THE ROLE OF ACUPUNCTURE IN TREATING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic neurological disorder that generates a wide range of symptoms. Most people with fibromyalgia complain about recidivating muscular pain, rigidity of joints and a generalized state of body weakness. Although these manifestations may point to rheumatoid arthritis, clinical examinations can reveal any signs of physical damage in people with fibromyalgia.
Due to the fact that most medical treatments are unable to overcome fibromyalgia, the disorder is considered to be incurable. However, this belief is far from the truth. Although fibromyalgia is a serious disorder with a pronounced chronic character, there are actually effective means of treating it. Acupuncture has proved to be a very reliable form of therapy for fibromyalgia, providing symptomatic relief and preventing the recurrence of the disorder.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that has been successfully used to treat various illnesses for thousands of years. This oriental therapy can relieve most of the symptoms generated by fibromyalgia in a relatively short period of time. Acupuncture can quickly restore physical and mental balance, improving the overall health of the people who follow this form of therapy.

Acupuncture can quickly ease fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. This form of alternative therapy uses needles to stimulate various nervous centers of the body. In Oriental medicine, it is believed that the internal activity of the organism can be influenced by activating certain points on the body. These points are referred to as “acupuncture points” or “acupoints”. Therapists use acupuncture needles to activate specific acupoints on the body, correcting the activity of the entire organism simply by stimulating the nervous system.

This ancient Chinese practice is very benefic for people affected by fibromyalgia. Acupuncture inhibits fibromyalgia pain by stopping pain impulses from reaching the brain. This form of therapy can also regulate the body’s production of hormones, increasing the levels of serotonin, endorphins and encephalin, which have a very important role in relieving pain. Acupuncture can also improve the blood flow, restoring muscular tonus. Furthermore, acupuncture can help people with fibromyalgia relax, inducing them a state of comfort and wellbeing.
The majority of people affected by fibromyalgia admit that they have experienced an amelioration of their symptoms after only a few sessions of acupuncture. The first symptoms that can be relieved with the means of acupuncture are muscular pain and weakness, rigidity of the joints, and fatigue. After a month of ongoing therapy, acupuncture can also reduce stress, depression and mental confusion.
Chinese therapists claim that acupuncture works on multiple levels, healing the body, mind and spirit altogether, helping people re-achieve their balance. Oriental therapists also state that acupuncture stimulates and increases the vital “chi” energy, improving the overall health of the organism.

Acupuncture is very benefic to people with fibromyalgia and it can quickly alleviate their symptoms. In present, this form of therapy is probably the most effective means of overcoming the disorder.

Acupuncturists views pain very differently than that of allopathic medicine. Oriental medicine understands pain as being the result of obstructions, constraints, and deficiency of qi and blood. Thus, fibromyalgia is a systematic disease involving the flow of qi and blood. Furthermore, oriental medicine views the liver as the organ, which controls the flow of qi, making the liver a primary focus by practitioners.

Some key symptoms associated with fibromyalgia are fatigue, stress, muscle weakness, sleep issues and of course pain. Fatigue tells the practitioner that there is a deficiency or either blood or qi. From there based on each individual case the practitioner will decide if it is a blood or qi deficiency and whether they deficiencies of yang or yin. Stress tells the practitioner that there is constraint of blood or qi. Muscle weakness and digestive issues are commonly associated with spleen deficiency. Lastly sleep issues suggest heart blood deficiency. Each case varies on an individual basis and your practitioner will take this into consideration for your specific situation.

Common treatments for fibromyalgia include acupuncture and herbal treatment. Acupuncture invigorates the flow of qi and blood by stimulating specific points in or around the region where pain is experienced. On the contrary, depending on each individual, points distal to the region of pain will be used to lead blood and qi away from area or congestion, as in the case of a serve blockage. Acupuncture for pain of fibromyalgia is very effective.

