“Do I have Fibromyalgia” is a common question I find a lot Boca Raton residents asking themselves.
If you happen to be a fibromyalgia pain sufferer, and you live in Boca Raton, you may have just stumbled on a great resource, that is very hard to come by.
Let me clarify that.
Fibromyalgia doesn’t just occur in Boca Raton. It occurs everywhere. But, It is typically very difficult t find a doctor that understands the “ins and outs” of fibromyalgia no matter where you live.
A doctor that actually believes that fibromyalgia even exists, empathizes with fibromyalgia sufferers, and most importantly, is going to offer you a natural, non-prescritpive, safe, and effective solution to your fibromyalgia pain.
Sound too god to believe? I think not.
Unfortunately, most doctors still wonder if you really have all the fibromyalgia symptoms, ailments, complaints, aches, and pains. Especially when all the diagnostic tests that you have performed all come back negative.
How frustrating is that? To do a battery of test performed, only to have them come back negative, and be looked at like you are making it all up?
The truth of the matter is this: Fibromyalgia is a very difficult condition for a number of reasons.
Doctor are sometimes just as confused as you are when it comes to Fibromyalgia
Because doctors are taught to learn about lab tests, blood test, special studies, imaging, biopsies, and many other rapidly evolving techniques to learn and understand what is wrong with us, when the test do come back negative, they are almost at a stand still, left scratching their heads.
When all the test come back negative, it is wrongly assumed that nothing most be wrong with you.
I’m here to tell you that that is plain WRONG.
Hence, the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia usually becomes a process of elimination.
At Boca Raton Health Center, we believe we understand Fibromyalgia.
That I believe is one of THE most important important variable that determined whether you will beat fibromyalgia, or fibromyalgia will beat you.
How well your doctor understands fibromyalgia is Paramount.
That said, how one copes with Fibromyalgia also comes down to YOU. How “pro-active” will you be in coping with the fibromyalgia symptoms. Sometimes learning about fibromyalgia pain can be overwheleming. But when you understand what fibromyalgia is, along with why you have fibromyalgia, you have a recipe for eliminating fibromyalgia.
We mentioned earlier, that fibromyalgia is really a diagnosis of exclusion.That’s because Fibromyalgia does not currently have any specific diagnostic test to CONFIRM the presence of fibromyalgia.
Conditions Associated with Fibromyalgia
- neurological conditions (example different muscular dystrophies and pain syndromes)
- mental disorders,
- immune disorders,
- musculoskeletal,
- endocrine,
- and autoimmune disorders
Doctors must rule out all these before a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is reached.
Therefore, the right doctor that comprehends the presentation of fibromyalgia, will typically suspect fibromyalgia from the onset, while eliminating other disorders along the way.
This is essential when tackling the pain associated with fibromyalgia.
As a Boca Raton Chiropractor, We eliminate all other conditions, and fibromyalgia is suspected from the beginning. When this happens. intervention for your fibromyalgia can start a lot earlier.
The criteria for Fibromyalgia Diagnosis:
The first American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published criteria happened in 1990. The ACR’s current criteria for defining fibromyalgia syndrome includes:
- a history of pain that is affects all 4 quadrants of the body (both left and right side, above and below the waist),
- the pain last more then three months
- the presence of at least 11 (out of a possible 18) tender points.
It is estimated that 2-4% of the population suffer with fibromyalgia.
I believe this is WAY to low. That’s because the criteria put forth by the ACR is one such that if you suffer with some but not all of the above, you are not considered to have fibromyalgia.
That’s is, many people have other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, not included in the ACR’s criteria. Other fibromyalgia symptoms not laid out in the criteria that many fibromyalgia sufferers have are: insomnia or not having deep restful sleep, irritable bowel syndrome or (IBS), mental confusion, fatigue or chronic fatigue, and only 4 of the 18 trigger points.
Some of the complaints can be quite bizarre. When you combine all the uncertainties and question marks, it’s easy to see why fibromyalgia is misunderstood both by you and your doctor.
A more complete list of Fibromyalgia Symptoms:
Sleep disturbances
headaches and facial pain
abdominal discomfort
poor digestion
irritable bladder
numbness and tingling
chest pain
cognitive disorders
environmental sensitivity (sensitive to light noise, odors, weather, as well as allergic reaction to a variety of substances)
disequilibrium
Allodynia (lower the average pain thresholds)
central sensitization (nerve cells that supply the brain become more excitable, overamplifying sensations of pain)
Carol Jessop MD, reports that a sample of close to 1000 of her fibromyalgia patients showed:
- 100% had muscular pain
- nearly all suffered from fatigue and inadequate sleep
- most were battling depression
- 40% had Raynaud’s syndrome (cold hand and feet with poor circulation)
- 24% had anxiety
- 10% had elevated temperature
- 65% had low temperature (suggesting thyroid problems)
- 86% had low blood pressure (suggesting adrenal problems)
- 85% had white spots on their nails (suggesting poor digestion and absorption)
- 73% had IBS
- 82% tested positive for yeast in their stool culture
- 80% had bloating, gas, and/or indigestion
- For a more thorough list of clinical signs of fibromyalgia click here
Fibromyalgia is also closely associated with arthritis, however, with Fibromyalgia, usually their is joint pain or inflammation. Instead Fibromyalgia sufferers have generalized muscle and soft tissue pain.
So whether your still asking yourself the question “Do I have Fibromyalgia”, or your doctor is wondering whether you have ANYTHING, let alone Fibromyalgia, knowing WHAT fibromyalgia is, will lead you to WHY you have fibromyalgia.
Knowing the “Why” I have Fibromyalgia is as important the “WHAT” in Fibromyalgia.
Knowing the Why you have Fibromyalgia, will allow you to ultimately beat Fibromyalgia.
Give us a call and we can discuss doing a no charge no obligation consultation to determine whether you are suffering from Fibromyalgia.
We can review your history, and determine if the risk factors exists for getting fibromyalgia. Once we do that, we can provide a holistic, nutritional and therapeutic solution to fibromyalgia pain in Boca Raton.
