Treatments For Fibromyalgia/Chronic Pain & Chronic Fatigue
Does your body ache all over, and you can’t find a reason?
Do you feel exhausted constantly?
Are you just not thinking as clearly as you used to?
If so, these are signs you may have fibromyalgia.
After arthritis, fibromyalgia is the most common bone and muscle condition. It can be a debilitating disorder, and is frequently misdiagnosed and left untreated.
One of the most difficult symptoms of fibromyalgia to deal with can be the chronic fatigue that comes with it. But there are other causes of chronic fatigue as well.
Regardless of what’s causing your chronic fatigue, though, its presence can make it difficult to accomplish the simplest tasks of your day-to-day life.
However, there are naturopathic solutions for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. There is no cure, but naturopathic medicine can help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
As a chronic pain naturopath, Dr. Sheila has a special interest in helping people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and has received additional training in the treatment of these disorders.
Whether your chronic pain and fatigue is linked with fibromyalgia or another cause, Dr. Sheila will work to provide you with a treatment plan designed to get you feeling great once more.
Read on to find out more.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Until recently, fibromyalgia was a poorly understood condition. But there’s a growing body of research exploring it.
We don’t yet know what causes it.
However, one of the leading theories is that it magnifies the way your brain processes the pain signals your body sends it.
Sometimes, fibromyalgia symptoms are linked with a period of significant stress, like a major surgery, extreme physical injury or infection, or psychological stress.
But other times, there is no obvious triggering event to point to.
Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia
The most common symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread musculoskeletal pain. Put simply, everything hurts.
Otherwise, the symptoms are as follows:
- Low threshold for pain
- A burning or twitching sensation
- Muscle tightness
- Insomnia
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty focusing
- Difficulty remembering
- Nervousness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Headaches
- Dry eyes, nose, and mouth
- IBS-type symptoms
- Sensitivity to stimuli (temperature, sound, light)
- Incontinence
- Numbness
Some have described the condition as similar to arthritic pain, except instead of being in one place, it’s all over your body.
Risk Factors For Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia can affect anyone. However, there are certain factors which may increase your risk. These include:
- Being a woman
- Having PTSD
- Having a history of abuse
- Rarely exercising
- Having anxiety
- Having depression
- Having arthritis or another pain-related disorder
- Having family members who have it
Naturopathic Treatments For Fibromyalgia
If you read the above symptoms and believe you may have fibromyalgia, there is hope. Contact Dr. Sheila to book an appointment and find out.
The first step to addressing fibromyalgia is to properly diagnose you.
Unfortunately, there is no real way to diagnose fibromyalgia directly. Instead, it’s a diagnosis of exclusion. Because fibromyalgia has symptoms similar to many other disorders, Dr. Sheila will work to uncover whether you have another disorder.
In particular, Dr. Sheila will check your levels of thyroid hormone in your blood. Hypothyroidism is another common cause of chronic fatigue and pain. If Dr. Sheila uncovers an underactive thyroid, she’ll work to uncover the root cause and offer a treatment plan accordingly.
Dr. Sheila will also explore whether or not you have another pain disorder. Because fibromyalgia pain is often described as similar to the pain from osteoarthritis, tendinitis, or bursitis, it’s a good idea to rule these out as well.
Lupus is another condition whose symptoms can mimic that of fibromyalgia. It’s an autoimmune disease characterized by, you guessed it, chronic fatigue and pain.
Depending on your health history and symptoms, Dr. Sheila may order blood tests or x-ray imaging.
Having ruled out the above disorders (as well as some others), Dr. Sheila may properly diagnose you with fibromyalgia.
After that point, Dr. Sheila will provide you with a treatment plan designed to help manage your fibromyalgia.
While there is currently no known cure for fibromyalgia, naturopathic treatments have been proven effective in helping manage the pain associated with fibromyalgia. This can help improve your quality of life and allow you to live normally.
