Chinese Medicine Offers Help for Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Neil Weinberg, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.
” If there is free flow there is no pain, and if there is no free flow, there is pain.”
Chinese Medicine Axiom
Helen had suffered with pain and insomnia for many years and almost never had relief from her symptoms. While she had previously been an active person and loved bicycling and cross country skiing, she was unable to enjoy either activity because of the severity of her pain. She had undergone every possible medical test and diagnostic procedure and no definitive diagnosis was forthcoming. She was very frustrated. Many of the doctors she consulted dismissively told her that ” it was all in her mind,” and nothing was wrong with her other than depression. She did feel slightly depressed, but that was because of her unremitting pain, insomnia and resultant fatigue. Ultimately her rheumatologist diagnosed her with Fibromyalgia. She felt relieved to finally have a name for what she had been experiencing, but discouraged because she had heard that fibromyalgia was incurable.
It is estimated that fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) affects at least 6 million Americans. The age of onset varies greatly but most commonly occurs during midlife. Fibromyalgia is a very complex condition. Fibromyalgia is defined as a condition which is characterized by pain in the muscles and soft tissue fibers of the body. It is the third most common rheumatologic disorder after osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. FMS mostly affects women between the ages of 20 and 55 years of age. Approximately 90% are cases are women with an average age of 49. Its most common symptoms are chronic, widespread, severe muscular pain, aching and stiffness, often accompanied by depression, insomnia, morning stiffness, anxiety and fatigue. Approximately 75% experience some sort of sleep disturbance. It is a debilitating condition of unknown cause, or most likely caused by several factors involving a complex relationship between the body and mind. However, it is not considered to be a purely psychosomatic condition. Since 1997 the American Medical Association has recognized fibromyalgia as a diagnosed illness and a major cause of disability. Some of its symptoms overlap and are confused with chronic fatigue syndrome or chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome, however fibromylagia sufferers usually experience more severe muscle and joint aching and pain. One of the key differentiating symptoms separating FMS from other pain syndromes is the presence of tenderness or pain upon pressure at least 11 out of 18 specific points on the body. Interestingly, some of these points correspond with ancient acupuncture points. Another key factor in fibromyalgia is its chronicity; the symptoms must last at least 3 months to fall into the constellation of symptoms that are characterized as FMS.
There are several approaches to the treatment of FMS, and many patients resort to potent pain relieving medications and others drugs to treat disturbed sleep. Unfortunately, many of these pharmaceuticals lose their effectiveness over time and are too often accompanied by troublesome side effects and possible toxicity. However, a safe natural approach such as Chinese medicine can often be extremely effective and without side effects. Chinese medicine takes a very different tact, because rather than masking the symptoms of FMS, it can treat the root cause of the problem and thus eliminate it. This treatment approach can be compared to digging out the root of a weed, rather than repeatedly cutting off the top, just to have it grow back again and again.
According to the principles of Chinese medicine, an imbalance in the flow of Qi and blood can create the symptoms that we call FMS. The causes of this imbalance are often trauma or stress, a loss of blood or energy flow to several different areas of the body, nutritional deficiencies from an inappropriate or unbalanced diet, or toxic exposure. When Qi and blood are abundant and flowing freely, there is no pain. When qi is deficient and/ or blocked, pain, stiffness, insomnia and many other symptoms can result.
Recent studies suggest that a multi-faceted health plan including acupuncture and Chinese herbs show great promise for those diagnosed with FMS. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has funded studies and concluded that acupuncture is a useful therapy for fibromyalgia and provides “significant improvement ” in the reduction of pain symptoms. Acupuncture can be effective even when all other treatments have not provided relief. A study at the Mayo Clinic with 50 patients who had not found relief from a variety of other therapies, reported that acupuncture was a very useful treatment with the most promising results found for the relief of pain, anxiety and fatigue.
Chinese medicine can provide a safe and effective alternative treatment for the increasingly common western diagnosis of FMS. While not a panacea, this gentle and safe treatment approach can often provide invaluable relief for this life altering condition.
Helen tried many different medications, including antidepressants and pain medications but she was still suffering. On the recommendation of a close friend who had experienced positive results, Helen decided to try acupuncture, mostly out of desperation. At first she did not see any lasting results, and had given up all hope of ever finding help. Fortunately, she persevered with her treatment and after 3 months, ultimately found the help she was had sought for so long. She is now sleeping better, is starting to exercise again and feeling much less pain. She has not yet returned to her prior state of health, but is on the road to recovery. As she recently tearfully stated, ” I’m getting my life back.”
Neil Weinberg is a Licensed Acupuncturist and board certified herbalist. He specializes in pain management. He provides wellness care at the Integrative Medicine Center and has been serving the Ithaca community for more than 11 years.