Finally, after feeling pain and experiencing fibromyalgia flare-up symptoms for several days, you are back to your usual self. While it may not be as comfy and ordinary as the life you had before the onset of your fibromyalgia condition, at least you get to hold a pen and lift your fingers without wincing. And then it dawns upon you, when will the pain stop? Is there an end to my suffering?
So, you begin exploring your options—from visiting a fibromyalgia chiropractor in Cranberry to taking medications like muscle relaxants or anticonvulsants. Do these things work? How can they help you get to the bottom of your painful disorder?
To find the answers to these burning questions, we need to learn a bit about how the condition develops in the first place. Then, we retrace the connection between fibromyalgia and the brainstem and how this link plays a pivotal role in finding long-term relief.
Living with Fibromyalgia
Unlike the misinformation that fibromyalgia causes joint inflammation and damage, it wreaks havoc on the central nervous system. As a result, it can cause a plethora of problems ranging from unbearable pain all over the body, nausea, vomiting, stomach problems, and extreme fatigue.
It can also impact cognitive function, confusing you about your whereabouts and slowing down your ability to process information. Many patients with fibromyalgia also note that they have a hard time falling and staying asleep.
While it may not be as frightening and detrimental as other health conditions like cancer, fibromyalgia is no less challenging to deal with. It’s a chronic issue that many doctors find hard to diagnose. In fact, you can still find plenty of cases of fibromyalgia patients who remain unaccounted for as they have mistaken their condition for another.
Also, others who have started seeking medical assistance have yet to uncover the extent of their condition. Sometimes it takes years to get a definitive diagnosis due to the condition’s complex nature and the absence of a standard diagnostic test for fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia and Your Brainstem – Understanding the Link
Studies on fibromyalgia continue to pile up to help fibromyalgia patients, especially those who have suffered so much. According to some findings, the condition likely happens when your brain fails to communicate appropriately with other body parts. The problem then eventually leads to increased pain sensitivity and reactivity, making it extra challenging to cope with the symptoms.
Doctors call this condition central sensitization. When you have central sensitization, your brain struggles to process and interpret pain. Sometimes, the situation gets so bad that even a light touch on your skin can feel unbearable. In addition, it can cause you to experience depression or anxiety as you wait for a flare-up to occur. Central sensitization can also lead to troubled sleep, which further enhances the impact of your neurological condition.
Researchers explain that understanding central sensitization and stopping it in its tracks may be the key to helping fibromyalgia patients live normally again.
Central Sensitization, Fibromyalgia, and Upper Cervical Care
Relief from the widespread pain and the other horrible symptoms of fibromyalgia is elusive to many patients. That’s why it’s not surprising why many people diagnosed with FM feel frustrated and helpless. At times, taking medications like muscle relaxants and NSAIDs may help minimize some of the symptoms. However, most of the time, addressing one or two of the symptoms with drugs barely makes a difference.
This is why it’s not surprising why most patients turn to alternative and naturalistic relief options, such as upper cervical care. People with fibromyalgia choose to go to a fibromyalgia chiropractor in Cranberry because of its focus on the neck area. When the bones of your cervical spine tilt or shift after an injury, they can impact your brainstem.
As you may know, the brainstem is a critical part of your nervous system. It acts as a bridge and facilitates the flow of information into your brain. Without it functioning correctly, your brain might receive incorrect information, leading to problems like central sensitization.
Here are other essential functions of the brainstem:
- Running body processes like digesting food, distributing blood in tissues, and breathing
- Processing and understanding signals about sensation, temperature changes, and pain
- Controlling the movement or contraction of your involuntary muscles such as those located in the heart, blood vessels, and intestines
- Regulating your awareness, consciousness, and alertness
With the help of a fibromyalgia chiropractor in Cranberry, you have the chance to rectify any misalignment problems along your neck. This way, you can restore the functions listed above, and your body can slowly recover from the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
There’s Hope for Fibromyalgia Patients After All
Your neck is an integral part of the body. Besides holding the head and supporting its weight, your neck bones protect the uppermost portion of your spinal column – the brainstem. If your brainstem tissue gets irritated by any changes in the C1 and C2 neck bones, you might end up developing central sensitization, and in the long run, fibromyalgia symptoms.
If you believe you have neck misalignments after suffering from an injury or if you’re tired of seeing little to no improvements from your condition, you can try upper cervical care. Talk to a fibromyalgia chiropractor in Cranberry and learn more about how simple restoration of your neck and spine health can result in tremendous changes in your life.
So here’s the deal. If you know someone who needs a professional look at dealing with these issues, please give us a call. If they’re in the greater Pittsburgh area where our clinic is located, we’d love to be able to help them. If they’re outside of our region of the world, we’d like to connect them with someone who can help.
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To schedule a consultation with Revive Upper Cervical Chiropractic, call 724-772-7060, or fill out the form below.
If you are in or around the Cranberry Township area and are looking for an opinion. In that case, you can visit Dr. Bulow at the Revive Upper Cervical Chiropractic. Our practice is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9 am to 6 pm; Wednesday from 1 pm to 6 pm. You can also drop by on Fridays between 9 am to 12 noon.
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