​Those who deal with chronic pain issues need a bit more guidance than your average Joe.  For those sufferers, friends and family members often leave an unintentional deaf ear when needed the most.  It is not that these individuals intend to leave us astray, but rather they can't fully comprehend the daily tasks of trials and tribulations that leave us drained and anxiety ridden. 

It is at these times that prayer is most needed.  By allowing your life's path to be by guided by God takes the onus of control off your back.  As you well know, life offers no control.  If we have control for the moment, it is often fleeting, leaving us without a moment's notice.  After all, there are times in life we must go with the flow, drift on the river of intent, and hope it leads us to peaceful grounds.  By questioning and admonishing what is happening to us only leaves us with a life of regret.  And, as you well know, stress causes more pain, and that you can do without.  Put your pain in someone's arms, allow your life to be guided, ask God to come in, and pray each moment you need him most.  You will be amazed at how often your prayers are answered and peace is blessed upon you.

If you need some spiritual inspiration, God's Message Today offers a Monday's Blessing Blog.  I write this blog, too, as an outlet to aid my own spirituality.  I realized at the onset of this illness I needed a higher power to get through life's daily nuances prayer has amazing attributes and can help you battle that fire in our souls.

Dr. Mehmet Oz offers this advice, "Regardless of what motivates people to pray, there's no denying that a lot of people do it. One study shows that 36 percent of people use complementary and alternative medicine, but that number almost doubles when prayer is included in the definition. Those respondents say they use prayer for their own health and to help others. Even more telling: Of those people who said they prayed for
health reasons, 70 percent said that prayer was helpful. Why? Seems like it may work through several different mechanisms:- It relaxes: A form of meditation (no matter what your religious preferences), prayer helps to slow breathing and brain activity, and reduces heart rate and blood pressure. All relaxing, all good.
- It's positive: Let's face it. When you pray, you typically don't finish feeling like you want to rap somebody's ankles with a wooden spoon. You leave being filled with peace, joy, and other emotions that are worthy of being printed on holiday cocktail napkins. There's some evidence that these emotions lead to positive physiological responses throughout the entire body. Our stress hormone levels prepare for a peaceful existence. Perhaps more importantly, our immune system becomes less agitated so chemicals like proinflammatory cytokines, which act like kerosene on a fire, are not driving our joints and arteries to overreact to every biologic stress inside us. The result: A less inflamed, more beautiful place to live.- It's better than nothing (i.e. the placebo effect): I'd be remiss in my reporting if I didn't say that some of the benefits derived from prayer can simply be accounted for because the person feels like it's helping, whether it's physiologically helping or not. Placebo effects have been shown to account for 70 percent of the benefit
in some procedures. My stance here is that thinking you're doing something to help yourself is a big part of prayer anyway." He recommends reading You Being Beautiful.

Change is inevitable on your trek with this new syndrome.  The signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia are diverse.  It is odd the way they can appear and fluctuate in severity depending on numerous factors, such as weather conditions, stress, level of physical activity, poor nutrition, hormone fluctuations, and even the time of the day.  These and other components, when combined with the many different symptoms can affect the complexity of the syndrome. 

Fibromyalgia is a complex syndrome, and its symptoms are complex as well.  Knowing what causes this would certainly make our journey easier.  But, advent research is on the horizon, and will soon develop more effective and sophisticated treatment plans.  Until then, there are many options to explore as seen here on this website that will make your life much easier. 

The good news is, by following many guidelines here, you may find improvement in your condition.  More importantly, it has been noted, that according to individuals who combine natural and appropriate medicinal support, you can actually find yourself in remission!  Take a moment and jot down which of the following symptoms you experience so that as you peruse this site you can find aded relief.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms:

Persistent muscle pain
Fatigue
Joint Pain
Sleep disturbances
Headache
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Fibro Fog
Confusion, impaired attention
Hypersensitivity to chemicals, allergens
Hypersensitivity to alcohol, medications
Mood swings, depression
Anxiety
Numbness or tingling sensations
Painful menstrual periods
Shortness of breath
Vision problems
Carpal tunnel syndrome like pains
Vision problems
Sensitivity to temperature changes
Chest pain like symptoms
Heart palpitations
Frequent infections
Weight changes - gain or loss

So what are you waiting for?  Dig into this site and regain your health!

