Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue (CFS) Therapy
Treatment for Fibromyalgia
and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Therapy
Fibromyalgia is a mysterious, chronic condition which is often a debilitating disease that affects approximately 10 million people in the US (most of whom are women), according to the National Fibromyalgia Association.
Treating Fibromyalgia Pain and CFS can be tricky because there is no agreed-upon cure for Fibro or CFS, the general consensus at present for the best methods of treatment are: pain management, lymphatic fluid movement, and the improvement of sleep.
All of these things are improved
with lymphatic massage.
Traditional Treatments for Fibro and CFS
Medical advice that is often given is to take medication usually in the form of several of the following medications: muscle relaxants, antidepressants, painkillers including anti inflammatory drugs, opioids or opiod-like drugs, anti seizure medications to alter pain perception, as well as various sleeping medications in order to help the sufferer obtain critical restful sleep. Sadly, many fibro patients end up being referred to pain clinics by their primary health care provider because he or she is nervous about writing so many scripts.
The problem is that all of these drugs merely mask pain symptoms – for example they manage pain or alleviate pain, they may help improve sleep or mitigate sleep disturbances. What they do not do is address the triggers of these conditions.
Fibro folks who are fed up with this ineffective standard medical approach seek out Alternative Treatments to mitigate symptoms.
By far the best form of massage or Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is lymphatic massage. Many people suffering from Fibro or CFS make lymphatic massage a part of their regular monthly self care routine. Read on to find out more about why lymphatic massage can help fibro and CFS.
NEW RESEARCH
Lymphatic Vessels Drain the Brain
So Lymphatic Drainage Can Help Fibro
Relatively recent mapping of the brain’s structures have shown that lymphatic vessels exist in the brain. These lymphatic vessels drain out old Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF), taking with it cellular waste from the brain.
What the Research Says
Lymph Functions as a Flushing Mechanism
“Studies indicate that most of the glymphatic flushing that occurs in the brain occurs during sleep – a problematic time for many people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. Then there’s Dr. Perrin who swears that his lymphatic drainage techniques help people with chronic fatigue syndrome. He believes the cognitive and other problems found in ME/CFS are due to too much sludge in the system.”
(Credit: “Medical Game-Changer” To Shed New Light on Neuroimmune Diseases”)
You can read the actual research about this process here.
Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Therapies That Are Helpful for Fibromyalgia and CFS
Electro-Lymphatic Therapy (ELT) and Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) (a.k.a “Lymphatic Massage” are excellent ways to move fluid throughout the body, including the brain, helping to detox tissues and purge “garbage” from the brain that might be contributing to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
Lymphatic massage ultimately is a great way to relieve pain naturally and promote better and deeper sleep.
Concerned Treatment Will Hurt?
Rest assured that at Pain & Swelling Solutions you are trusting your care to someone who understands your pain personally. Having suffered with chronic pain for most of her adult life, Shannon Goins-Blair can assure you that treatment will be tailored to your comfort level – 100%.
While many people may offer treatment for Fibromyalgia, not many practitioners have it themselves. It’s different at Pain & Swelling Solutions because the therapist has a chronic pain and fatigue condition also.
Your needs during therapy will be honored, and you will be in a safe place to ask questions and request any adjustments to your session at any point including stopping to take a break if that is what you need.
Most people become so relaxed that they drift off to sleep – even people with Fibro and CFS who have difficulty sleeping.
“I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia around 2010 and I’ve been through the whole circus of referral from one doctor to the next, being told it was ‘all in my head,’ being told I was ‘just trying to score more pills’ despite desperately wanting to be off of them. (After several years of researching and strict diet modifications I did get off of all my medications that were prescribed for fibro.)
I know what it feels like to lie in bed not knowing how I will get through the day because of the pain. I understand what it’s like to have a disease that no one can see. I also understand that sensations that shouldn’t cause pain can be excruciating, and I’m willing to make whatever modifications are needed to help my clients.
In my journey to figure out how to help myself, I have come a very long way and now manage my pain and fatigue almost entirely without medication. I love sharing this info with my clients to give them more tools to fight these mysterious disorders.
This journey has led me to become an Integrative Health Practitioner and Functional Medicine Coach. After decades of learning and healing myself through natural means, in 2024 I launched my other business, Intentional Wellness, Inc. in which I now help others who are just as distraught and fed up with conventional medicine’s ‘Here are 20 pills for that’ approach. I teach people numerous ways to work to bring down their pain levels to live normal lives, because Fibromyalgia and CFS are caused by systemic inflammation, not a deficiency of pain killers, muscle relaxers, and antidepressants.”
— Shannon Goins-Blair, Therapist
What is Fibromyalgia?
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition that is characterized by symptoms including distinct tender points, widespread body pain (often thought to be musculoskeletal pain), severe fatigue, and insomnia. Fibromyalgia sufferers are often irritable, have headaches and stiffness, and experience a phenomenon called “fibro fog” wherein they are often forgetful or easily confused despite being intelligent people.
Hypersensitivity is another common symptom of fibromyalgia. People with fibro can be sensitive to chemical/perfumed smells such as what one might find in air freshener or laundry detergents. Others are sensitive to touch that should not cause pain (a condition known as allodynia). Common triggers are a breeze from an overhead fan, clothing touching the skin, and pain when getting into the shower when the water hits the skin.
One recent study links the presence of silicone breast implants to CFS and fibromyalgia. While this clearly does not apply to all people suffering these conditions, it implies that toxins and foreign substances to which we are exposed may be the triggering element.
Another possible cause of fibro and CFS symptoms is a disorder known as Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Likewise, mold exposure may cause these symptoms. At your appointment Shannon can can help you learn about these issues, where to get tested, what to test for, and helpful medical practitioners in the area who can assist with your journey in finding out what is wrong and how to remedy it. Lymphatic massage is one of those things, but there is a lot more to know and do.
Depression and anxiety are also commonly found in fibro folks, although the link to those symptoms is unclear. As a result, many fibro patients are put on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications by their rheumatologists when they are diagnosed. Physical trauma and emotional trauma are commonly associated with the onset of fibromyalgia, so many doctors refer fibro folks to psychologists and other mental health professionals.
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is another mysterious condition that cannot be directly diagnosed. Healthcare professionals who diagnose CFS first seek to rule out other illnesses that may be causing the symptoms.
These include sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome. Symptoms of CFS may also come from anemia and hypothyroidism. Circulatory and respiratory issues as well as mental health disorders like anxiety and depression can also mimic CFS.
Living with Fibromyalgia & CFS
Although there is no cure for Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
you can help manage your condition with natural treatments.
Stress reduction and relaxation techniques help to calm the nervous system. They can help reduce emotional stress which can improve sleep. This in turn reduces tiredness and waking up feeling exhausted.
Our brains are neuro-plastic, meaning that they can be retrained. I can teach you you how to identify the thought patterns that trigger additional stressors that make Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome even worse. Once you have identified these thought patterns, you learn how to calm your mind and calm your symptoms. This calmness can lead to better sleep patterns which help a great deal in breaking the fatigue and pain cycles associated with Fibro and CFS. These lifestyle changes are an all-natural, drug-free way to help yourself.
Another great way to help Fibro and CFS comes from eating a balanced diet that includes whole plant-based foods that are not inflammatory. Reducing inflammation can help reduce the constant aches that are present with fibromyalgia and provide more energy for those with CFS.
Finally, Lymphatic Drainage (“Lymphatic Massage”) is an excellent alternative therapy that helps to detox the body in order to relieve the symptoms of fibro and CFS.
