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Do You Have Fibromyalgia? Learn About Your Pain Management Options

Do you have chronic muscle pain, especially abdominal and back pain? What about overwhelming fatigue? Numbness or tingling in your extremities? Stiffness? Insomnia? Headaches? Anxiety? Do these symptoms constantly shift and come and go?

As much as all of that might seem unrelated and you may just consider yourself to be always in poor health for some reason or another, it may all be symptomatic of the same one condition: fibromyalgia.

This affliction affects about 5 million Americans aged 18 and older, 80-90% of whom are women. And yet, with its wide range of symptoms, inconsistent intensity, and unknown root causes, fibromyalgia remains poorly understood by patients and medical professionals alike.

So, what do we know? Let’s go through the symptoms and potential causes, as well as the treatment options for pain management.

Symptoms of FibromyalgiaPain Management for Fibromyalgia

One of the things that makes fibromyalgia such a difficult condition to live with is how broad the range of symptoms is.

The symptoms that most define fibromyalgia, though, are chronic widespread pain and fatigue.

By chronic widespread pain, what is meant is a dull, constant, aching pain that affects both sides of the body, as well as both above and below the waist, continuing for longer than three months.

People with fibromyalgia also typically feel a constant fatigue, and report feeling it when they first wake up regardless of how long they’ve slept. Their sleep is also often disrupted by factors including pain, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea. As a result, many fibromyalgia patients experience chronic insomnia.

These and other factors can additionally contribute to a set of cognitive difficulties known as “fibro fog”. This involves difficulty with being able to remember things, pay attention, stay focused, concentrate on simple mental tasks, etc.

There’s a long list of other potential symptoms as well though, including:

  • Muscle spasms and/or tightness
  • Stiffness when you first wake up or stay in the same position too long
  • Irritable bowel syndrome—abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, alternating constipation and diarrhea
  • Migraine or tension headaches
  • Tenderness of the jaw or face
  • Numbness or tingling of the face, arms, legs, hands, or feet
  • Sensitivity to noise, bright lights, cold, odors, certain foods, or medication
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Irritable bladder—increased frequency or urgency of urination
  • Reduced ability to tolerate exercise, and muscle pain following exercise
  • Feeling of swelling in hands and feet without actual swelling present

These symptoms can come and go, all together or switching out for one another, from month to month. This is why it’s hard for a patient to realize that these symptoms can all be connected, and why medical professionals have trouble making a confident fibromyalgia diagnosis.

So, what could be the cause of a condition with such a diverse range of symptoms?

Possible Causes of Fibromyalgia

The truth is, we don’t really know. Just like with many other forms of chronic pain, there isn’t an identifiable anatomical cause for the symptoms which together characterize fibromyalgia.

There are theories, though.

Researchers believe that the pain associated with fibromyalgia stems from repeated stimulation of the nerves, which leads to a change in how the brain interprets, experiences, and reacts to pain. An abnormal increase in the neurotransmitters that signal pain, increased sensitivity of pain receptors, and decrease in the brain’s pain management through natural painkilling endorphins are all possible factors.

Lowered serotonin levels in particular are associated with fibromyalgia. Serotonin is a big factor in pain management. It has the effect of calming and reducing anxiety, and a reduction in its levels leads to a lowered pain threshold similar to that of fibromyalgia patients. Men produce serotonin 50% faster than women, so this may explain why women are so much more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia than men.

But how does this happen? Well, some believe that because fibromyalgia appears to run in families, the problem is at least partly genetic. This in itself wouldn’t directly cause the condition, but would make you more sensitive to environmental factors that do.

Those environmental factors include infections and traumatic physical injuries that can damage the spinal cord or other parts of nervous system, like severe car accidents. However, some researchers also believe that factors like sleep disorders, stress, and depression may also lead to lowered serotonin levels, and can similarly trigger fibromyalgia.

None of this is entirely proven, however, and medical professionals continue to research and speculate.

Pain Management for Fibromyalgia Patients

Since fibromyalgia can’t be cured, treatment revolves around minimizing the pain and fatigue that it causes. And since bed rest doesn’t seem to alleviate the fatigue, and the pain is often what keeps sleep from being restful, pain management is the real focus.

In this regard, the treatments of fibromyalgia are similar to those for most other chronic pain conditions.

