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A Naturopathic Perspective on Fibromyalgia
Obtaining a prognosis of fibromyalgia can be a long and winding journey for many patients. There aren’t any labs or imaging studies that can support the diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is considered a disease of exclusion, meaning that your primary or specialist provider will rule out many other conditions before verifying you have fibromyalgia. This process can take years for many people.
Many symptoms can accompany fibromyalgia. These include joint pain, pain or tenderness of the skin when touched, fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and depression, to name a few. Because of the vast array of symptoms that can present, there is overlap with many different conditions. This makes it more challenging to understand what causes fibromyalgia. But just because you are living with fibromyalgia does not mean that it should compromise your quality of life. There are so many ways to support your body along the journey! 

 

Natural Support for Fibromyalgia
  1. Mind-Body Support: Gentle relaxation-based activities like yoga and massage therapy can help reduce pain associated with fibromyalgia. Yoga can also improve overall mood and sleep quality. 
  2. Tai Chi: Tai Chi, a gentle form of exercise that combines gentle movement with breathing and meditation, has been shown to reduce pain and improve mental health in patients with fibromyalgia. You can look online to find a tai chi class near you or simply look up a video online from the comfort of your home! 
  3. Vitamin D: Patients with fibromyalgia tend to have lower Vitamin D levels, so checking these levels regularly for optimal health is essential.
  4. Magnesium: Low intracellular magnesium levels, which can lead to pain, weakness, and inflammation, are commonly seen in patients with fibromyalgia. A high-quality supplement may be beneficial to help ensure that you are not deficient. 
  5. Diet and Nutrition: Anti-inflammatory diets, like The Mediterranean Diet, have shown numerous benefits for patients with fibromyalgia, including improving fatigue and anxiety, which could potentially improve overall quality of life. 

 

Looking for more options? Click here to learn about other effective strategies for relieving chronic pain.
If you need extra support managing your fibromyalgia symptoms, our practitioners at Richmond Natural Medicine are ready to help. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment! 
Interested in how homeopathy can help with pain? Click to read more about how homeopathy could increase your quality of life and support pain management!

 

References:

  1. Fibromyalgia: In Depth
  2. Pagliai, G., Giangrandi, I., Dinu, M., Sofi, F., & Colombini, B. (2020). Nutritional Interventions in the Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Nutrients, 12(9), 2525. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092525 
  3. Lazaridou, A., Koulouris, A., Dorado, K., Chai, P., Edwards, R. R., & Schreiber, K. L. (2019). The Impact of a Daily Yoga Program for Women with Fibromyalgia. International journal of yoga, 12(3), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_72_18 
  4. Wang, C., Schmid, C. H., Fielding, R. A., Harvey, W. F., Reid, K. F., Price, L. L., Driban, J. B., Kalish, R., Rones, R., & McAlindon, T. (2018). Effect of tai chi versus aerobic exercise for fibromyalgia: comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 360, k851. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k851
  5. Casini, I., Ladisa, V., Clemente, L., Delussi, M., Rostanzo, E., Peparini, S., Aloisi, A. M., & de Tommaso, M. (2024). A Personalized Mediterranean Diet Improves Pain and Quality of Life in Patients with Fibromyalgia. Pain and therapy, 13(3), 609–620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-024-00598-2 

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