FibromyalgiaRecent studies indicate that approximately 2% of the
population in this country suffers from fibromyalgia. The actual figure is
probably much higher than that because fibromyalgia is widely under-diagnosed or
misdiagnosed. Even the people who have been given a diagnosis of fibromyalgia
have usually spent many frustrating years trying to convince doctors that there
was really something wrong with them.
Why is it so hard for conventional Western medicine to
diagnose fibromyalgia? For one thing, there are no lab tests or x-rays that can
diagnose it. Fibromyalgia is something like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in that it
is not seen as a clear-cut disease caused by a specific agent, but rather as a
collection of symptoms. If a patient exhibits enough of the standard
fibromyalgia symptoms, then she is diagnosed with fibromyalgia (women are much
more likely to have fibromyalgia than men). Fibromyalgia means "pain of the
muscle fiber," and the most characteristic symptom is a high level of pain
in muscle tissue.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
While not all affected persons
experience all associated symptoms, the following symptoms commonly
may occur together:
• chronic pain
• debilitating fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• anxiety and depression
• joint stiffness
• chronic headaches and jaw pain
• difficulty swallowing
• dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
• hypersensitivity to odors, bright lights, and loud noises
• inability to concentrate (called "fibro fog")
• incontinence
• irritable bowel syndrome
• numbness or tingling in the fingers and feet
• painful menstrual cramps
• poor circulation in hands and feet (called Raynaud's phenomenon)
• restless legs syndrome
DiagnosisDiagnosis is made when there is a history of widespread pain in
all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months
and pain when pressure is applied to at least 11 of 18 designated
tender points on the body. This condition does not result in any
physical damage to the body or its tissues and there are no laboratory
tests which can confirm this diagnosis.
Symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many
cases there appears to be no triggering event. Women are more prone to
develop the disorder than are men, and the risk of fibromyalgia
increases with age.
Fibromyalgia patterns based on TCM differentiation:
1- Liver Qi Stagnation - anxiety,
emotional upset, headaches (including migraine headache), being easily
angered, muscle stiffness in neck and shoulders, insomnia, waking
frequently and having difficulty falling back to sleep, irritable bowel
syndrome. All symptoms may be triggered by emotional stress.
2- Qi and Blood Deficiency - specifically spleen qi deficiency
and heart blood/liver blood deficiency, with such symptoms as chronic
fatigue, exhaustion, dull headache, loose bowel movement, IBS, muscle weakness and numbness,
insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep and waking up tired, palpitations and
depression.
3- Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis - aches and pains in the whole body, burning or gnawing pain with tingling sensations in extremities, headaches.
4- Kidney Deficiency (either Yin, Yang, Qi or Essence Deficiency)
- there will be impotence or lack of libido for males and infertility
issues for both males and females. Other symptoms: sore lower back with
restless leg syndrome, irritable bladder, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea,
premenstrual syndrome, hot flashes and night sweats.
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Fibromyalgia:Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine provide relief of symptoms by balancing yin and yang, and moving the
qi and the blood. A lot of tender points of Fibromyalgia are on or adjacent to actual acupuncture points. For example the tender points at the base of the skull are actually on the Gall Bladder Channel (GB-20), and the name of the point in Chinese is "Feng Chi" meaning Wind Pool and is traditionally used for headache, head wind, one-sided and generalised headache, dizziness and so forth. A regular plan, with
long-term, consistent integrative treatment is necessary in patients
with fibromyalgia.
Chinese herbal medicine works wonderfully for relief of Fibromyalgia pain. Herbal formulas can be used to move the qi and blood, increase circulation, strengthen kidneys, and or tonify spleen and heart.
Acupuncture research for Fibromyalgia:
A study conducted by the University of Washington
and the Center for Health Studies at Group Health
Hospital,
suggests that more than half of all participants had clinically meaningful
improvements:
- Pain
46%
- Fatigue
51%
- General well
being
45%
Another study suggests that
acupuncture demonstrates positive change in the Visual Analogue Scale, myalgic
index, number of tender points, and improvement in quality of life based on the
SF-36 questionnarie.
[Ref: /soc. For acupuncture research-10th Ann. Symposium 2003;29. Targino, RA., et. Al., Curr Pain headache Rep., 2002 Ar.; 23(1):49-0.]