The first option which many practitioners push is the use of drugs. There are many kinds that are used to try and treat fibromyalgia, but none that stand out as particularly effective at pain management. Some of these drugs include antidepressants like duloxetine (Cymbalta), as well as the anticonvulsant pregabalin (Lyrica).

However, like all drugs, these chemicals have consequences in the form of side effects: nausea, dry mouth, and constipation, insomnia, and dizziness for Cymbalta, and dizziness, sleepiness, swelling, weight gain, and impaired ability to drive for Lyrica.

Many other more natural treatment methods provide pain management for fibromyalgia patients and don’t carry the negative side effects that drugs do.

Exercise for example is a great pain management option. It increases endorphins which reduce pain and boost mood. However, those suffering from fibromyalgia often feel intensified pain after working out, and avoid it. So exercise is something that has to be slowly worked toward, and there are initial barriers that have to be passed before a fibromyalgia patient can enjoy exercise without pain.

As a result, other methods provide better starting points for pain management. These include:

  • Chiropractic, which can reduce pain and increase range of motion
  • Acupuncture, which can stimulate the nerves to alter brain chemistry and improve pain tolerance
  • Biofeedback, which helps people learn to control their stress responses and minimize their pain
  • Deep-tissue massage and neuromuscular massage, which help reduce muscular and soft-tissue pain
  • Physical therapy, which can reduce muscular pain and stiffness and improve posture and confidence of movement
  • Meditation, which can reduce stress and anxiety and produce a calming effect
  • Tai Chi and qi gong, which have evidence of helping with pain in fibromyalgia patients

To figure out which of these might be right for you, you should consult with a professional who can examine your condition and recommend which treatment options might work best. Back in Shape Chiropractic has been helping patients with pain management in Gurnee, IL for decades, and is licensed to provide quality chiropractic, acupuncture, and other health services.

So if you’re suffering from chronic pain and fatigue, give us a call at (847) 249-2225—we’ll do our best to find a solution and get you Back in Shape!
Back in Shape Chiropractic
4673 Old Grand Ave
Gurnee, IL 60031

Poor posture is more than just a pain in the neck. Poor posture can affect the body in a number of odd and unexpected ways. Other than the well-known cases of backaches and the serious unnatural spinal curvature, here are 7 surprising negative effects that poor posture can cause.

  1. Chronic Headaches
    Poor Posture Back in Shape Chiropractic

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    Poor posture causes muscle strains and poor oxygen flow which will leave you with headaches. Next time you have a headache, straighten up before you reach for the Advil.

  1. Added Stress
    A Harvard study compared the hormone levels of people that developed a strong posture and of those who continued slouching. It was determined that the participants with good posture showed a 20% increase in testosterone levels and a 25% cortisone level decrease. Whereas, the slouchers showed a 10% decrease in testosterone and a 15% increase in cortisone levels. Besides the fact that slouching can lead to a hormone imbalance, it was also shown to lead to poor oxygen flow and increased heart rate. You will ultimately find yourself having lower self-confidence and high-stress.
  2. Constipation
    Continuous poor posture has a huge impact on the digestive system. As you slouch over at your computer desk throughout the work week, you are actually compressing the digestive organs and hindering their job of breaking down food. This could lead to a dangerous long-term issue with processing the food you eat.
  1. Increases Risk of Death and Disease
    Over time, constipation will lead to dangerous metabolic issues possibly leading to death. Other studies from several countries found that those who had consistent poor posture showed a 147% increase in developing cardiovascular disease along with an increased risk of diabetes.
  1. Depression

Researchers directed a study involving over 100 university students in which the students were asked to rate their depression. They were then split up into groups and asked to either slouch or skip down the hall and then after reporting their experience they would switch and do the other. Overall, the results concluded that those who slouched had a negative impact on their mood and the skippers had a positive impact on mood and energy levels. The students who reported chronic depression rather than situational depression showed a much more negative impact. It was determined that slouching leads to low energy levels and depressive thinking. If this is something you struggle with try fixing your posture.

  1. Spider Veins

Slumping over all day makes it difficult for the blood in the body to properly circulate. Poor circulation will actually lead to the development of varicose veins (spider veins).

  1. Appearing Overweight
    Sitting and slouching will cause you to look overweight because you are forcing your organs to squish down into a smaller space. The organs will push forward and make you look fat.

