| What is fibromyalgia? What is CMP? What is CFS? | | | | There are some symptoms that affect patients |
| These are not conditions that are well known in | | | | with all three conditions. They all cause pain of |
| the general population and they are often | | | | some type, sleep disturbances, and headaches. |
| misdiagnosed or ignored altogether. | | | | They can all be caused by some sort of trauma, |
| Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects the soft | | | | either physical or emotional. In fact, many were |
| tissues of the body (muscles, ligaments and | | | | diagnosed after having an injury that just didn't |
| tendons) causing widespread pain, especially at | | | | seem to heal. In most patients with these |
| specific points on the body called trigger points, as | | | | conditions it is also quite common to find |
| well as a number of other symptoms that seem | | | | symptoms of anxiety or depression. |
| completely unrelated including fatigue, headaches, | | | | While western medicine recommends a number |
| sudden vision changes, sinus problems and many | | | | of treatments including pain killers and physical |
| more. This is one of the biggest reasons that the | | | | therapy, in fact these may actually make the |
| condition is either misdiagnosed or not diagnosed | | | | problem worse. Pain killers merely mask the |
| at all. Doctors just don't make the link between all | | | | problem and create a whole host of side effects |
| the symptoms. | | | | in the body, and physical therapy can make the |
| Fibromyalgia affects about 2% of the population, | | | | pain worse by over working already tender |
| according to the most recent data, but the actual | | | | muscles. But there are treatment options available. |
| number could be dramatically higher given the | | | | According to an article published in the Journal of |
| problems with diagnosis. The condition affects | | | | Clinical Rheumatology, massage therapy is more |
| both men and women; however women are | | | | effective in patients with fibromyalgia, CMP and |
| much more likely to suffer from it than men. The | | | | CFS than pharmaceutical medication and massage |
| risk increases with age, and while it is often | | | | therapy alone gave long-term positive results. |
| triggered by a traumatic event, it can appear with | | | | Massage therapy improves sleep, and helps to |
| no triggering event at all. | | | | relieve the pain in the muscles. The study |
| There are a couple other conditions that are very | | | | compared 24 patients treated with massage |
| closely related to fibromyalgia, and often your | | | | therapy compared with other treated with |
| doctor does recognize that you have a problem, | | | | relaxation techniques for 30 minutes twice a |
| he can misdiagnose it as one of these other | | | | week over five weeks. Both groups was had a |
| conditions because the symptoms are nearly | | | | reduction of anxiety and depression, but only the |
| identical. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed by having pain in | | | | group that had massage therapy reported an |
| at least 11 out of 18 trigger points on the body | | | | improvement in their sleep a reduction in their pain |
| that lasts 3 months or more. Chronic fatigue | | | | level as well as decreased sensitivity at the trigger |
| syndrome, or CFS for short, is quite similar, with | | | | points. |
| the main difference being that CFS primarily | | | | This study, along with my own independent |
| affects the body's ability to get the deep, restful | | | | research has found that the patients who choose |
| sleep it needs. There is a pain component with | | | | natural methods such as the use of essential oils |
| CFS as well. Another difference between CFS and | | | | and massage therapy have a much better quality |
| fibromyalgia is that patients can recover from | | | | of life than those who just take heavy doses of |
| CFS, though it often takes years, while patients | | | | pain medicine and anti-depressants. |
| with fibromyalgia never will, but they can learn to | | | | Using essential oils with your massage is a great |
| manage their pain. | | | | way to increase the relaxation and pain relief of |
| One other condition, for which the name is often | | | | your massage. You can also apply it to your body |
| used interchangeably with fibromyalgia, is | | | | at the painful area, or on your feet every night |
| myofacial pain syndrome, or MPS. This condition | | | | before bad time. It will work like magic. You will |
| has very similar symptoms, including trigger points. | | | | find yourself getting out of bad in the morning |
| However, MPS affects the myofacia, which | | | | with less stiffness and pain and with more energy |
| surrounds the muscles and the pain is a bit | | | | since you'll be able to sleep more soundly as well. |
| different. It's not at all uncommon for someone | | | | There are a few essential oils that will help you |
| with MPS to have pain in one area from a trigger | | | | improve your overall feeling of well being and help |
| point somewhere else. There also seem to be | | | | your muscles recover. All you need are a few |
| more trigger points with MPS, though this is just | | | | drops of Cardamom, Peppermint, or Lavender |
| speculation. | | | | and you'll be feeling like new before you know it. |