Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Hardly a day goes by in my office that a patient does not come in and tell me that they have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue  syndrome. In both of these conditions, the causes are not really known. Many times these conditions are misdiagnosed as hypochondria, flu, depression,  premenstrual syndrome, and other disorders. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome is often only given by ruling out other  health and psychiatric problems. In fibromyalgia, there are nine pain points that are used to help diagnose this condition. They are the lower neck, the second rib, upper thigh bones, the middle of the knee, the base of the skull, the upper back, the middle back, the side of the elbow, and the upper and  outer buttocks. Some possible factors that may contribute to these conditions are the mercury toxicity, especially from mercury fillings in the teeth,  anemia, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, candida, and parasites. It is important to address these factors not only concerning these conditions but for  general health. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are not phantom conditions — they are the result of a stressed nervous system.

All health conditions are made worse by emotional and lifestyle stress. When beginning to resolve any health condition we must ask ourselves some basic questions. “Are there relationship or financial problems in the family? Has there been a death, a move, or other dramatic change? Do I really take enough time out for the things I really enjoy?” I am not a psychiatrist but I do know that these questions must be addressed and resolved in order to rid ourselves of unwanted health issues.

Biochemical stress, if not the main cause, is at least a complication. Your body can only work as well as you feed it. Some food compounds interfere with the body’s chemical processes. This can cause nerve interference and damage. Nerve interference and damage cause illness, pain and dysfunction. As with most conditions there are seven major food categories that must be avoided. Those categories include alcohol, meat, sugar, dairy, coffee, soda, and artificial sweeteners. Any of these foods can cause or aggravate fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. Even if you don’t suffer from any of these conditions, these foods will adversely affect your health. Another major area that must be addressed for these conditions are food allergies. The most common food allergies are milk and dairy products, wheat, chocolate, yeast, and in some cases even corn, oranges and eggs. When the body has an allergic reaction it takes a lot of energy to get the immune system working in order to combat the allergen. In order for the body to have all this energy it calls on the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline. By constantly exposing yourself to these foods that cause allergic reactions, you are constantly draining your natural supply of adrenaline. The adrenal glands can only be stressed so far until they start to burn out and malfunction. They will stop producing as much adrenaline as they should and this will cause you to be in a constant state of fatigue. This will also have an adverse affect on your mood and your motivation. If you are constantly fatigued this a sign that something is wrong and it should not be ignored. Worse yet we shouldn’t try to artificially stimulate the body with things such as caffeine or drugs. This will only cover up the symptoms of fatigue and make the problem worse in the long run.

It isn’t only food that can cause allergic reactions. Chemical allergies and sensitivities also must be addressed. Things such as perfume, air fresheners, cleaning products, soaps, shampoos, and deodorants can also cause allergic reactions. I strongly suggest you don’t expose yourself to perfume, air freshener, or any artificial scents. Use only natural, chemical free cleaners and natural products on your body to avoid having allergic reactions.

In order to treat chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, we must start by giving the body the proper nutrients it needs in order to heal. If you have gotten yourself to a state of disease, you have depleted your body of important nutrients. The first step is to rebuild the stores of vital nutrients needed to have the body function properly. We can rebuild these lost stores of nutrients by eating a diet consisting of mainly raw fruits, raw vegetables, raw nuts and seeds. Always be sure that as much of these foods are organic. Organic foods are not exposed to pesticides and dangerous chemicals, which can actually make your problem worse. Organic foods are also higher in nutrients, which is what we need to get the body back to normal function. If you do eat any cooked foods they can only make up about 20% of your diet. They must be fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Water is also extremely important part of this program. Distilled water is the best, filtered water is the next best. The way to determine how much water to drink is to take your weight in pounds and divide it in half. That amount is how many ounces of water you need to be drinking every day. For example a 200 pound person would need to drink about 100 ounces of water each day.

The physical aspect of health must also be addressed. It is important that the body get plenty of rest so that it can heal itself. Improper spinal bone alignment will interfere with nerve function, muscle function, and organ function. The way the body works is the brain sends messages down the spine out the nerves to every cell in the body and tells each part of the body what to do. If the nerve is being pinched it cannot carry the proper message from the brain to the body and thus the body will not function at 100%. These as well as all health issues are directly related to how well your nervous system is functioning. There are many books and articles written concerning proper nutrition for these and other conditions, however I have yet to find anything written concerning spinal misalignment and how it affects these conditions. The reason most programs that only address nutrition have a very low success rate is that the nervous system cannot be ignored. By following the nutritional guidelines that were just presented and by correcting pinched nerves, the body will be able to begin the healing process. If you partially follow the advice, you will only get partial results.

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