 When we stand rather than sit we actually burn 20% more calories, develop stronger muscles, boost our metabolism, look better and feel better along with countless other benefits. You must practice having good posture – your life depends on it.

Call Back in Shape Chiropractic today to learn more about how chiropractic care can help you to develop good posture.

Back in Shape Chiropractic
4673 Old Grand Ave
Gurnee, IL 60031

Back pain seems like it should be a fairly simple concept—your back hurts, you want it to not hurt, you go to a professional where they fix you up and send you on your way. Except, like with most things in life, and especially with your health, back pain rarely has a one-size-fits-all solution that works for everyone. Back pain is individualized, with each person having potentially distinct types of pain—dull aches or sharp pain, lower back or upper back, constant or sporadic, etc.

Before you’re prepared to adequately address your back pain, you and your healthcare provider need to identify what sort of back pain it is. This involves figuring out its root cause as well as evaluating the frequency, intensity, and “feel” of the pain.

To assist you in this task, here’s a breakdown of the ways that back pain is classified in determining the best avenues for treatment, as well as some potential underlying causes.

Acute, Chronic, and Neuropathic Back Pain

The first and most basic division in types of pain is the distinction between acute, chronic, and neuropathic cases. These are categories of pain in general, but back pain can fall into any one of them and so it’s a good starting point for understanding back pain.

Acute pain is the pain which is most commonly experienced by people from such causes as burns, cuts, scrapes, sharp blows, bruises, childbirth, etc. These are instances where the pain is relatively short-lived, only a few months at most, and stems directly from tissue damage. With back pain, acute pain comes from pulled muscles, injuries, and other causes. If acute back pain continues for a prolonged period of time, it can eventually turn into chronic back pain.

Chronic pain is pain that has gone on for longer than three to six months or past the point of tissue healing, continuing what seems like perpetually. There are two types of chronic pain: chronic pain with an identifiable anatomical cause, and chronic pain without an anatomical cause. With back pain, potential identifiable generators of chronic back pain include ongoing conditions such as fibromyalgia, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and spondylolisthesis.

Often though, there is no identifiable cause. This isn’t well understood yet, as there’s a lot about pain that we’re still figuring out, but it’s believed that prolonged constant pain can imprint itself on the nervous system. Then, even long after the injury itself has healed or the condition treated, the nervous system misfires and keeps sending pain signals through those pathways.

Finally, there’s neuropathic pain. In many ways, this type of pain is similar to chronic pain that has no identifiable cause, and some even place it in that category. Neuropathic pain exists in the absence of any remaining physical musculoskeletal injury; the pain at this point is totally unconnected to any ongoing damage. However, there are ways in which neuropathic back pain is distinct from other chronic pain. For one, it stems from damage that has been inflicted on motor or sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system, rather than from long-term pain becoming imprinted in the pathways. The major way that it differs though is in how it feels—sharp, severe, stabbing, shooting pains that can be felt travelling along the nervous pathways, as well as ongoing weakness, numbness, or tingling.

These types of back pain require different treatments—neuropathic pain, for example, often isn’t helped by NSAIDs like ibuprofen or opioids like hydrocodone, and calls for a different set of treatments.

Causes of Back PainBack Pain

There are many initial causes that may be the root of your back pain.

There are a variety of structures that can undergo damage that leads to back pain. The spine contains joints, bones, and ligaments which can sustain all sorts of injury. The nerves within the spinal discs and the larger nerve roots that lead to the arms and legs can also become irritated, and the back muscles which support the spine can also be strained. Discs can wear down or rupture, and muscles can spasm or tense up under stress. Any of these problems, alone or in combination, can contribute to the development of back pain.

There’s also a wide range of diseases and conditions which can cause back pain. Some of these may be familiar—you might know, for example, that arthritis (specifically osteoarthritis) is when the cartilage in your joints wears down, scoliosis is when the spine curves to one side, and pulled back muscles get inflamed, all of which are potential causes of back pain. Work related injuries can also lead to pain in both the lower and upper back. Similarly, whiplash from an event like a car crash can often result in back pain. Even kidney stones, infections, and pregnancies can create a lot of back pain.