​Everyone talks about the physical side of fibromyalgia, but what a lot of non-sufferers and non-believers do not understand is how much we suffer emotionally as well. Going forward, I will refer to these people as the “nons.”

Try having to live with a chronic illness that no one really understands and that some don’t even believe exist. Try living with the fact that even your own spouse, family, and friends are nons and don’t believe in you, or they feel you are a liar or hypochondriac. Try dealing with the stress that comes with not being able to get medications that help you or doctors who listen to you. Try living a life without your family and friends. These are just a few examples of what the nons do not seem to understand about us.

I’ve spent most of my life feeling frustrated, angry, let down, and alone — all due to my illness. I’ve been frustrated because I can’t do the everyday things I need to do to keep up my house and to take care of myself, let alone what I truly enjoy. I feel alone because I can’t get anyone to listen to me. My friends got sick of me forgetting important events or canceling plans at the last minute due to a flare. I feel let down because the medical profession can’t seem to help me. I am angry that my body continually betrays me. Activities that are easy for the nons are almost impossible for us.

Is it any wonder that depression is a frequent symptom of fibromyalgia? Try living a life that at times doesn’t seem worth living. No matter how hard we try, we can’t win. When we are happy, nons steal our joy by putting us down or by reminding us that we are worthless.

I’ve been accused of being lazy and unmotivated. You have no idea how motivated I am and what lengths I’ve gone to to feel better. I’ve seen more doctors and specialists than I can count. I’ve tried almost every form of holistic medicine out there. Some work and some not so much, but I keep trying because I want to be better.

There are quite a few of us who have low or no self-esteem. How can you feel good about yourself when no one else does?

The worst thing I’ve ever been told is that I am a burden. Wow! Talk about a punch to the gut. No one wants to be a burden. But what our spouses, friends, and family don’t understand is that someday, they may be the one who needs help.

What happens if one of them ends up with a chronic illness or disability and they need our help and support? I, of course, would do anything I could to help. But think about it: If you treat me like garbage, how can you honestly expect me to be there for you, especially when you haven’t been for me?

I wish the nons would try to see our side and actually listen to what we are saying. You can still have empathy and compassion for someone even if you do not understand what they are going through. Just look into our eyes and see our pain. It is there. You really don’t have to look hard at all. You just need to look.

While waiting for the nons to come around, seeing a counselor or attending group therapy can be helpful. Joining support groups and patient websites is a way for us to find friendship and comfort with others like us. There are medications for depression that a physician can prescribe. All of these can be helpful to relieve our depression and emotional distress. But honestly, what would really help all of us immensely is a little empathy and compassion from the nons.  By: Carrie Anton

There are times we need to be reminded that life is not like it once was. This becomes increasingly more meaningful especially after we've had bouts of energy that can be delusional to our minds.  These are the times we actually feel more whole, wasting energy in a mad dash to complete things that have been sitting for quite some time.  

After these bouts we are locked back into the reality of it all as we wait in anticipation for our bodies to heal.  Often, this doesn't come as fast enough, and we beat ourselves up for being so driven.  

We are all on our own journeys, some further in healing than others.  But, the bottom line is that fibroymalgia will rear its ugly head in all our lives in one way or another.  This article reminds us to continue to be gentle and forgiving of ourselves.

I think one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do was to say goodbye to the life that I loved. I was never really an extrovert, but I really enjoyed being with people. There are some days now when I feel like I went from being an introvert to a hermit, and I hate it.

I used to love cooking, and I can’t even tell you the last time I cooked a meal. Fibromyalgia (FM) prevents me from standing too long, and the fatigue overwhelms me when I try to help cook. It makes me so sad.

I always enjoyed cleaning my house and making sure it was comfortable for my family and times when we had company. I loved it when my kids had their friends over. It was just joyful to me.

But those days are gone for me; my pain has increased and my energy has dwindled, and I don’t anticipate it coming back. So, to my old life and the person I used to be, I needed to say “goodbye.” It’s not healthy to dwell on what we no longer can do, and who we no longer can be.

So, to my new life and the new person I’m becoming day by day, I say “hello.” Hello to more pain and the ability to be more compassionate. Hello to more fatigue, and the time to be there when someone needs me. Hello to the freedom of time I have to devote to writing, and encouraging others who also are struggling with fibromyalgia.

