Welcome to the first in my Herbal Health Series: Disease of the Month. I am so excited you came to join us today.
This Herbal Health Series will have a monthly post about a disease that is commonly found more often in woman, how it presents, symptoms, and how herbs can be used to help in these diseases, along with other holistic therapies. Grab a pen and paper, throw on some easy listening music, and get ready to dive in deep with me. Our very first Disease of the Month is Fibromyalgia. If you are one of the 4 million people, the majority being women, who suffer from this, then you understand just how debilitating and devastating this disease can be. For those of you not familiar with fibromyalgia, it is a debilitating condition characterized by intense pain all over the body. Some individuals have the pain localized to one spot, but that seems to be a rare presentation. Ouch! Fibromyalgia is very hard to get diagnosed. This is because it's a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning they have ruled out everything else it might be, and this is the only one left, so it must be that. That is not very comforting to many people. It feels like it's hardly a real diagnosis when there isn't a test result that says definitively that "Yep, its fibromyalgia!" As of this writing, February of 2021, there is still no definitive test one can have run to determine that it truly is fibromyalgia and not something else entirely. So, just why is it so hard to diagnose? Well, the symptoms are fairly vague and can be symptoms of a great many diseases. The main symptoms that an individual presents with to the herbalist or doctor are crushing fatigue, muscle stiffness, increased pain sensitivity, reduced concentration, brain fog, poor memory, headaches, insomnia, and commonly IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) as well. Many also have anxiety, depression, TMJ, and tension headaches. Right now off the top of my head I can name 5 other disorders and diseases that have those exact same symptoms. This is why it is so difficult to pinpoint and treat. Well, hell, you might be thinking, if they can hardly even diagnose it, how in the fuck can they treat it? That is a very good question. Modern medicines go to for treatment is to treat the symptoms. They will prescribe narcotic pain medications for the pain, sleeping pills for the insomnia, anti-depressants for the brain fog and fatigue and depression and anxiety, and as needed pills for the IBS symptoms. And while this helps a lot of people, it doesn't work for everyone. And many fear becoming dependent of the narcotics. Anyone who has had that happen, knows 2 things. 1. they are very, very hard to get off of. 2. when you stop taking them you get rebound pain, meaning that your body actually hurts WORSE than it did before you ever started on them. YIKES! So, how is coming to see myself or another Master Herbalist going to be any different than seeing a modern medicine doctor? Well, the first thing I do is go searching for the root cause of why you have developed fibromyalgia. What am I talking about, huh? Well, simply put there is usually a root cause, a reason, why you developed fibromyalgia. That isn't something that is normally even mentioned much less treated in the modern medicine world. Some common reasons one develops fibromyalgia are an event such as physical trauma, surgery, infection, or significant psychological stress. In some cases, symptoms build up gradually without an event or trigger being able to be identified. Researchers believe that a triggering event causes the spinal cord and brain to get out of sync with how they process and relay to you painful and non painful signals. And anyone who has fibromyalgia will tell you that they also have triggers that cause flare-ups. What could constitute a trigger? Well, poor diet or a change in your diet from your normal, hormones (and it affects women more who have hormonal changes monthly? Great!), physical or psychological stress, change in your schedule, sleep pattern change, change in weather or temperature, and lack of exercise. And, of course, one may have things that trigger them, that are different from this list or not included. Ok, so we find the root cause after a detailed health history assessment and prolonged discussion (called a consultation.) Now what? The way we treat it with herbs is based on your own root cause, your triggers, and your symptoms. Below, I will detail a generic baseline treatment, but know that if you came to see me for this particular disease, you would get a much more personalized approach. For a baseline treatment, here are the therapeutic actions we go for and the herbs in each category that are best known for those actions and their ability to help fibromyalgia. Therapeutic actions used in treating Fibromyalgia with herbs:
Also, I would usually recommend, based on root cause, Therapy to help deal with any trauma that may have caused the beginnings of this as well as to help deal with the emotional impact one receives from having an "invisible" illness that is also highly misunderstood. Not just by lay people but also the medical community at large. I would also highly recommend monthly or bi monthly visits with a massage therapist, chiropractic care, acupuncture, osteopathy, and perhaps a support group. I also refer individuals to personal trainers to help them develop an exercise plan that will get you moving and keep you moving, even on flare days. As contradictory as it sounds, pain is made worse by immobility. Muscles need to move to help lubricate the joints and stretch out sore spots. Overall, my job as a Master Holistic Herbalist, is to find the root cause, treat the root cause, treat the symptoms, triggers, and flares, as well as the mind and spirit of my client as well. I treat the entire person to get them back to optimal health. Modern medicine states there is no cure for fibromyalgia, and that may be true, but the many women I have put on the above protocol, with personalization, have had so much improvement that they say that fibromyalgia is no longer the defining factor in how they have to approach life. Isn't that amazing?!! Fuck yes! Even though fibromyalgia is still a fairly misunderstood disease in the modern medicine world, one can easily find hope in the holistic approach of a herbal treatment plan. Do you suffer from fibromyalgia? What herbs have worked for you? Any other secrets or tips you want to share for others to try? Comment below! Blessed Be, Shannon *And as always, before starting any of the herbs above on your own, please consult myself, another Master Herbalist, or your medical doctor to discuss the potential interactions with any prescribed medications you may currently be taking.*
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AuthorShannon, master herbalist, shares her thoughts, educational information, and more. Archives
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