Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. People with this syndrome may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3-6 million Americans, most of them being women.

There is no known cause of Fibromyalgia, and many of its symptoms mimic other diseases which make it very difficult to diagnose.

The current criteria for a fibromyalgia diagnosis include:

-Widespread joint and muscle pain has been present for at least three months.

-Pain at 11 or more of the 18 specific trigger points when the areas are being pressed.

- Other symptoms that are less common but can occur are constipation or diarrhea, headache, difficulty concentrating, tingling sensation in the hands and severe or excessive fatigue.

Although fibromyalgia is unknown, a recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics stated that more than 60 % of the participants who underwent thirty chiropractic treatments showed significant reductions in pain intensity and improvement in their overall fatigue and quality of sleep.

Being placed on a raw-food diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts, and seeds has shown to help reduce the pain as well.

Exercising twice a week for one hour for several weeks has also been shown to help.