Ask my husband, and he’ll tell you that I absolutely love anything new and different. I like the latest technology, and seem always to be upgrading. I love moving the furniture around, and trying to see how I can make our space more comfortable and interesting. But THIS new and different? Not liking it at all. Due to incredibly low energy I need to enlist my husband’s help when I need to clean or declutter.

When we moved two years ago, so much of the packing and unpacking was delegated to my husband and family; FM rendered me unable to help much. Even packing one box required at least two hours of lying down. When we moved into our new home 45 minutes away, I made sure the bed was unloaded and set up first.

I miss seeing my friends and family. I understand they have busy lives and their own concerns, and don’t necessarily have the time to be thinking about me and how I’m doing. It really doesn’t take much to pick up the phone and give someone a call or send someone a text or card and just say, “Hey I was thinking about you. How are you today?” But in our busy world, it seems people don’t take the time to do that as often as we’d like. It’s probably because they just don’t think of it. But those of us with FM seem to have nothing but time.
​
So, it’s very much a reluctant, tearful goodbye to my old life, and a reluctant, tearful hello to my new life. Although I really miss the old me before FM, I’m learning to embrace and enjoy getting to know the new me. -Fibromalgia News Today

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered a brain signature that identifies fibromyalgia (FM) patients with 93 percent accuracy. The discovery opens possibilities for improved fibromyalgia diagnosis and treatments in the future.

The report, “Towards a neurophysiological signature for fibromyalgia,” was published in the journal Pain. 
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues. Patients with FM show enhanced reaction to painful and non-painful sensations that are accompanied by altered neural responses.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers performed brain scans on 37 FM patients and 35 healthy controls. All subjects were exposed to painful pressure and non-painful visual, auditory, and tactile cues during the scans.

Computerized machine-learning techniques allowed the researchers to identify a brain-based FM signature. Specifically, when exposed to the same painful stimuli as people in the healthy control group, FM patients showed greater neurologic pain signature responses. The method relies on a computer algorithm developed by CU Bolder researchers to recognize a complex pattern of neuronal activation in the brains of subjects exposed to pain.

Researchers found that FM patients had increased responses in three sub-markers, which correlated with hypersensitivity to pain characterized by the condition. When researchers combined the neural signature methods, they were able to classify FM patients from controls with 92 percent sensitivity and 94 percent specificity.

“The novelty of this study is that it provides potential neuroimaging-based tools that can be used with new patients to inform about the degree of certain neural pathology underlying their pain symptoms,” Marina López-Solà, a post-doctoral researcher in the university’s Cognitive and Affective Control Laboratory and the lead author of the study, said in a news release.

The tools also provided an initial characterization of individual FM patients based on pathophysiological, symptom-related brain features. Results can help physicians place patients more accurately into subtypes and provide individualized treatments.
​
“Though many pain specialists have established clinical procedures for diagnosing fibromyalgia, the clinical label does not explain what is happening neurologically and it does not reflect the full individuality of patients’ suffering,” Tor Wager, director of the laboratory said. “The potential for brain measures like the ones we developed here is that they can tell us something about the particular brain abnormalities that drive an individual’s suffering. That can help us both recognize fibromyalgia for what it is – a disorder of the central nervous system – and treat it more effectively.” - shared by Fibromyalgia News Today

Dr. Howard Hay pioneered the concept of food combining, according to nutritional author Jackie Habgood.His Hay Diet derives from the principle that digestive enzymes and the digestive process vary greatly depending upon the type of food you consume. Hay asserts that the digestive system should not have to handle foods that your body processes differently in the same meal. Followers of the diet must learn how to combine foods using meal plans and menus.

One of the fundamental principles of the Hay Diet is that people should not consume proteins and starches in the same meal, according to Peter Thomson of Peter's Food Combining Shop. This rule extends to highly starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, as well. In addition, highly processed foods that include white flour have no place in the food plan. An ideal protein-based meal might include a tomato- or chili-based soup containing beans, shrimp, salmon or squares of tofu. Try a peanut sauce over stir-fried broccoli or a salad sprinkled with nuts and seeds. A starch-based meal may center on a vegetable soup with a vegetable stock, served with whole grain crackers or brown rice.
​
A lunch plan for food combining is relatively simple and follows eating in a specific order for satisfactory digestion. This does not mean that all of these categories of foods should be eaten in the same meal; it means that the categories should be eaten in a specific sequence. The best-digested meals are in fact very simple ones, including a maximum of three foods per meal.

