Treatment Of Fibromyalgia
Treatment of fibromyalgia consists of a comprehensive program, where
the various factors that are observed in the patient are addressed.
The sleeping disturbance, if present, is treated with cyclobenzaprine
(brand name: Flexeril, Flexitec) at bedtime. This medication,
which is an tricyclic antidepressant, is used mainly as a muscle
relaxant, but has been found in fibromyalgia patients to restore
abnormal sleep patterns.
Another medication that can be used for this is the antidepressant trazodone ( brand name: Desyrel, Trazorel), which when taken at bedtime seems to help not only to normalize the sleeping pattern, but also lift the mood (antidepressant effect) and thus help with some of the myalgias (painful muscles).
| Multidisciplinary treatment approach for fibromyalgia |
| Target symptom: |
Treatment modality: |
| muscle deconditioning |
swimming, aquatherapy, walking, and mild stretching
exercises (better tolerated with IceWave
patches from Lifewave in place) |
| muscle spasm and tender spots |
1) Local heat treatments, massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy, aquatherapy |
| 2) trigger point injections by the physician |
| sleep disorder |
cyclobenzaprine (brand name: Flexeril, Flexitec)
or trazodone (brand name: Desyrel, Trazorel), however see
remarks on the use of conventional drugs under "Alternative
Medicine Treatment" below |
| mild to moderate depression |
SSRI antidepressant medication (but see remarks
on the use of conventional drugs under "Alternative
Medicine Treatment" below) |
| anxiety |
yoga, meditation, self-hypnosis, prayer,
cognitive and behavior therapy, psychological counseling;
bioidentical hormone replacement will often also treat anxiety
naturally (see Ref.8) |
Many of the SSRI
antidepressants have a similar effect as trazodone.
They also help to lift depression, which is another symptom complex
that the physician will treat. Physical activities in the form
of swimming, aquatherapy, walking, and mild stretching exercises
are instituted. Often it might be best to do this as part of a
local fibromyalgia support group, as motivation could otherwise
be a problem. Local heat treatments, massage therapy, minor chiropractic
adjustments for spinal malalignments are all useful modalities
as is physiotherapy for flare-ups of the muscle aches and pains.
Trigger point injections by the physician with 1% Xylocaine (occasionally
with a small amount of cortisone mixed in) may be very useful
for more painful muscles.
Meditation, self-hypnosis,yoga, cognitive and behavior modification
therapy are all useful adjunctive methods to help with the associated
anxiety and depression along the medications mentioned above.
These latter methods help with coping strategies in the treatment
of fibromyalgia (Ref. 4).
Alternative Medicine Treatment Of Fibromyalgia:
According to the interviews with a number of anti-aging doctors
contained in Suzanne Somers' book "Breakthrough" (Ref.8)
fibromyalgia is often associated with hypothyroidism and may include
other hormone weaknesses (weak adrenal glands, low human growth
hormone levels). This can be determined with appropriate blood
tests (T3, T4, 24 hour urine for cortisol, DHEA, IGF-1), which
your regular physician may be uncomfortable with. However, any
of the anti-aging physicians listed in the back of Ref.8 would
have no problems ordering and treating this. This new approach
to treat fibromyalgia puts emphasis on detoxifying the body, starting
a low glycemic well balanced diet, exercising regularly and keeping
you away from a many conventional drugs as possible including
antidepressants (including trazodone mentioned above). The reason
for this is that all of the hormones including the brain hormone
serotonin need to be balanced to treat fibromyalgia successfully.
Insomnia is treated with a combination of melatonin capsules and
Silent Nights
Lifewave patches. They are FDA approved and they are also
explained in the book "Breakthrough" by Suzanne Somers
(Ref. 8) where newer insights of antiaging medicine have been
reviewed. Although this involves placing a patch on an acupuncture
point, there are no needles involved. Nanotechnology, a newer
technology, is involved in the manufacturing of these patches
and infrared (heat) waves from body heat are utilized to energize
an acupuncture point, which in turn normalizes function of the
sleep centre in the brain without the use of any drugs. As you
use these patches you will fall asleep and sleep through the night
without any effort. The patch helps the body to normalize melatonin
production, which is the natural waking/sleeping regulator of
the body. For more info on the patches see the Silent Nights Lifewave
patches link above (click "products"). There are other
useful patches for detoxification (30 days) and for pain control.
Here is more information about the detoxification patches: This
can be done using a non-drug method stimulating the body's own
glutathione and carnosine detoxification system (Y-Age
patches from Lifewave). This link tells you more about
this detoxification method (click "products"). These
patches are FDA approved and also based on nanotechnology, a newer
technology, which is involved in the manufacturing of these patches.
The production of glutathione and of carnosine in the body is
stimulated. These two patches are applied on alternating days
(for more info see the Y-Age patches from Lifewave link above).
Here is more information about the FDA approved pain patches;
they are called IceWave
patches from Lifewave. This is also mentioned in the book
"Breakthrough" by Suzanne Somers (Ref. 8) and again
these FDA approved patches are placed over acupuncture points,
there are no needles involved. This nanotechnology is part of
energy medicine and with these patches pain perception is modified
so that pain is reduced to half or less. Medically this would
be considered an excellent pain reliever. For more info on the
patches see the IceWave patches from Lifewave link above (click
"products"). In the US a 5 pack of the IceWave spray
is available that can be directly sprayed onto the skin in the
area where the pain is located.
However, the patch technology needs to be incorporated into a
holistic approach as described above under alternative medicine
treatment .
Another link
re. fibromyalgia treatment.
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