On this episode of Massage Minutes, Alisha talks about things that can help relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes wide spread pain, fatigue, and tenderness in localized areas. However, I, personally feel it is so much more than that. Over the course of my 14-year career, as a licensed massage therapist, I have encountered MANY people diagnosed with this life changing disease. Not only do they have the symptoms listed above, they, oftentimes, have several other symptoms, as well. These symptoms can include:
- Sensitivity to environmental triggers, such as cigarette smoke, loud noises, or bright lights.
- Joint pain and stiffness.
- Muscle pain and stiffness.
- Muscle spasms.
- Reoccurring headaches or migraines.
- Exhaustion.
- Trouble concentrating or brain fog.
- Depression.
- Insomnia.
- Memory issues.
- Anxiety.
- Vertigo (dizziness).
- Bowel issues.
- Trouble regulating body temperature.
- Tingling in the hands and feet.
Common treatments?
A lot of the commonly recommended treatments for fibromyalgia include light exercise, yoga, weight loss, massage therapy, or prescription medications. However, I find that, for most of my clients, light exercise or yoga can be impossible, due to the level of pain they are in. Massage is also not possible because their bodies are too sensitive for touch. Losing weight could be a start to alleviate symptoms, but only if you are, in fact, overweight. Even in that case, it still isn’t the answer to your symptoms completely subsiding.
What I recommend
I am not a physician, and I do highly suggest you speak to yours before making any changes in diet, lifestyle or medications! I have, however, studied autoimmune disorders, such as fibromyalgia, to try and help my clients, as a licensed massage therapist. Recently, I have studied the affects of food intake on the body and how it relates to pain levels and autoimmune disease.
Your body naturally creates by-products, metabolic waste, in acidic form. These acids, such as lactic acid, can build up in your muscles, causing sensitive spots. We call these sensitive spots, trigger points. Trigger points can be extremely painful to the touch and can refer pain to other areas of the body. For example, if you have a trigger point behind your shoulder blade, depending on its exact location, it could refer pain in to you head, neck, and jaw, or down your arm and into your finger tips.
Over time, the body can become acidic enough, that it is covered in trigger points that are causing chronic, full body sensitivity and pain.
What are Some Other options?
How can you fix this issue if it hurts to exercise and you’re too sensitive to get a massage? There are two things you can do to help move the lactic acid and other metabolic wastes out of your body and replenish it to a more alkaline state.
Compression Therapy
Compression therapy is a gentle therapy that helps move metabolic waste out of your muscles, restores blood flow and circulation, and helps relieve fibromyalgia and other types of pain. I highly recommend trying a few sessions of compression therapy before attempting a massage therapy session. I would suggest that you try a session of manual lymphatic drainage for your first massage.
Alkaline Diet
The fibromyalgia symptoms you are experiencing could be because your body is in an acidic state. In order to get your body in alkaline state, changes in your diet may be necessary. Here are the things you need to be eating in order to become more alkaline:
- Vitamin D rich foods, such as tuna, eggs, fortified milk and orange juice. Of course, Vitamin D is also absorbed from the sun.
- Magnesium, which is found in dark, leafy greens, like spinach and kale, beans, almonds, and avacados.
- Omega 3 fatty acids, in things like salmon, walnuts, flaxseed and chia seeds.
- Anti-oxident rich foods, such as berries, sweet peppers, carrots, beets, spinach and kale.
Things to avoid:
- Artificial sweeteners
- MSG
- Caffeine
- Simple sugars
- Alcohol
- Gluten and Dairy
Getting Started
If you have been diagnosed with, or suspect you have fibromyalgia, or if you have symptoms similar to fibromyalgia, you should contact your physician and ask for a pH test. You can start taking steps to change your diet and book an appointment to try compression therapy.
