A diagnosis at last?
You might have been hurting for some time now. Your joints hurt, your muscles hurt, you have abdominal pain, you may have a persistent headache, and even your skin is sensitive to touch. You’ve been to a number of doctors and had plenty of tests done, and no organic – observable and testable – cause shows up. Finally your current doctor gives you a diagnosis: you have fibromyalgia. Finally you know what’s wrong with you.
But do you? Let’s take a look at that. First, what does “fibromyalgia” mean? The word comes from the Greek and Latin, as is the case with many fancy medical words. “Fibro” refers to connective tissue, “myo” means muscle, and “algia” means pain.
So here’s what just happened. You went to the doctor, who did a lot of tests and didn’t find anything. Your complaint was that you hurt all over and don’t know why. When your doctor says you have fibromyalgia, she or he is saying in Greek/Latin that you hurt all over and they don’t know why. You didn’t really get a meaningful diagnosis, you just got an expensive word that told you what you already knew.
What’s really going on?
However, there is a kind of diagnosis that really means something in terms of what can actually be done to make the fibromyalgia go away. Every disease has one or more causes, and if the disease becomes chronic – lasts more than a few months – that cause is ongoing and not just past tense. Only by figuring out the cause or causes and addressing them can the illness actually be taken care of for good.
So what are the causes of fibromyalgia?
As with all chronic illness, there are many possible causes and combinations of causes. Not all fibromyalgia is the same; different people with fibromyalgia can have different symptoms. Certain fibromyalgia symptoms point towards particular causes. For example:
- Painful lymph nodes in the neck can be due to toxin buildup.
- Painful trigger points – up to 18 of them – can come from whiplash and improper dental bite.
- Sleep disturbances such as insomnia are often related to a mineral deficiency or imbalance.
- Muscle spasms and restless leg syndrome can come from low minerals or low vitamin E.
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS; abdominal pain) can be caused by food intolerance such as gluten, and also by microorganisms, root canals, or nickel allergy.
- Numbness, tingling, and burning can be caused by heavy metals or chemicals.
More specifically…
But what kinds of chemicals? What are heavy metals and where do they come from? How can you tell if your minerals are unbalanced, or if your body structure is off?
Chemicals
Although, technically speaking, everything, good and bad, is chemical, the term here refers to those things that don’t belong in your body and can do you harm. These include solvents such as those in paint and glue, pesticides, formaldehyde which is found in carpets and cabinets, and diesel fumes. Even perfume is toxic. Medications such as statins can cause muscle pain, and pain medication, sometimes taken for fibromyalgia, can actually worsen the pain in the long run. Harmful chemicals can be found in many processed foods; MSG and artificial sweeteners in particular can affect the nervous system. Silicone breast implants have been implicated in many cases of fibromyalgia in women.
Metals
Heavy metals come from many sources, but one of the most common is right in your own mouth: metal dental work. Mercury from metal (silver-to-black) dental fillings is one of the most common culprits. Nickel is found in a lot of crowns, bridges, and root canal posts, and sensitivity to nickel is common; IBS (sometimes called fibromyalgia of the bowel) is one of many possible symptoms. Cadmium is found in cigarette smoke and comes off of brake linings, so if you live near a busy street you might be inhaling cadmium.
Dental work and the battery effect
Speaking of dental work, a common problem with metals in the mouth, as well as a common cause of fibromyalgia, is electrical charges that come from metal dental work. If you have two or more different metals along with a conductive solution such as saliva, you essentially have a battery. If your nervous system is continually being zapped, metal dental work could be the cause and constant pain could be the result. A knowledgeable practitioner or biological dentist can determine whether this is a problem for you. Removing or replacing the offending dental work is the usual solution.
Whiplash
Physical trauma, such as a car accident or sports injury, precedes fibromyalgia for some people. In many of these cases, the culprit is whiplash; neck injuries are more likely than other kinds of injuries to lead to fibromyalgia. Once your neck is out of place, the rest of the body has to contort itself to try to find balance. A good chiropractic or osteopathic evaluation and series of treatments can help with this.
Microorganisms
If you have flu-like symptoms, IBS, or fatigue, microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, or yeast can be the cause. Blood and stool tests can help diagnose these, and there are antibiotics and anti-parasitic medications that can get rid of the troublesome bugs.
Immune system
Immune system problems are often involved in fibromyalgia, and themselves might be caused by some of the above triggers.
Diet
Diet is a major contributor to fibromyalgia, and is one of the easiest things to change and experiment with. The standard American diet can contribute to fibromyalgia and other diseases in a number of ways: You probably aren’t getting the nutrition you need. You could be feeding yeast and bacteria with a high sugar diet. Many food additives, as mentioned, can be harmful to the nervous system. You might be having an allergic reaction to one or more components of your diet; the most likely offenders are gluten or wheat, dairy products, soy, and corn. The detoxification diet promoted at CAM addresses these food-related causes of illness. The book Detox or Disease, by Dr. Bill Kellas and Dr. Andrea S. Dworkin, describes this diet in detail.
For more information
There is a wonderful book on fibromyalgia, as well as the associated problems of fatigue and chemical reactivity. That book is Ending Fatigue, Pain, and Reactivity, by Dr. Andrea S. Dworkin and Dr. Bill Kellas. This book goes into considerable detail about the causes and treatments of fibromyalgia and fatigue. This book, as well as Detox or Disease and other related books, is available at CAM or through this website.
