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05/01/2011

Fybromyalgia: Please Don’t Bring the Pain

By Will Blesch

If pain is weakness leaving the body, I’ll just stay weak. Thank you.

In my last blog posting, I discussed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In this posting, I’d like to
talk about Fibromyalgia, or FM which is similar in many respects to CFS. Like CFS, little
is known about the causes of Fibromyalgia.

Unlike with CFS, I don’t personally know anyone with Fibromyalgia. However, I
recently saw a report on the disease on Fox News’ “Health Storm Center” (which I have
conveniently embedded in this blog for your viewing pleasure) that made me realize how
close the affliction actually is to CFS.

Since I just did a blog on CFS…I thought, you know, why not this too?

As you can see from the video, the disease has many of the same manifestations as CFS,
such as: “fatigue, disturbed sleep, stiffness, reduced functioning, dyscognition, and
depressed mood.” (American Journal of Therapeutics) Further, since patients may have
one or many of the varying symptoms, (which other disease processes also exhibit)
diagnosis is difficult.

Also according to the American Journal of Therapeutics, “Many patients also have
comorbid [In medicine, comorbidity is either the presence of one or more disorders (or
diseases) in addition to a primary disease or disorder, or the effect of such additional
disorders or diseases.] conditions such as depression, irritable bowel syndrome,
temporomandibular disorder, or migraine.”

Fibromyalgia first became noticed in 1824 when it was described by a doctor in

Edinburgh, Scotland. (Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach) Since then, the
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05/01/2011
disease has been linked to chronic infection by the Epstein Barr Virus. (Acta Medica
Portuguesa)

Since there is no cure for this malady that has no proven cause, the saying, “an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure” really holds true. If you’re already healthy, then
helping to prevent yourself from acquiring viruses that are linked to FM by boosting your
immune system makes sense.

I think that since there are antiviral supplements on the market that have been
scientifically shown to kill some of the more common human viruses out there, (just
Google, “Gene Eden” ) one could combine taking these supplements with light exercise,
stress management techniques, (a bit of calming yoga anyone?) and doing one’s best to
get better sleep.

Besides sleep, you could also enhance your energy levels with a B vitamin supplement.

Finally, since chronic viral infections can cause chronic tissue inflammation, anti-
inflammatory foods like zinc, ginger, fish oil, and turmeric should also be part of a
preventative regimen.

I have to wonder…if the average person attempted to prevent the onset of Fibromyalgia
by preventing a chronic viral infection…would diagnoses of FM be reduced?

References:

McCarberg BH. “Clinical Overview of Fibromyalgia.” American Journal of

Therapeutics, 15 Feb. 2011
ME Williamson, “Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach,” (New York: Walker and
Company, 1996)
Branco JC, Tavares V, Abreu I, Humbel RL “Viral infection and Fibromyalgia” 7 June,
1994