Depending on your condition, Dr. Sheila may recommend acupuncture, certain supplements, a light exercise/stretching routine, or other options.
Other Sources Of Chronic Pain
Fibromyalgia may be a common cause of chronic pain, but it isn’t the only one. Depending on your individual circumstances and health history, you may be experiencing chronic pain as a result of:
- A congenital condition (eg. scoliosis)
- Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis
- A previous injury (sports, work, accident)
- Obesity
- Poor posture
- Multiple sclerosis
- Digestive disorders, like stomach ulcers
- AIDS
- Cancer
- Chronic stress or anxiety
In each of the above cases, including fibromyalgia, chronic pain can have wide ranging complications. It may lead to a decreased ability to function in day-to-day life, which can cause depression, relationship and career difficulties, weight gain, and other unhealthy habits. As well, it may lead to a weaker immune system, leaving you vulnerable to other illnesses.
Because there are so many causes linked with chronic pain, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out why you feel the way you do. This can create even more frustration, leading to a state of hopelessness. You may feel like you’ll just always feel this way, and accept that you’ll have to live on painkillers for the rest of your life.
But there is hope.
Whatever it is that’s causing your chronic pain, Dr. Sheila will work to uncover the cause. From there, she can provide you with a treatment plan designed to address that root cause. The goal is to resolve the issues causing your chronic pain in the first place.
Naturopathic Solutions For Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or low energy with no specific reason to point to. But it’s more than just being tired.
As mentioned above, chronic fatigue is a symptom of fibromyalgia. However, there are other causes as well.
Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue
The most obvious sign of chronic fatigue is, well, feeling fatigued chronically.
Beyond that, though, you may experience the following:
- Headaches
- Joint or muscle pain
- Brain fog
- Memory difficulties
- Coughing & a sore throat
- Inflammation of your lymph nodes
What Causes Chronic Fatigue?
Chronic fatigue may be a symptom of a deeper disorder. Other than Fibromyalgia, some of the disorders commonly associated with chronic fatigue include:
- Celiac disease
- Graves’ disease
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- A hormonal imbalance
- Certain viral infections
- Certain autoimmune conditions
- Oxidative stress
Chronic fatigue may also be linked with nutritional deficiencies, or other lifestyle factors.
A Natural Approach To Chronic Fatigue
If you’re suffering from chronic fatigue, Dr. Sheila can help.
The first step, of course, is to understand what’s causing your chronic fatigue in the first place. Each of the disorders you saw in the above section is associated with chronic fatigue. However, each of them also has its own set of symptoms beyond what you see above.
By looking at all the symptoms you’re feeling, Dr. Sheila can get a better idea of what may be causing your chronic fatigue.
This is where lab testing comes in. Using modern scientific analysis, Dr. Sheila can help you get to the bottom of what’s causing your chronic fatigue. From there, she offers naturopathic solutions designed to solve your chronic fatigue difficulties.
Drawing from a wide range of modalities, Dr. Sheila brings a deep understanding of treatments for chronic fatigue. Whatever it is that’s causing your chronic fatigue, Dr. Sheila will work to uncover it. From there, she’ll put together a treatment plan with the goal of resolving your chronic fatigue issues.
Contact Dr. Sheila
Are you struggling with chronic pain or fatigue?
Sick and tired of being sick and tired?
If so, contact Dr. Sheila.
Naturopathic treatments have been shown to help ease your chronic pain symptoms.
Chronic pain may be painful and worrisome to deal with, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Dr. Sheila is here to help.
If you’re not certain about naturopathic medicine, Dr. Sheila offers FREE 15-minute consultations for new patients.
During that consultation, you’ll get a chance to sit down with Dr. Sheila. She’ll answer whatever questions you have, address your concerns, and in the end you’ll walk away with a better understanding of how naturopathic medicine can help you.
If you’re dealing with chronic pain, from fibromyalgia or another cause, there are natural solutions available.
Contact Dr. Sheila today, and take your first step toward reducing your pain, naturally.