Are you tired and stressed?
Feeling angry?
Anxious and depressed?
Experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome?
Having difficulty sleeping?
Are you in constant pain? Feeling like your nerves are burning throughout your body? Unable to do light household tasks, climb stairs or go for walks? Have you been disabled by this constant pain?
You are not alone.
Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 6 to 12 million people, or 2 to 4 percent of the US population. Although the condition affects both men and women, 90% of fibromyalgia sufferers are female. Sadly, it has been estimated that there are as many American women living with fibromyalgia as there are living with diabetes.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. It is a condition causing chronic pain and an increased pain response to pressure. Symptoms include tiredness to a degree that work or other “normal” activities are affected. Restful sleep and memory issues may occur. