infections, constant bloating, recurrent sinusitis, endometriosis and heartburn and recurrent respiratory infections.

Leon Chaitow goes on to talk about allergies, chemical sensitivities and general toxicity in the body. These are surprisingly common in people with fibromyalgia. He says "put simply, people with allergies are more likely to develop fibromyalgia and people with fibromyalgia are more likely than not to have allergies".

Foods that most commonly cause problems for many people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue or ME are wheat, dairy, sugar, caffeine, aspartame, alcohol and chocolate. Chemical sensitivities are also a common link with people with fibromyalgia and these contaminants are not always related to industrial settings. The chemicals in our everyday environment include household cleaners, new carpets, perfumes and certain types of paints, even air and water. The circulation disturbance that these contaminants can cause are important considerations when dealing with bowel disorders, depression, memory and concentration problems and pain regulating functions.

Chaitow says that "there is a connection between chemical sensitivities, allergies and candida or parasite infections of the intestinal tract" . These "can result in damage to the delicate lining of the tract as well as reduced health and efficiency of the friendly bacteria that live in us and assist in detoxifying the body". We are reminded that this leads to food allergens, toxins and other products being absorbed into the blood stream from the gut and thus being pumped around the body which can trigger allergic reactions and have a knock on effect throughout, including fatigue, muscle pain and depression.

The rest of the book goes on to describe all of the symptoms and side effects of this debilitating condition from Anxiety and Depression to Parkinson's Disease and Sjogrens Syndrome (symptoms very similar to rheumatic arthritis) in depth. He also gives helpful advice as to how all of these symptoms can be addressed safely and simply with natural medicines and treatments.

In Chapter Four Chaitow describes the difference between "normal" and abnormal muscle pain, how muscles react to stress and when increased muscle tone becomes a problem, what happens if such stresses become chronic and what tests can be performed to give useful information and used in any assessment. ie chemical sensitivity, food intolerance's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, the hormone link, pH test, pulse test, brain scans and the many varied manipulative techniques which can be safely used in treatment.

The remainder of the book looks specifically at options involved with treatments, homeostasis and more importantly, self healing. Ie breathing, relaxation techniques, reflexology, yoga, hydrotherapy, massage, hypnotherapy, supplementation and dietary approaches.

The final chapter deals with a summary and suggestions of professional and self help which include - "the first and most vital aspect of all is to get the right diagnosis. There is a need to ensure that what you have is fibromyalgia and not one of the many other rheumatic-type problems". He tells us that "laboratory and other medical tests can identify most conditions that are NOT fibromyalgia. He tells us to look at the various associated conditions and have as many of those controlled or eliminated as possible either with the help of a professional or through the self help and other natural medicine methods described in the earlier chapters. "Get nutritional advice and improve your diet. Seek advice and treatment from a chiropractor, physiotherapist or massage therapist to deal with the muscle related problems and introduce some regular exercise".

He also suggests that you "join a support group" and to "use your medication under medical advice only" and last but not least consider stress, psychotherapy or general counseling "in order to learn coping skills and stress reducing tactics".

This is an extremely useful book not only for sufferers, the friends and families of sufferers but also for practitioners. The condition, the symptoms and the treatment thereof is explained in very simplistic terms and is a very readable book.

Editor's Note :

Bromley Health Management offers a unique screening service helpful in identifying allergies, be they related to foods, chemicals, candiasis, parasites, vaccinations, viruses, environmental/geopathic stress, vitamin and mineral deficiencies or hormone imbalances. The professional support and advice available from our Homeopath, Herbalist and Nutritionist is second to none.

Other qualified and professional practitioners between them at Bromley Health Management offer a range of skills and experience utilising all the manipulative techniques described in this book along with counseling, psychotherapy and stress management.

For further information or to book an appointment for a full consultation or for a FREE 15 minute consultation please telephone 0800 093 1178

Saturday, 10 March 2001

© 2001 Bromley Health Management