Fibromyalgia facts

Excessive amounts of PGE-2 are the primary source of inflammation and pain in the body.

by Dr. Kenneth F. Muhich — 

Twenty years ago, the term fibromyalgia was as misunderstood as it is today. The problem now, as it was then, is that the general public knows little if anything about this condition. What is worse is that most health providers and many supposed part-time nutrition salespeople have jumped on the “fibro” bandwagon with every form of treatment imaginable. It seems that every week there is a new miracle berry juice, acupuncture treatment, pill or injection that promises to be the wellness silver bullet.

Pharmaceutical companies, through their financial backing of the National Fibromyalgia Association, have opened their doors to drugs that often have the same side effects as fibromyalgia itself. Many patients’ conditions are exacerbated by these products. For those who do get some form of relief, it’s usually only temporary or occurs via the placebo effect.

Fact: Speakers at the National Fibromyalgia conventions, who are primarily Ph.D.s and M.D.s, state, “With all due respect to the pharmaceutical company that paid my way here and that I represent, we have no cure for fibromyalgia. However, we do have a product that will reduce your pain and swelling. There are a few side effects, however, such as muscle pain, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, heart palpitations, sleep disturbance, etc.” Obviously, for fibromyalgia patients, these side effects constitute most of their already-present symptoms, which become further exacerbated.

Fact: More and more research has confirmed that health conditions and their symptoms evolve from the same source — inflammation. The inflammatory process is insidious and can affect any organ or tissue in the body, eventually fulminating into a disease like fibromyalgia.

Inflammation usually attacks the weakest area of the body. No matter how many pills, potions, injections, organ stimulants or other medical treatments are administered, one cannot get to the root of the problem unless the cause of the condition is known and dealt with properly.

Fact: Fibromyalgia patients themselves hold the answer to controlling and actually reversing inflammation. This starts with an understanding of how trans fatty acids affect the body. Excess amounts of omega-6 trans fatty acids stimulate a chemical in the brain called arachidonic acid, which stimulates the production of prostaglandins (PGE-2).

Excessive amounts of PGE-2 are the primary source of inflammation and pain in the body. A natural anti-inflammatory is omega-3 fish oil, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which blocks the brain from producing PGE-2 and reduces inflammation and pain.

To reduce inflammation, fibromyalgia patients would be wise to adopt dietary changes, if even for a short period of time. By consuming whole foods, fruits and vegetables, and avoiding red meats and packaged/processed foods, relief is guaranteed to be on the way.

Dr. Kenneth F. Muhich is a chiropractic physician at Stetson Chiropractic Clinic in Scottdale, Ariz., who has conducted almost 20 years of research to develop a successful protocol for the treatment of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. He is a member of the Blended Healthcare Consortium. www.stetsonchiropractic.com, dcken2000@cs.com or 480-948-4955.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 6, Dec 2009/Jan 2010.