Fibromyalgia
Allopathic (Western) medicine defines fibromyalgia as a chronic disorder associated with widespread muscle and soft-tissue pain, tenderness and fatigue. Diagnosis is made by pressing 18 areas to check for tenderness, and if at least 11 of the points are tender and the pain has been present for at least three months, you are diagnosed positive for fibromyalgia.* Usually you will be prescribed some kind of pain medication and counseling for chronic pain management.
[*NOTE: Unfortunately, this was never intended as a method for diagnosing Fibromyalgia; in a research study this was used as a criterion for admitting patients into the study, not to diagnose patients. Patients may have widespread tenderness and not have Fibromyalgia, and other patients may have Fibromyalgia and not have at least 11 of the 18 specific tender points.]
Recent Western research has leaned toward a body-wide metabolic and neurochemical cause, including deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which causes increased pain sensitivity. Although allopathic medicine has not found a definitive cause for fibromyalgia, in terms of Chinese medical diagnosis, there is always a component of dampness, and the tissues will feel somewhat “spongy” to the touch. Dampness easily combines with heat or cold, and typically the condition will be aggravated by either hot or cold weather, or the application of heat or cold. A damp-producing diet (see the section below) will cause and keep fibromyalgia going, and needs to be changed. Living in a damp climate will aggravate fibromyalgia, and typically patients will feel better in a dryer climate. The digestive system is responsible for transforming fluids, and if it is not working well, you will tend to accumulate dampness in various body parts, and for some people that is in the surface layers of the body. Acupuncture and damp-draining herbs and foods are very successful with treating fibromyalgia, as long as the practitioner is careful not to over-treat the patient. Massage will help with the acute part of the pain, but will not treat the underlying conditions causing fibromyalgia.
If you have fibromyalgia, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual, by Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland, is an excellent resource and it gives an in-depth look at the physiology of the condition. This Western resource discusses the concept of “interstitial edema,” which I believe correlates to the Oriental concept of “Damp-heat or Damp-cold in the Muscles.” Interstitial edema is where “interstitial fluid” is found in the “interstitial space,” or “Third Space.” It’s neither inside the cells nor outside the cells, so the structure of the interstitial space is hard to visualize, but there is a transfer of informational and other substances between blood and lymph through the interstitial space. Lymph fluid is composed of interstitial fluid, and it brings to cells substances that they need, and carries away excess liquid and metabolic waste. If something interferes with the flow of lymph, such as lack of exercise, improper breathing, constipation, or muscle tightness and restricted range-of-motion, all the excess liquid and metabolic waste can become trapped in the sluggish lymph, leading to swelling of the tissues.
Foods to avoid:
- Yeast
- Pork and other rich meats
- Cucumber
- Roasted peanuts (including peanut butter)
- Tofu
- Concentrated juices especially orange and tomato
- Crab
- Sugar and sweeteners
- Eggs
- Saturated fats
- Wheat
- Beer
- Bread
- Dairy, including cheese and yogurt
- Bananas
- Pop and other sweetened beverages, all kinds
- And anything that makes you feel “phlegmy” when you have a cold!
Foods that may be helpful for draining dampness & phlegm:
- Barley
- Corn
- Lemons
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Celery
- Onions
- Kohlrabi
- Clams
- Lettuce
- Seaweed
- Grapes
- Alfalfa
- Sardines
- Pears
- Grapefruit
- Peppermint
- Radish
- Shrimp
- Almonds
- Walnuts
For more information on Diet and Foods, see Perpetuating Factors.
Treating Pain
Most fibromyalgia patients also have at least some trigger points (see What are Trigger Points?), but there are also distinct differences. Trigger points restrict range-of-motion, while hyper-mobility is common with fibromyalgia. With trigger points, usually only the trigger point itself is tender, whereas fibromyalgia patients experience tenderness pretty much everywhere to some degree. Seventy-five percent of fibromyalgia patients also feel fatigued, don’t feel rested upon waking, and are stiff in the morning.
Treatment of trigger points with professional help and the self-help techniques in this website will help manage the pain associated with fibromyalgia, but you will also need to address the underlying causes and perpetuating factors in some manner in order to obtain lasting relief. See an acupuncturist if possible.
© Valerie DeLaune, LAc 2013
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