Fibromyalgia Chiropractic Treatment & Spinal Care in Chicago
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a complex and often misunderstood disease, and it can seriously affect the lives of those who suffer from it. Experts at Advanced Spine and Sports Care understand the condition and how using various physical therapies and chiropractic techniques can ease the pain. This illness causes people to experience intense pain in different areas of the body. There are more than 18 different points where someone with fibromyalgia can feel pain. The pain is chronic and can, unfortunately, last for months if left untreated. Some of the common points where someone suffering from fibromyalgia will experience pain in the lower back, upper back, and neck.
Imagine being tired all the time with burning pain, muscle spasm, tender points, and numbness. Add to that sensitivity to pain, cold, heat, bright lights, bladder or bowel problems, headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety and the list goes on. Anti-inflammatories, painkillers, anti-depressants even the new miracle cure fibromyalgia drugs have poor records in helping sufferers. Chiropractic is an effective and safe treatment for fibromyalgia.
There have been several studies done to show chiropractic care to be quite effective. One study, in particular, examined the effectiveness of the spinal manipulation done by chiropractors on relieving symptoms related to fibromyalgia. After only 15 treatments, patients reported a decrease in pain and fatigue, and an increase in the quality of their sleep. Chiropractic care is a very common alternative treatment for fibromyalgia pain. A lot of people who suffer from fibromyalgia are also afflicted with upper cervical spinal stenosis. This condition leads to the compression of meninges (the coverings of the upper spine).
Visit Advanced Spine and Sports Care in Chicago and explore all of the different ways our experts can reduce your pain. Call the clinic or book your appointment online today.
What Are the Most Common Signs of Fibromyalgia?
The most common symptom of fibromyalgia is the pain that it causes. The pain can range from mild discomfort to very severe life-altering pain. In some cases, the pain can be so bad that those with fibromyalgia can not live their normal lives. Some other symptoms can accompany the pain, such as
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Joint stiffness
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Headaches
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Though the exact cause of fibromyalgia is still unknown to this date, researchers feel that there is an exact link to a disruption of communication in the nervous system. Some of the risk factors that play a role in the presence of fibromyalgia include genetics and physical activity. Pain can also trigger fibromyalgia, including:
- Arthritis
- Spine problems
- Injury
- Repetitive physical stress
- Emotional stress
If you are experiencing intense pain due to fibromyalgia and want quick relief, contact Advanced Spine and Sports Care today. Our specialists will design a personalized plan so that you can get back to living your life without pain.
How is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
Due to the fact that there is no one definitive cause of fibromyalgia, there are no exact tests to determine if you suffer from fibromyalgia. Medical professionals diagnose this problem by process of elimination, ruling out any other conditions that are similar to fibromyalgia. The specialists at Advanced Spine and Sports Care will consider your medical history and perform physical exams. Due to the fact that fibromyalgia has no one cause and can be generated by other conditions like arthritis and lupus, it’s essential to not leave anything out so that the right treatment plan is put in place. Some of the ways to diagnose fibromyalgia are if the patient has:
- Pain in all four quadrants of the body: right, left, upper, and lower
- Pain lasting longer than three months
- Pain in 11 or more tender points associated with fibromyalgia
How Does Chiropractic Care Address Fibromyalgia?
Chiropractic care at Advanced Spine and Sports Care addresses fibromyalgia by dealing with symptoms individually. In your initial consultation, we will identify exactly where the pain is located and the severity of it. During a gentle physical exam, your specialists will develop a unique plan for your condition.
How Can a Chiropractor Treat Fibromyalgia?
Chiropractors at Advanced Spine and Sports care will use a combination of chiropractic care and trigger point therapy.
Chiropractic care- Fibromyalgia makes the muscles tighten, leading to the loss of movement in the affected areas. To prevent loss of mobility, we will recommend ongoing spinal adjustments to keep everything loose.
Trigger point therapy- Trigger points are a source of radiating pain, and the use of trigger point therapy has many benefits. Light pressure is applied to deactivate the muscle fibers that are tightening and causing pain.
Lifestyle guidance- We will teach you some ways to make sure that your fibromyalgia isn’t a constant strain on your life when outside of the clinic!
How To Prevent Fibromyalgia
Because medical professionals still do not know the exact reason for fibromyalgia, there is no known way to prevent it. But, like all medical conditions, it is always a good idea to:
- Eat healthy foods
- Sleep at least 8 hours a day
- Reduce stress in your life
- Maintain a healthy weight
- If you have arthritis, depression, or other conditions, manage them accurately
- Keep an active lifestyle
Things You Can Do to Manage Pain at Home
Why should you have to constantly prepare for pain every single day? To go alongside chiropractic care, there are a few things you can do at home so that your life isn’t ruined because of the pain that fibromyalgia causes.
Ask for help- Like any life-altering condition, asking for help is one of the most important things to do if suffering from fibromyalgia. Do not try and do everything on your own!
Find distractions- To get your mind off of the pain, it is best if you distract your mind with:
- A funny movie
- Interesting book
- Walking
- Going out with friends
Meditation and Yoga- Clear your mind and stretch your body. Morning and evening yoga/meditation sessions can seriously improve your life and reduce pain.
In turn, the patient is left with pain across their entire body. Dr. Ingham and Dr. Schey are familiar with this syndrome and can adjust the head and neck so that the spine isn’t compressed, which can help alleviate some of the chronic pain that is associated with fibromyalgia.
The Chiropractic Approach to Fibromyalgia
If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, you may have some questions about how it works. Chiropractic treats the body as a whole. As previously mentioned, your nervous system is responsible for every muscle, organ, and tissue in your body. Your nervous system is encased in your spine. If your spine is out of place it can cause the nerves to be malfunctioning. These misalignments can be caused when your bones, ligaments, muscles, joints, and tendons aren’t functioning properly. They then can lead to an improperly functioning system. When your skeletal structure is strong, your body is strong. Chiropractic care helps restore the balance in your skeletal structure through adjustments, manipulations, stretches and strengthening to eliminate the pain associated with fibromyalgia. What sets Advanced Spine & Sports Care doctors apart from traditional chiropractic clinics is the post graduate training and our clinical philosophy to not only end your pain but teach you things to do to prevent and educate you on the specific things to do to correct the problem. Our primary goal is to strengthen around proper positioning so that our patients can get back to their pain-free busy lifestyles.
It is also important to note that spinal trauma has long been associated with fibromyalgia. In one study, a neck injury increased the occurrence of Fibromyalgia by ten times. This is one main reason chiropractic is so helpful in patients diagnosed with this debilitating ailment. In fact, in one study all participants (n=23) showed a 92-100% improvement of symptoms and maintained these improvements after one year follow up with chiropractic care. Because all the tissues and organ systems in your body are innervated by nerves in the spine, the spinal nerves play a very important role in the relief and correction of patients with fibromyalgia. Anyone suffering from fibromyalgia should seek care by one of our specially trained chiropractors at Advanced Spine & Sports Care.
If you’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia you may feel as if there will never be an end to the tingling, pain, and exhaustion that accompany this syndrome. However, help may be as close as our conveniently located office in Chicago's neighborhood, Lakeview. Call us today for a free fibromyalgia treatment consultation.
