Excerpted
from a lecture by K. Steven Whiting Ph.D., Director, Institute
of Nutritional Science. Reproduced by permission.
In this article you will learn about the following topics: Fibromyalgia, Natural Fibromyalgia Treatments, Alternative Fibromyalgia Treatments, Natural Supplements for Fibromyalgia, Food Allergies and Fibromyalgia, Exercise and Fibromyalgia, Fibromyalgia Symptoms, Fibromyalgia Pain, Fibromyalgia Sleep Disorders, Detoxification and Fibromyalgia, Nutrients for Fibromyalgia, Acetl L Carnitine, SAM-e, CoQ10, Chlorella, DHEA, MSM, Magnesium, Vitamin D, 5-HTP and Fibromyalgia, Vitamin B12 and Fibromyalgia, Guaifenesin and Fibromyalgia, Cough Syrup and Fibromyalgia.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition that has so far escaped definitive diagnosis and treatment. No one knows exactly the cause of this condition, but pieces of the mystery are falling into place. I first began my work with fibromyalgia patients about 4 years ago. One of the most predominant factors that I observed in virtually every case was that these people seemed to have high levels of toxins in their soft tissues. Of all the natural or alternative treatment programs currently available, I have found the link to excess toxicity to be one of the most profound. We will discuss my findings and the subsequent program we have developed for this problem a little later on. First, we will take a look at some of the alternative fibromyalgia treatments and the natural supplements for fibromyalgia that have been effective.
Natural Fibromyalgia Treatments
Since the exact cause of fibromyalgia still eludes science, we must approach this condition with some trial and error. This process has brought about a variety of support programs for managing the side effects of fibromyalgia. Alternative fibromyalgia treatments include exercise, special diet restrictions, and key supplements. I have found that exercise is indeed important in the overall picture but many of the recommended dietary restrictions have proven very ineffective. Natural supplements for supporting the fibromyalgia sufferer are many and we will discuss them below. One subject that I do wish to discuss is the use of cough syrup and fibromyalgia or more specifically the active ingredient in cough syrup, guaifenesin. The action of guaifenesin on brain activity is not completely clear, but is seems to produce a reduction in the pain and discomfort of fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, the continued and over-use of cough syrup for fibromyalgia is not the best way to manage the condition. Guaifenesin can produce a host of side effects and it also must be considered that over time, cough syrup us for fibromyalgia can lead to dependency and even become habit forming. As you will see below, there are other options that we feel are far more effective as safer for those managing chronic fibromyalgia. We do highly advocate the use of regular exercise for fibromyalgia. The key is to find a program that allows for full range of motion but does not over-work the soft tissues. Mild resistance exercise with emphasis on cardiovascular toning seems to be the ideal form of exercise for fibromyalgia sufferers.
The Role Of Detoxification in Fibromyalgia
As we continued to work with more and more fibromyalgia sufferers, we found the role of detoxification to be of vital importance in managing the condition. In fact, I am of the position that excess toxins in the soft tissues of the body of these individuals may be actually a cause of the condition rather than a result of it. This concept has been supported by detoxification of hundreds of fibromyalgia sufferers to date and virtually every one of them saw an improvement in their overall symptoms, many of those improvements through detoxification were profound. We use two methods of detoxification for fibromyalgia. Firstly, we use a cellular detoxification that employs a liquid oxygen supplement. This supplement is one of the most important for fibromyalgia as it has the ability to detoxify at the level of the cells. The second detoxification for fibromyalgia is one that addresses the organs of elimination, namely the liver, kidneys, bowel, bladder and colon. This program takes about two weeks. Overall after thirty days of this detoxification for fibromyalgia, we have seen great improvements.
Natural Arthritis Treatments
Over the last couple of decades, there have been many 'natural' treatments for arthritis. Natural arthritis remedies have come up from many sources. Many of these natural arthritis treatments have had little long-term effect on arthritis pain relief. Yet using the natural arthritis remedies is essential as most of the arthritis medicines can have lasting and serious side effects. In an effort to find arthritis pain relief, many people have gone to extremes in using various natural arthritis treatments. This has often the alternative health approach a negative image because many of these natural arthritis remedies are unproven. Anything that will first alkalize the body for detoxification and then acidify the digestive system to improve digestion will likely prove to be a helpful natural arthritis treatment.
Since most chronic degenerative diseases have their root in an altered biochemistry, diet must play an important role. There are many so-called anti-inflammatory diets around, and most of them tend to be too extreme. The idea is to avoid certain foods, which can be pro-inflammatory such as nightshade plants and others. It is often not necessary to stay on these strict anti-inflammatory diets long term. In a few weeks the body begins to change its chemistry. Reducing or eliminating many of the pro-inflammatory foods in the diet can achieve arthritis pain relief. The anti-inflammatory diet is best used in combination with other key nutrients that can help reduce inflammation and also to rebuild both cartilage and connective tissues.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
While the symptoms for fibromyalgia can be many, the most common include pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS, PMS symptoms in women, and an overall stiffness and difficulty in mobility. It is curious to note that virtually all of these symptoms can also be related to excess toxicity of the body. Certainly body aches or pain, insomnia or other sleep disorders, disturbances of the lower digestive tract have all been repeatedly observed in those who were exposed to moderate to severe toxins yet did not have fibromyalgia. Through detoxification programs for fibromyalgia the classic symptoms including fatigue, IBS, PMS, stiffness, aches and pains, and sleep disorders have all improved dramatically. We have also observed that over time, these symptoms often began to return again, say over a 3 to 6 month period. This required another round of detoxification as described above and again the symptoms of fibromyalgia such as pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, IBS, PMS, and overall stiffness were once again diminished. For some reason that we certainly cannot fully explain, it seems that those suffering from fibromyalgia cannot effectively remove toxins from their bodies, causing the level of these poisons to build to exceedingly high levels. Once that level rises high enough the symptoms of pain, stiffness, IBS, and sleep disorders with extreme fatigue, begin to return.
Other Factors Affecting Fibromyalgia
We cannot overlook the possibility that other health factors may also be affecting fibromyalgia. We know that if the fibromyalgia sufferer also has allergies, especially to environmental factors, it can make the situation worse. The role of allergies and fibromyalgia has been well established in many individuals, so much so that our recommendation is that the allergy situation be identified and proper measures taken to manage the allergy response mechanism in order to improve the overall management of fibromyalgia. Another strong connection appears to be between fibromyalgia and systemic candida or human yeast overgrowth. Once candida becomes systemic, it can affect many areas of health. In fact the symptoms of systemic candida overgrowth and fibromyalgia are also almost completely alike. If you suspect that you may have a candida problem, you can visit our website at www.healthyinformation.com to take our candida self-evaluation survey. If candida is present, it is essential that it be eliminated as part of an over-all support program for managing fibromyalgia naturally.
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