Other conditions that might be the culprit are less commonly known. We touched on these briefly when discussing possible causes of chronic back pain above. Spinal stenosis, for instance, is when the spinal canal is narrowed, compressing and irritating the nerve roots. Spondylolisthesis is when a vertebral bone slips forward over another bone. Fibromyalgia, a condition believed to be caused by some combination of genetics, trauma, and infections, is characterized by widespread muscular tenderness that can include back pain.

Many other conditions can also cause back pain in ways you might not expect. Endometriosis, a condition where tissue meant to grow inside the uterus grows outside of it, results in pain that can often spread to parts of the body that include the back.

As you can probably already tell, the process of figuring out the specifics of your back pain, including the type of pain, the underlying cause, and how you should proceed in terms of treatment, can all be quite complicated, as there’s such a vast number of factors that can contribute to an end result of back pain. That’s why you can’t diagnose the problem on your own.

You need a qualified healthcare professional—and Back in Shape Chiropractic is just the right candidate for providing that professional evaluation and care. We’ve been treating back pain in Gurnee for nearly 30 years, and continue to be the trusted source for chiropractic treatment in the area. Simply call us at (847) 249-2225 and we’ll work with you to diagnose and treat your back pain—no matter the type.
Back in Shape Chiropractic
4673 Old Grand Ave
Gurnee, IL 60031

The image is probably familiar to you, something you may have seen in any number of comedy bits over the years—an apprehensive person lies down on their stomach and an acupuncturist proceeds to stick them with needles, producing comedic yelps in the hapless victim. And yet, while this remains a common trope in popular media, over 14 million Americans have experienced the benefits of acupuncture, having used it to treat some medical ailment.

Acupuncture was first introduced to the U.S. in the 70s, after a reporter accompanying President Nixon on a trip to China received the treatment after an emergency surgery and wrote positively about the experience in the New York Times. Since then, the practice has gained traction among Americans, the FDA classified acupuncture needles as medical devices, and numerous studies have confirmed acupuncture’s effectiveness.

So, what exactly are the benefits of acupuncture? What conditions can it treat? Is it painful or are there side effects? Here’s a rundown of the basics you need to know.

Acupuncture for Acute and Chronic Pain

Probably the most prominent benefit of acupuncture is its ability to provide pain relief.

In particular, research has shown that acupuncture can relieve the symptoms of back, neck, and shoulder pain, as well as chronic headaches and osteoarthritis (commonly referred to as degenerative joint disease or wear-and-tear arthritis). Other studies have found acupuncture to effectively reduce pain in patients with fibromyalgia, post-operative pain, and dental pain.

The studies that proved this compared acupuncture against both non-treatment and simulated acupuncture. When medical treatments are being tested for effectiveness, the clinical trials use control groups that are given a simulated treatment—when a drug is being studied, for example, the control group will receive a sugar pill. This extra measure is taken to make sure the positive effects of the treatment aren’t merely the result of a placebo effect.

So, simulated acupuncture is real acupuncture’s sugar pill—rather than inserting the needles into specific points according to the patient’s illness, the needles are used in random locations and might not pierce the skin. The fact that real acupuncture performed markedly better than this simulation proves that the benefits of acupuncture are real and cannot be explained away by placebo, as some try to do.

But how does acupuncture work? Well the acupuncturist chooses the acupuncture points by examining where the patient is experiencing pain. Long, thin needles are inserted into these locations and then manipulated by the acupuncturist. Sometimes they are heated or used to conduct a small electrical current, but this isn’t always part of the process.

In ancient Chinese tradition, these needles were thought to stimulate energy flow through pathways called meridians, breaking up blockages thought to be the cause of many conditions.

Today, however, academics of western medicine believe the benefits of acupuncture stem from stimulation of the nervous system. Acupuncture points are understood as spots where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated in such a way that blood flow to that area is increased and natural painkillers released within the body.

For patients with chronic pain, especially those with the type of pain where there is no identifiable mechanical cause for the pain and it’s likely an issue with the nervous system, this could be just what they need to provoke their body’s own response against pain.

That’s particularly important considering the epidemic of opioid addictions in the United States and the concerns that have been raised about their excessive prescription to people suffering from pain. Natural treatments like acupuncture may be a viable alternative to replace these unsafe drugs which so often lead to chemical dependence and even serve as a common gateway to heroin addiction.

Benefits of Acupuncture for Other Conditions

Those types of pain aren’t the only thing acupuncture is good for, though.

