The Natural Medicine Approach to Fibromyalgia

Although fibromyalgia is typically associated with chronic pain without an apparent cause, it’s much more complicated, with many associated and varied symptoms that must also be addressed. The treatment of the varied symptoms must include consideration of the following: ligament weakness from degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis, injury or repetitive use damage; the role connective tissue deficiency syndrome plays in levels, including estradiol; nutrition; adrenal gland overproduction; fungal infections; and allergies. The involvement of each of these factors must be assessed and treated based on the symptoms, peripheral to chronic pain, that an individual is experiencing. 

First, let’s look at the role of Prolotherapy in treating fibromyalgia in relation to ligament laxity (due to degenerative disease, injury or repetitive use) and in relation to connective tissue deficiency syndrome. In many cases, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is really a chronic pain condition where the body, in compensating for ligament weakness, is afflicted with referred pain, causing tenderness in other parts of the body and poor sleeping patterns. Prolotherapy is the best therapy for treating ligament weakness. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments and cartilage. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing. Prolotherapy is also effective in treating connective tissue deficiency syndrome, a condition in which the body breaks down the connective tissues (ligaments, tendons, cartilage) faster than it can rebuild them, a state referred to as catabolism. People diagnosed with fibromyalgia often are found to be in this state. 

One of the primary reasons a person maintains a state of catabolism is because of medications such as NSAIDS and narcotics that inhibit the normal inflammatory healing cascade, medications often given to treat fibromyalgia. Ligaments and tendons are made out of collagen, which is responsible for their strength, and which is weak in connective tissue deficiency syndrome. Prolotherapy stimulates cells to make good collagen, repairing the damage of the catabolic processes. 

In keeping with encouraging the healing of tissues, which Prolotherapy does, anabolic hormone levels are also checked. These hormones help stimulate connective tissue growth (anabolic refers to the constructive part of metabolism that involves building up, regenerating and repairing). Someone with connective tissue deficiency syndrome is in a catabolic, or destructive or breakdown, phase of metabolism. Incidentally, the hormone estradiol, an excess of which is involved in a number of female reproductive disorders such as PMS, also has catabolic or destructive effects on connective tissue. This could, in fact, be one of the reasons why women are much more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia and connective tissue deficiency syndrome than men. If an individual’s anabolic hormone levels are low, natural hormone supplements are prescribed. In addition, it would be strongly recommended that neither oral contraceptives nor other synthetic forms of estrogen be taken. Dietary adjustments would be made and supplements would also be taken to help regulate estradiol levels. 

Because nutrition plays a very important role in treating fibromyalgia, Metabolic Typing, which evaluates and identifies an individual’s metabolism by examining a number of different factors is also performed. Dietary recommendations are made based on the results. 

Fatigue and sleep-related issues, strongly influenced by cortisol levels, are often a prime concern with fibromyalgia. The adrenal gland normally secretes less cortisol at night, enabling sleep. However, anyone who suffers from chronic pain, such as those with fibromyalgia, is under a constant state of stress. This keeps cortisol levels elevated. In fact, in an individual under stress, the adrenal gland is actually stimulated to produce more cortisol, which can result in chronic insomnia. To make matters worse, without adequate sleep, inadequate amounts of growth hormone are secreted, one of the anabolic hormones needed for connective tissue growth and repair. The vicious cycle is probably becoming very apparent (as well as the need to address multiple symptoms when dealing with fibromyalgia). Less soft tissue healing leads to more chronic pain, which leads to increased cortisol levels, which leads to less sleep and to more stress and less healing and so on! 

We have also found that fungal infections and allergies can play a role. As a result, we administer appropriate tests, and a positive result for a yeast infection is frequently the outcome. It turns out that many individuals with fibromylagia have chronic yeast, or Candida infections, the main symptoms of which are a tired and achy body, PMS and chronic fatigue. At this point it should be mentioned again that the long-term use of NSAIDs, a common modern medicine treatment for fibromyalgia, can actually lead to chronic yeast infections! In addition, untreated fungal infections and allergies can also lead to irritable bowel syndrome, one more thing to complicate the complex nature of fibromyalgia and possibly even make it worse.
 
In summary, as with all conditions treated by natural medicine doctors, and most clearly illustrated by the elusive and complicated multi-symptomatic condition of fibromyalgia, the purpose of natural medicine is to reverse the underlying physiology that is causing a particular condition. It involves a lot more than just dealing with the symptoms. It involves trying to identify exactly what is going on and treating it, which is possible with the use of Prolotherapy and additional testing and natural medicine treatments. 

As mentioned above, Prolotherapy is an effective natural medicine treatment for repairing the collagen in injured or lax ligaments and tendons. Prolotherapy offers the most curative results in treating chronic pain. It effectively eliminates pain because it attacks the source: the fibro-osseous junction, an area rich in sensory nerves. What’s more, the tissue strengthening and pain relief stimulated by Prolotherapy is permanent!