Natural treatments of fibromyalgia include Some basic Chinese herbs used to treat fibromyalgia in combination with one another are bai shao, qin jiao, du huo, yan hu sou, yu jin, tao ren, hong hua, mu dan pi, da zao, and gan cao. The objectives to using these herbs are to increase establish a strong flow of qi and blood reducing pain, alleviate stress and anxiety and tonify the liver and spleen.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic disease that affects the musculoskeletal system. Symptoms vary widely among sufferers, but generally include muscle and joint aches, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and tenderness in several of eighteen specific areas, or “trigger points” on the body. Fibromyalgia is often overlooked by sufferers as the inevitable result of a busy schedule and everyday stress. When patients do seek treatment, doctors often misdiagnose fibromyalgia as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, or another musculoskeletal condition. It affects women far more often than men, at a ratio of about ten to one. While some cases result from a specific trauma, more often the exact cause is unknown.

The first step to fibromyalgia pain relief is being properly diagnosed. The condition is not completely understood by the medical community, and there is no specific course of treatment. Most advice given to patients reads like a weight-loss program, recommending low-intensity exercise, drinking lots of water, and reducing mental and physical stresses such as those caused by saturated fats, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, meat and sugar.

Anti-depressants are often prescribed as part of the treatment, which elevate the mood of the patient. Muscle relaxants and sleep aids may also be recommended. Since fibromyalgia sufferers are often found to be low in manganese and magnesium, both of which help balance thyroid function, nutritional supplements may prove beneficial as well.

Physical therapy is another essential component for fibromyalgia pain relief, as it teaches patients methods of walking, stretching, and exercise that reduce muscle tension and fatigue. A physical therapist will also teach patients how to make use of ergonomic tools in their daily life, like padded chairs and special keyboards designed to minimize muscle strain.

Some patients choose to incorporate alternative treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage therapy into their treatment. While the efficacy of these natural treatments has not been carefully studied and quantified, testimonials of fibromyalgia sufferers indicate that all of these alternative treatments may help alleviate symptoms of the disease. Whatever patients decide upon, it must be remembered that there is no simple cure for fibromyalgia, and a comprehensive plan that address mental and psychological symptoms and promotes healthy lifestyle habits is the most direct method of obtaining fibromyalgia pain relief.

Fibromyalgia Pain Relief Treatments! Which Ones Are Best for Me?

If you hurt all over your body, and often feel exhausted… you’ve gone through countless tests to discover what’s wrong with you and even then, your General Practitioner can not find anything in particular wrong with you… your agony may be a symptom of fibromyalgia. Experiencing tender points on places on places such as your neck, shoulders, back, hips, legs or arms that hurt when touched is a fibromyalgia symptom. Other symptoms, for example difficulty sleeping, morning rigidity, headaches, and issues with thinking and memory, called ‘fibro fog,’ are additional signs that point to a fibromyalgia diagnosis. Over 10,000,000 individuals living in North America today, suffer with the agony of fibromyalgia.
For the fibromyalgia sufferer, discomfort is sometimes felt in your neck, back, shoulders, hands, and pelvic area… but it can be anywhere in the body. Fibromyalgia sufferers also endure general fatigue and sleeping problems. Therefore, it’s easy to see why most sufferers seek fibromyalgia treatments that work for them, with their specific symptoms. Fortunately, there are many fibromyalgia pain relief treatments. If you’re one of 5 to 7 % of the people who suffer from fibromyalgia, the following information may help you to select a treatment that will work for you.

Treatments Utilized for Fibromyalgia Pain Relief…

Many professionals in the medical field and their patients seem to be in agreement that the best fibromyalgia pain relief treatments come in tablet form. There are several medicines that are utilized as pain treatments to relieve the physical discomfort, but you should go to your health practitioner to pinpoint the best therapy plan for your precise condition. Your physician can provide you with a prescription for a stronger medication, since over-the-counter drugs aren’t usually strong enough to relieve the discomfort connected with fibromyalgia. Usually, the medications are the same ones used to relieve the pain of arthritis, although opiods are helpful in dealing with other fibromyalgia symptoms, they are not commonly used for fibromyalgia pain relief because they don’t work. In fact, no pain medication has been approved by the FDA for the relief of fibromyalgia pain.
There are other fibromyalgia pain relief treatments which can be used in combination with the “arthritis medications”. Sufferers may use these alternative strategies together with medicine, or by themselves. Alternative techniques for the treatment of fibromyalgia include: Physical treatments like Acupressure and acupuncture, Massage, Exercise, Chiropractic treatment, Osteopathic manipulation, Occupational therapy, and Biofeedback.