Fibromyalgia Doesn't Have to Hurt! 4 Surprising Alternative Treatments to Help Fibromyalgia Sufferers

When the doctor confirms your diagnosis of fibromyalgia, there might be the tendency to think that relief from fibromyalgia symptoms are will only come from the prescription medicines that the doctor prescribes. In truth, many other non-prescription treatments are available to help fibromyalgia sufferers alleviate the multiple symptoms they experience on a day-to-day basis. Whatever the treatments outside of doctor prescribed medications you may chose to pursue, ensure that a medical practitioner is aware of these alternative and holistic treatments as in some cases, some forms of treatment can actually do more harm, than good. That being said, if you are a fibromyalgia sufferer, consider including one or more alternative treatments in the fight against fibromyalgia symptoms

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine TCM), have long touted the benefits of Chinese medicine in treating numerous ailments and fibromyalgia, is but one of them. In some cases, persons misconstrue the meaning of the term Chinese medicine, as Chinese medicine is not about prescription drug. Chinese medicine involves treating the whole persons and uses the blending of specific herb concoctions that provide specific benefits to sufferers of various illnesses as well as the use of gentle exercises and hands-on treatment.

Natural Herbs Can be Your Friend

A visit to most traditional health food stores or a Chinese store dedicated to selling herbal alternatives may seem a little daunting if you lack the knowledge on what herbs are best suited for your condition. However, with a little knowledge, you too can find benefits in choosing the right herb to help alleviate or minimize your symptoms. A quick Google search shows over 1 million results on Chinese medicine treatments, therefore with some careful research and the help of the staff at the store, you can find herbs to help fight fatigue, sleeplessness, minimize aches and address other fibromyalgia issues. However, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) while recognizing the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine treatments, also recommends caution in selecting herbs if you have certain other underlying medical factors and always get a doctor's advice before taking any herbs especially if you are on prescription meds.

Who is Afraid of a Little Needle?

According to the Mayo Clinic (2009), acupuncture may help alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms. The medical community seems divided on the effectiveness of acupuncture; however, some fibromyalgia sufferers have reported benefits from using this method to treat fibromyalgia symptoms (National Institute of Health, 2010). The idea of acupuncture is scary to some as acupuncture involves using small, fine needles to adjust the flow of energy in the body. In reality, the most a person might feel is a small pinch to feeling nothing at all; it is not supposed to be a painful process. Traditional Chinese medicine notes that the blockage of energy in the body contributes to pain and other ailments, thus acupuncture can provide relief by regulating the qi (energy). As with many things concerning fibromyalgia, it may be a case of trying it to see if it works for you as each person differs in his or her response to certain treatments.

It May All Be in Your Hand and Feet

You might be familiar with the saying that it might all be in your head, but in traditional Chinese treatments, the treatment may lie in your feet or hands. Reflexology involves massage of the feet and hands as the belief is that your entire body is connected and specific reflex points when massaged provides relief of several complaints. For fibromyalgia sufferers, reflexology may help alleviate the aches, fatigue and appetite issues associated with fibromyalgia.  A reflexologist uses specific hand techniques to perform reflexology treatments, and these treatments can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour. True reflexology should not involve any other tools other than the hand, it should be very painful and should not include removing any articles of clothing other than your socks or shoes. The medical community is again divided on the benefits of reflexology, however, as with many other traditional Chinese medicines, reflexology may or may not work for you. You will not know the potential individual benefits however, until you try it. As with any other alternative treatments, consult your doctor before trying reflexology.

Tai Chi Your Way to a Better State of Mind

Tai Chi is a gentle body fitness exercise that practitioners purport is able to allow the free flow of energy through the body (Hoffman, 2008). Tai Chi involves gentle exercise movements and is a low impact workout that is gentle on the joints, a "sore" area for fibromyalgia sufferers, thus enabling persons with fibromyalgia to exercise and improve their health. . Tai Chi research has showed mixed results, but it is evident that Tai Chi has shown benefits in helping improve sleep and balance and coordination; key complaints among fibromyalgia sufferers. So the next time, you are hurting, try some gentle exercise, it just might help!

References

Acupuncture. (December, 2009 ). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acupuncture/MY00946

Hoffman, M. (August, 2008). Review of Health Benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/health-benefits-tai-chi-qigong?page=1

Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction (June, 2010. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved March 27,from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm