As fibromyalgia chiropractors in Rochester Hills, Michigan, we have had quite a few patients with fibromyalgia come to us for help. And through our many years of practice, we’ve seen how a few lifestyle changes can greatly help with fibromyalgia pain relief.
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Living with Fibromyalgia
If you suffer from fibromyalgia, you’re likely experiencing constant pain throughout your body. This causes frustration, exhaustion, and a lowered quality of life. For some people, it becomes a hopeless and debilitating condition to deal with.
But by making some lifestyle adjustments, you can experience improvements in your condition. There is also one form of natural relief that has reduced the severity of the symptoms in some patients.
Here are five lifestyle changes to achieve natural fibromyalgia pain relief:
Establish a Support System
Friends and family members who don’t live with fibromyalgia can give you some much-needed support. However, talking to someone with the same experiences offers a connection on a deeper level.
Meeting or chatting with people who are going through a shared experience can be helpful on many levels. It might also point you new relief options that you may not have tried or encountered in your search for answers.
Keep a Healthy, Nutritious Diet
It is especially important to pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking when you live with fibromyalgia. What you’re consuming can be just as important as the foods you should avoid.
Incorporating fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can help keep your gut healthy and energy levels up. Make sure to get enough vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce inflammation and muscular pain.
Some people living with fibromyalgia find success in eliminating potential flare-up triggers. Some examples are dairy, caffeine, processed foods that contain food additives (i.e. MSG or aspartame), and gluten.
Practice Proper Stress Management
Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but there are tools we can use to manage it better. For people living with fibromyalgia, stress levels can be one of the number one things that triggers a flare-up of symptoms.
Relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises can help you to feel better. Winding down your day with a warm bath can also ease stress, relax muscles, and set you up for a better night of sleep.
Keep an Active Lifestyle
When you’re feeling fatigued and have pain all over, exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. However, exercise is one of the best ways to alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, and it doesn’t take vigorous training to feel some relief.
Exercise increases endorphin production – the body’s natural pain-killing hormones. It also improves strength, flexibility, and sleep quality.
Starting slow is the way to go. Take a walk around the block with the dog (or a friend), pedal for 10 minutes on a stationary bike, or swim a few laps in the pool.
You can also attend a yoga class for added relaxation and meditation.
Follow Proper Nervous System Care
The more that people are learning about fibromyalgia, the more it seems that fibromyalgia is a “miscommunication” of pain signals within the central nervous system (CNS). People who live with fibromyalgia experience pain differently than those without the condition.
People used to believe that fibromyalgia was an inflammatory condition. But over the years, researchers have determined that the central nervous system is causing an amplification of pain.
The top two vertebrae of the spine protect the delicate brainstem, a crucial part of the CNS. A misalignment of these two bones may compromise the way the CNS works. As a result, fibromyalgia symptoms may develop.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia Relief
Upper cervical chiropractic care focuses on the uppermost vertebrae in the neck (atlas and axis). It is the region that forms a connection to the base of the skull.
Where the head and neck meet is a critical part of the central nervous system (CNS) that is relevant to people with fibromyalgia for several reasons:
Brainstem Function
The brainstem controls many of the body’s life-sustaining functions. It also acts as a switchboard for signals traveling between the brain and body.
The position of the atlas between the head and neck makes it responsible for protecting the brainstem. An atlas misalignment can inhibit normal brainstem function and possibly lead to the development of fibromyalgia.
Restoration of Normal Blood Flow
Normal atlas alignment plays an essential role in the ability of blood to flow normally between the head and neck. It gives the tissues of your central nervous system the oxygen and nutrients it relies on to work properly.
Improved Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow
Cerebrospinal fluid is produced in the brain. Abnormal positioning of the atlas can obstruct the normal flow of CSF, increasing pressure inside the head.
We at Balanced Living Chiropractic employ a gentle yet precise technique to correct misalignments of the atlas and axis vertebrae. They are non-intrusive and specifically designed to cater to the unique situation of each individual.
Once these bones go back to their correct positions, the body begins to heal itself naturally. Slowly, fibromyalgia symptoms can fade away.
Our patients can attest to the effectiveness of our methods as fibromyalgia chiropractors in Rochester Hills. If you are curious to find out more, call us at 248-831-0729 or contact us online.
To schedule a complimentary NUCCA consultation, call 248-831-0729 or just click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.