Fibromyalgia and Thyroid Problems

Fibromyalgia is a form of generalized muscular pain and fatigue that affects approximately 3.7 million Americans. The name, Fibromyalgia, means pain in the muscles and the fibrous connective tissues (the ligaments and tendons). Fibromyalgia lacks laboratory abnormalities; instead, the diagnosis depends mostly on a person’s report or complaints and feelings. Pain is the most prominent symptom of Fibromyalgia. It generally occurs throughout the body although it may start in one region, such as the neck and shoulders, and spread to other areas over a period of time.

Most people with Fibromyalgia experience moderate or severe fatigue with a lack of energy, decreased exercise endurance, or the kind of exhaustion that results from the flu or lack of sleep. Sometimes the fatigue is more of a problem that the pain. Headaches, especially muscular (tension headaches) and migraine headaches, are common in Fibromyalgia. Abdominal pain, bloating, alternating constipation, bladder spasms, and irritability may cause urinary urgency or frequency. Your skin and blood circulation can be sensitive to temperature changes, resulting in temporary changes in skin color.

Fibromyalgia is a very complex network of neurological, immune system, hormonal, and inflammatory issues. In a previous issue I discussed the neurological component of Fibromyalgia. In this edition I would like to explore the thyroid’s relationship and its influence as an underlying factor in many cases of fibromyalgia.

There is a considerable amount of scientific evidence that suggest FMS is a condition of abnormally slow metabolism. The clinical features of Fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism are very similar. A number of studies verify that hypothyroidism is the most common underlying disorder. The incidence of hypothyroidism may be as high 5x greater than in the general population.

Symptoms of Low Thyroid Function
· fatigue
· weight gain
· hair loss
· constipation
· low libido
· cold hands and feet
· depression
· insomnia
· heart palpitations
Clearly, the thyroid must be investigated and managed appropriately when dealing with the fibromyalgia patient. Unfortunately, most of the patients I see taking thyroid replacement hormone still are suffering from many of the symptoms of low thyroid function. In his new book “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Test Are Normal?” Dr. Datis Kharrazian explains why. This book is highly recommended for anyone suffering from hypothyroidism (or believes that they may be) and the doctors who care for them. There are six basic patterns of thyroid dysfunction identified and only one will respond favorably to hormone replacement therapy (and not all of these). A complete thyroid panel (i.e. more than TSH and T4) is necessary to determine the mechanism of thyroid dysfunction and the appropriate intervention. In our office, we use specific all natural protocols based on Dr. Kharrazian’s seminars and book with great success.

The successful treatment of fibromyalgia requires a comprehensive multi faceted approach that looks at ALL the causes and contributing factors. In our office, we incorporate neurologically based therapies, diet, lifestyle, stress management and appropriate supplementation based on specific lab testing to help many chronic conditions.

To discover whether this approach may be right for you please call our office at (814)238-0232 to schedule a comprehensive Case Review.

Rewiring The Brain

"Of all the findings, though one is rewriting the texbooks. It is the dawning realization that a brain older than 3 years old is not the rigid structure that scientist long thought, but a malleable, "plastic organ"....."But a flood of discoveries show that the brain constantly reorganizes itself. It's called neuroplasticity. And it means that "YOU CREATE YOUR BRAIN FROM THE INPUT YOU GET" (my emphasis) - Rewiring the Gray Matter, NEWSWEEK, January 1, 2000.



The concept of neuroplasticity can be either good or bad. In the case of fibromyalgia and pain, it is a bad thing. Stress (physical, chemical or emotional) has rewired the brain to be more sensitive to pain. BUT, the good news is we can use the very same concept of neuroplasticity to correct the problem.



Your Brain and nervous system need two things - FUEL and ACTIVATION.



Fuel comes in the form of oxygen and glucose. Glucose comes from a healthy diet (we hope - we can provide guidance and support if necessary). We also use supplemental oxygen during our treatments to help our patients heal faster.



Activation is accomplished through our treatments. We can use your five senses to increase frequency of firing (FOF) in specific areas of the brain determined through a detailed neurological evaluation. We may use unilateral adjustments (ULA) - either by hand or using gentle instruments, Active Threapeutic Movements (ATM), cold laser therapy, spinal decompression, Whole Body Vibration (WBV), heat, electrical stimulation, sound, visual and olfactory stimulation.



This unique aproach, called Brain Based Therapy, is based on the work of Dr. Michael L Johnson - one of the countries leading chiropractic neurologist and author of the book "What Do You Do When The Medications Don't Work? A non-drug treatment of dizziness. migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, and other chronic conditions."



To watch Dr. Johnson's video on fibromyalgia visit http://www.askdrjohnson.com/.

To find out if you qualify for this type of care, call our office (814)238-0232 and schedule a free no obligation consultation.

They were right. It is all in your head.

Have you ever been accused of making up your illness or been told it is all in your head? Maybe they even tried to give you antidepressants.

Well it turns out they were right - it is all in your head and now science proves it. Actually it is in your brain. A study published in the November 2009 Journal of Nuclear Medicine reports that photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) detected functional abnormalities in certain regions of the brain of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. These abnormalities directly correlated with the severity of the disease and were found in the regions known to discriminate pain sensitivity and emotional responses to pain. Stress (physical, chemical and/or emotional) has changed the way your brain processes pain.

You aren't crazy and you weren't making it up and now there is proof.

Now that we know what the problem is what can we do about it? We will cover that on the post that follow.