Some of the other benefits of acupuncture include:

Acupuncture also holds many unique benefits for women. Some of these include:

A more complete list of conditions and symptoms which acupuncture has been proven to be effective against can be found on the website for UC San Diego’s Center for Integrative Medicine, where they have a page for acupuncture. The list includes dysentery, colic, depression, leukopenia, sciatica, sprains, strokes, and tennis elbow.

The page also includes a list of conditions for which there is “limited but probable” evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness. These include palsy, acne, gastrointestinal problems, asthma, insomnia, diabetes, drug addiction, schizophrenia, urinary tract infections, whooping cough, dementia, sexual dysfunction, prostatitis, and more.

Are There Risks or Drawbacks?

The first question everyone asks about acupuncture is how much it hurts. The truth is that most patients experience either no pain or minimal pain, though depending on the reason for the procedure and the location of the needle placements, pain is possible. The needles are only kept there for 5 to 30 minutes though, so even if there is some pain, it’s likely a small price to pay for long-term relief. Possible bleeding, bruising, or soreness can continue for a bit after the treatment, but the needles are so thin that this is usually negligible.

There are other risks to keep in mind, of course. Patients who are taking blood thinners, or who have a bleeding disorder, should probably avoid acupuncture, as the needles are piercing the skin and this could be dangerous in those cases.

And, of course, whenever needles are used, they must be sterilized. This is particularly important to keep in mind for patients such as those undergoing chemotherapy, whose immune systems are in a weakened state. For those patients, infections can be debilitating and even life-threatening, so great care must be taken to insure the sterilization of needles.

For those reasons, you need to have a licensed professional performing your acupuncture if you do decide it’s a treatment method you’d like to pursue. The benefits of acupuncture are many, but only if the person performing the acupuncture knows what they’re doing.

Here at Back in Shape Chiropractic, we have been studying and observing the benefits of acupuncture in Gurnee, IL for nearly 30 years. Our practitioners are educated and licensed doctors of chiropractic who are qualified not only to administer acupuncture, but to diagnose your condition and decide whether acupuncture is a good treatment route in the first place.

Make your appointment today by calling 847-249-2225.

 

Between the ages of 30 and 50 years old we spend most of our time working. It’s no coincidence that these are the years we are most likely to develop back pain and conditions like sciatica. Whether we are on our feet 12 hours a day or we spend that time sitting in a chair, we are likely to fight the battle of back pain and or nerve damage.

As sciatica is generally self-diagnosable, “Back in Shape Chiropractic” would like to save you the initial trip to the physician by telling you everything you need to know along with the symptoms and causes.

Symptoms

Sciatica pain can affect the lower back, hip and extends through one leg and sometimes down to the toes. Sciatica generally does not affect both sides of the body at the same time.

Common Types of Sciatica Pain

The type of pain or discomfort you feel may vary from mild to severe, radiating, jolting or sharp.

Sometimes you may feel a tingling or numbness throughout one of your legs. Other times you may feel a quick, sharp or burning sensation with an intense discomfort.

Some sciatica patients describe it as an “electric pulse” or “searing pain” from the lower back down through the thigh of one leg.

Other Signs you may have Sciatica

  1. Lower back pain
  2. Weakness or numbness in one leg, knee or foot
  3. Hip pain
  4. Shooting pain down one leg
  5. Pain on one side of buttocks when sitting
  6. In severe cases, loss of bladder control

Causes

Sciatica may be the result of the degeneration of an intervertebral disc which are the cushion between vertebrae. However it is most commonly caused by compression of spinal nerves in the roots of the lower lumbar spine. In other words, a pinched nerve. This may be caused by either a herniated or slipped disc or as a result of an injury.

Things that may worsen sciatica

  1. Being overweight
  2. Lack of exercise
  3. Using a mattress that is not stiff enough
  4. Wearing high heels

Treatment

While you may have heard that sciatica requires surgery, it doesn’t. Chiropractors are trained to help your body heal itself without any medication or surgery, even for sciatica. With a non-invasive and drug-free treatment you can get your back in shape in no time. Depending on the severity of your sciatica, you may require one of the following treatments:

Types of Chiropractic Treatments

  1. Ice/Cold Therapy
  2. Ultrasound
  3. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
  4. Spinal Adjustment
Do I Have Sciatica by Back in Shape Chiropractic

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