​As you can see in the chart above, the foods have been divided into four general categories:

• Fresh fruit
• Starches
• Animal Protein
• Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit

For a properly combined meal, simply choose ONE category and only eat foods out of that category for that particular meal. The foods listed within the same category combine well with each other, and you may also include anything from the “Neutral” column to fill out your plate.
Wait 3-4 hours between each meal, before switching categories.

Clinical experience and in-depth testing have begun to point to Lyme disease complex, co infections, and weakened immunity, which could answer the question of that all over flu-like symptoms experienced by fibromyalgia sufferers.  More than likely, since your illness is regrettably linked to those infected with Lyme disease, most you have tucked away that negative report you received when you first reported your illness.  

Lyme is characterized by an infection called Borrelia, which is a tube-like bacterium that works by releasing bacterial lipoproteins (BLPs). These BLPs are a type of neurotoxin that lead to memory problems; hormonal imbalances; burning neurological pain; generalized inflammation; gastrointestinal discomfort and numbness; not to mention symptoms like swollen lymph nodes; fever and chills; headache and stiff neck; muscle and joint paint; and the most common symptom, lack of energy.

These spirochetes are covered in antigens, which act like fingerprints that make them easy to mark in the immune system. When your Killer T Cells find these antigens, they know to destroy the invading bacteria. However, when the borrelia spirochete burrows into the body, its antigens are smeared over healthy tissue, which the killer T cells attack because they cannot differentiate between healthy and unhealthy tissue. When this happens, it can produce an autoimmune disease or fibromyalgia. The more the spirochete moves through the body, the more BLPs it releases which impairs the immune system, creates inflammations, irritations and wreaks havoc to the peripheral and central nervous system.

Because of this, the early stages of Lyme disease complex can be very difficult to diagnose, even with a blood test. In addition to physical examination results, most doctors will rely on environmental factors such as exposure to ticks.  Yet, most patients don't remember getting bitten by a tick.

Here's something you may be unaware of- Patients can contract an infection at any point in their lifetime, but the symptoms can very well lay dormant until the individual is weakened (immune compromised), usually by a traumatic experience such as a major injury, giving birth, receiving a vaccine or even extreme emotional trauma such as divorce or death. Such trauma will undoubtedly affect the HPA axis.

The HPA axis is where experts have argued there is a genetic link to FMS.  Chronic Lyme disease complex can affect the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in two ways: via neurotoxins and genetic shifts. So if imbalances in the HPA axis can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, depression, insomnia and generalized pain, all of which is related to fibromyalgia, then it seems there is a strong link from Lyme disease complex and its coinfections to FMS.

If you think treating Lyme disease complex is tough, you're right. If it's caught early, antibiotics may nip the problem in the bud. However, this is rarely the case, if Lyme disease is detected at all. Second, the oral antibiotics are usually administrated in a 4-to-6 week period, meaning once that treatment ends, the borrelia will make a comeback, causing the patient to relapse. Furthermore, the antibiotics do not strengthen the immune system and do little to address the co-infections, the secondary infections, the BLP neurotoxins or strip away the protective biofilm, which is a sludge produced by the bacteria to protect itself from antibiotics.

Couple this with trying to find a knowledgeable physician that will be willing to treat you on symptamologies alone since most patients will test negative to Lyme disease.  Nonetheless, I have to admit, with  more medical journals I read, there are more and more doctors specializing in this field and understanding that conventional medical practices may have to be stepped up a bit to help us.   The trick is finding one.  

Another result of the chain reaction starting with the stress response stuck in fight-or-flight mode is an all over generalized inflammation. This is actually a low-grade inflammation that results in an achy flu-like feeling.  

Inflammation in the immune system responds to tissue injury or foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.  There is evidence for overall mild activation of the immune system in fibromyalgia.  Several studies have found high levels of cytokines, chemical messengers of the immune system, in fibromyalgia. This suggests there is the presence of an actual inflammatory response.   

Any foreign invader n the body such as a flu or virus is greeting by an army of immune system cells that release chemicals to regulate the process of inflammation.  Others have anti-inflammatory detail.  The inflammatory cytokines released during an immune response are what actually cause the fatigue and muscle aches experienced during any illness.  

The inflammation in fibromyalgia comes from three different pathways that all start with the chronic activation of the fight-or-flight response.  First, fascia is in a constant stage of inflammation as the body attempts to repair tissue damage.  Second, sleep deprivation itself is known to result in elevated levels of immune cells and inflammatory chemicals such a cytokines.  Finally, immune response can be triggered by foreign objects.

