Fibromyalgia Treatment with Integrated Chinese Medicine

A recent study has found that T'ai Chi can improve quality of life for fibromyalgia sufferers

, with both mental and physical improvements noted for the T'ai Chi group, significantly more than the control group who were given wellness education and stretching exercises.

Although this was a small scale study, it is further evidence for the health benefits of T'ai Chi and Qi Gong, especially for difficult conditions such as fibromyalgia, which Chinese Medicine classes as knotty problems' which involve complex interconnections of different causes and symptoms. A number of previous studies have also shown that acupuncture can significantly improve symptoms in fibromyalgia, especially pain, fatigue and anxiety.

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition involving pain and other symptoms such as tiredness, increased sensitivity to gentle touch, weakness of the limbs, sleep problems, anxiety, depression and muscle spasms. Difficulty concentrating and problems with the memory are common this is often referred to as brain fog' or fibro-fog'. The clinical picture varies tremendously from person to person, with each individual having different symptoms.

The cause of fibromyalgia is not understood by conventional medicine. A number of ideas have been proposed, relating to sleep disturbance, stress, and abnormality of neurotransmitters (such as dopamine and serotonin) in the brain. Because this is a poorly understood condition, Western medicine has little to offer by way of treatment drugs used include analgesics, muscle relaxants, hormones, anti-depressants and anti-seizure medication. Naturally, there are side-effects with most of these drugs, and the success rate is quite low.

For knotty problems' such as fibromyalgia the individualised treatment offered by Chinese Medicine can be very effective. This is especially the case when an integrated approach to treatment is followed Acupuncture and Tui Na can be used to regulate the hormones and strengthen the Qi to boost energy levels and reduce anxiety. Tui Na massage is especially good for relaxing tense muscles and easing muscle spasm.

The brain fog' of fibromyalgia is a common symptom of Dampness' in Chinese medicine, which can effectively be tackled with acupuncture and / or tui na. Nutrition can be extremely useful to reinforce the effects of the treatment, especially in boosting energy levels and clearing brain fog'. And as the recent research has shown, regular T'ai Chi or Qi Gong practice can also significantly improve overall health and reduce symptoms.

As the symptoms of fibromyalgia are interconnected, an integrated approach involving more than one type of therapy can tackle different symptoms at the same time, leading to a gradual improvement in all areas of health and well-being. In my experience, this is normally considerably more effective than just one kind of treatment, eg acupuncture alone.

Fibromyalgia Treatment with Integrated Chinese Medicine

By: Neil Kingham

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