Fibromyalgia

I remember when my mother first started having pains all over her body, and in her muscles and joints. The doctors said it was all in her head and gave her Valium. This was about 40 years ago. Luckily, we have come along way from that ignorance, and can offer some real help to those in need of pain relief, as well as a sympathetic ear.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a long-term (chronic) condition and causes:

• Widespread pain in the muscles and bones (musculoskeletal pain)
• Areas of tenderness
• General fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Depression
• Memory problems (Brain fog)
• Bowel and bladder problems (eg IBS, Interstitial cystitis)
• More often in women

Fibromyalgia pain

Pain is the hallmark fibromyalgia symptom. You’ll feel it in various muscles and other soft tissues around your body. The pain can range from a mild achiness to an intense and almost unbearable discomfort. It’s severity could dictate how well you cope day to day. Fibromyalgia appears to stem from an abnormal nervous system response. Your body overreacts to things that shouldn’t normally be painful. And you may feel the pain in more than one area of your body.

What causes fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia flare-ups can be the result of:

• stress
• injury
• an illness, such as the flu

What are some of the remedies that may help?

Bryonia: Aching in every muscle. Painful stiffness. Hardness of painful muscle groups. Headache, fever. Pain is stitching and tearing. Heat and swelling. Stitching pain. Irritable, thirsty. Worse by any motion, stooping, jarring, exertion, touch. Better by rest, lying, pressure, local heat, open air, hot applications.

Causticum: Chronic inflammation with contraction. Stiffness, need to bend, stretch, crack joints. Sore all over as if broken or crushed. Tearing, drawing, burning pains. Restless limbs. Paralytic weakness. Numbest of single parts. Worse motion, cold, clear weather, evening. Better warmth, warm bed, wet weather, limbering.

Cimicifuga: Muscular soreness with heavy, stiff, numbing, violent aching, tensive pain and a restless feeling in the limbs. Twitching and jerking. Rheumatism affecting the belly of large muscles, spasm. Pains like electric shocks, here and there. Feels sore and bruised all over, sensitive spine. Pain in muscles of shoulder, neck, and back. Worse menses, damp/cold, motion, touch. Better by warm wraps, pressure.

Gelsemium: Muscular weakness with complete relaxation and prostration. Limbs, heavy, tired, weak, loss of muscular power. Useful in muscular incoordination and prostration. Fevers, dull, lethargic. Aching, numb, cold. Occipital headache, neck pain. Vertigo, trembling. Worse from humid/wet weather. Better continued motion, urination.

Kalmia: Rapidly shifting location. Shooting, neuralgic pains. Nerve, muscle, joint inflammation. Tender, swollen. Numbness, tingling, heat and trembling after pain. Shooting pains travel downwards, come and go gradually, change place after rubbing. Aching, bruised, sore, tender. Burning and heat in the spine. Worse motion, touch, cold, left side, night. Better warmth, rest.

Phytolacca: Soreness – Restlessness – Weakness – Swollen, hot joints. Onset after tonsillitis. Inflammation of muscle, fascia, tendon. Shifting, changeable, shooting pain. Shock-like, electric shooting pains. Stitching, pressing pains, changing rapidly, shoot up and down. Fibrous inflammation with stiffness. Soreness all over, aching. Restless but worse motion, weak. Extreme soreness all over. Abrupt start and finish of pains. Intense exhaustion. Worse motion, damp, cold, night., pressure Better by warmth, dry weather, resting, daytime.

Ranunculus: Muscle pain in thoracic (mid-back) area, numbness with stitching pains and tenderness. Pain from sitting stooped over writing, tender to the touch, sore and stiff from overuse. Pain is sharp, stitching, shooting. Bruised soreness. Intense episodes. Burning in small spots around ribs, spine and shoulder blades. Muscular pain in back of hands from typing/writing, overwork. Worse by motion, touch, cold, damp, evening. Better by warm application, drawing up the limbs, warm weather.

Rhus Tox: Connective tissue inflammation (ligaments, tendons, cartilage). Tearing, drawing, burning, stitching. Bruised soreness, as if sprained or beaten. Pains spread over a large area. Need to stretch or move which relieves the pain. Heaviness in the limbs, neck, low back, sacrum. Lameness. Inflamed joints are red, shiny and swollen. Restless, painful, and stiff worse after rest, better limbering. Worse by initial motion, rest, cold, damp, night, overexertion. Better by continued motion, warmth, rubbing, stretching.

Additional measures: Keep moving with gentle exercise such as walking, yoga, tai chi etc. Gentle massage or therapies such as Bowen Therapy or Osteopathy can greatly reduce inflammation in the body. Remove all the deadly nightshade vegetables from your diet for at least 3 months. Slowly re-introduce one at a time and note if it triggers inflammation in your body. Eliminate altogether if it does.

For further enquiries on this or any musculoskeletal condition, book in for a free 15 minute chat here

References: Hershoff, Asa, 1948 -Homeopathy for Musculoskeletal Healing.Boericke, William, Pocket manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory.Boger, C.M. A Synoptic Key to the Materia Medica.Healthline, Kristeen Cherney, updated on June 29, 20