How Chiropractic Care Cab Help Manage Fibromyalgia Symptoms
If you have fibromyalgia, you may have some questions about how chiropractic can help you. Here's what we know.
A complex illness, theories abound about what actually causes fibromyalgia. However, chiropractic does have a strong role in managing the symptoms of this difficult disease.
Fibromyalgia affects the soft tissue of the body, causing muscle pain and fatigue. It disrupts the neuroendocrine system, particularly the system that controls how a person responds to stress.
Fibromyalgia patients are unusually sensitive to stimuli the rest of us are not. Because this is a typical feature of fibromyalgia, the question becomes, is there something wrong with the Central Nervous System of a person with fibromyalgia?
All information received from the outside world is collected and analyzed by a person’s Central Nervous System. The main focus of chiropractic care is how it can positively affect a person’s nervous system. Studies are beginning to support this theory.
In one preliminary study, chiropractors combined spinal adjustments with a specific soft tissue technique known as ischemic compression. Upon completion of a series of treatments, 60% of patients showed a significant improvement in pain reduction, improved sleep and decreased fatigue.
The Emerging Role of Chiropractic in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia
I think with continued research we’ll find that chiropractic has a new emerging role in the treatment of fibromyalgia.
Certainly, here at Lowman Chiropractic, I’ve seen an increase in the number of patients with 
fibromyalgia seeking treatment for neck and back pain, as well as leg cramps.
Many of them find just a few adjustments to their neck and spine can greatly relieve the chronic pain they live with everyday.
Additionally, some fibromyalgia patients also have upper cervical spinal stenosis, which leads to the compression of the coverings of the upper spine, called meninges. That means these patients experience pain across their entire body.
I am familiar with this condition and adjust the neck and head so that the spine is not compressed. This alleviates some of the chronic pain so typical of fibromyalgia.
When working with fibromyalgia patients it’s always better to do less treatment rather than more. Too much work in one session can cause a patient to become further exhausted. A light touch and shorter sessions are required for fibromyalgia patients to see results.
If you have fibromyalgia, consult with your medical doctor to see if chiropractic would be a good fit for you. We also recommend massage and exercise to round out a holistic approach to healing this baffling disease.
Call us today to set up an appointment with me. Let’s talk about your symptoms and an approach that could help relieve you of such debilitating symptoms. Lowman Chiropractic, Saunton, VA 540-886-5500