Foreign invaders can wreck havoc an an unsuspecting immune system.  This can happen as food is broken down into smaller particles in the stomach.  These  tiny pieces are absorbed through the walls of the intestine into the blood stream.  Absorption of nutrients primarily occurs through the cells of the small intestine that have special "doors" that open and shut to allow selected particles through and keep unwanted particles out. 

Normally, only very small amounts of particles can slip between these doors of the intestinal walls.  But sometimes, certain issues can cause the doors to open more frequently and this is known as "leaky gut syndrome".  At this time bacteria, undigested proteins and fats, and other substances can enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response just as any other foreign invader would receive during an illness.  A recent study demonstrated that patients with fibromyalgia have "leakier" intestines that concerned health practitioners.  In this study, fibromyalgia patients showed a much higher absorption of substances that normally should be too big too fit thorough the walls of the intestine.  Actually the "doors" were allowing twice as many large particles through!  

These substances when entering the blood stream can provoke an immune response just like any bacteria or virus.  This is technically considered an allergy because it is an immune reaction to a normally harmless substance.  In fact, allergic myalgia, delayed immune response, was noted in many patients who suffer from fibromyalgia.  So not only can you ingest and not tolerate these substances, but you may not know the culprit since it could affect you hours or days after a meal.  Sensitivities and allergies to such foods and chemicals can result in muscle aches, pain, and fatigue. By targeting the culprits you can save your own immune response and live an all-over healthier lifestyle.  

Previous articles spoke of the need to boost neurotransmitters by incorporating more amino acids in your diet.  But the brain needs more than that to survive accurately.  It also relies on a host of other needs: hormones, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.  A deficiency in any one of the these can cause mood disorder and pain.

• A deficiency of essential fatty acids can create a chain reaction that leads to mood disorders: anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.  We are unable to manufacture these in the body so it is important that we obtain these from foods we eat.  So, take your fish oil tablet daily to combat this.  
• Poor sleep depletes mood-controlling neurotransmitters, including serotonin.  Decreased serotonin leads to depression, mental fatigue, lowered pain threshold, and sugar cravings.  Begin by tying various methods such as teas and Valerian drops hours before you attempt sleep to calm the body and prepare it for proper sleep.  
• Low-protein diets, poor digestion, and poor absorption syndrome all contribute to amino acid deficiencies.  Remember amino acids create neurotransmitters so add your protein powder to your smoothie each morning.  
• Magnesium deficiency affects 50% of the population.  Magnesium and vitamin B6 are co-factors in the production of several neurotransmitters.  Take your cal-mag and B vitamins each day!
• Chromium deficiency is common among those taking cholesterol lowering drugs.  It is known to cause hypoglycemia and mood disorder.  Be sure your multivitamin has your daily dose.  
• Birth control pills and Premarin deplete vitamin B6 which is needed to transform amino acids into tryptophan and phenylalanine to make effective neurotransmitters.  
• Vitamin C deficiency hurts production of dopomine which makes serotonin.  Vitamin C plays a major role in the production of adrenal "fight or flight" hormone.  Add extra vitamin C to combat fatigue.
• Emotional stressful situations cause the body to release adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin.  These encourage the brain to secrete serotonin.  The more serotonin you need, the more you deplete your resources.  I know it's tough, but stay away from stress at all cost.  
• Stimulants like caffeine, diet pills, sugar, and nicotine cause a rapid rise in blood-insulin levels.  This causes the brain to release more of that precious serotonin.  Serotonin makes us feel better for the moment, but it is short lived.  You'll need another rush soon.  Just stop, leave them out of diet.  Make a pact today to begin.    
• Low thyroid function is associated with stress, depression, anxiety, and fatigue.  Thyroid hormones help regulate concentration, mental clarity, moods, and proper brain chemistry.  Make sure to have your thyroid tested annually if you suffer from fibromyalgia.  
• Low levels of vitamin D are associated with low moods and depression as well as pain.  Have your levels checked annually if you suffer from fibromyalgia.  I know you see me preach of the rays of goodness - sunshine - once spring hits.  Make time to get out and lay out for 15-20 minutes daily.  You'll be amazed at how much better you feel after a few days.  Make you first, that's the only way this protocol works! When you're good, then you can care for those you love effectively.