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New Choices in Natural Healing: Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia

Some doctors say that fibromyalgia comes from using muscles too much, to the point where they are stressed or get injured. Others say it’s the result of not using your muscles enough, another consequence of a sedentary lifestyle. Either way, this condition leaves muscles hurting so bad that the pain interferes with moving around and even sleeping.

Suspect fibromyalgia (which means pain in the fibrous muscle tissue) if you feel intense pain when you press on tender points in your neck, shoulders, chest, hips, back or buttocks or if you feel an all-over muscle pain that lasts three months or longer, especially if you’re in your forties or older. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help relieve some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...

Your muscles in your neck, shoulders, chest, hips, back or buttocks are so tender that pressing them makes you jump with pain.
Your muscle pain is accompanied by fever, sleeping problems or depression.
You also have all-over achiness that has lasted longer than three months.

Food Therapy

“Barley green can be helpful, because it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent when you have fibromyalgia,” says Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. “Try to have it once a day; just sprinkle it on your salad, or mix one to two tablespoons in water and drink it straight.” Barley green is available in most health food stores.

Yoga

As part of your daily yoga routine, be sure to include poses that stretch and strengthen your joints, muscles and nerves, says Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. These include the knee squeeze (page 612), spine twist (page 614), easy bridge (page 619) and cobra (page 622). Christensen says that these will help reduce the pain of muscle spasms by keeping you more flexible. Note: Do not do the easy bridge pose during the second half of pregnancy.

See also Muscle Cramps and Pain

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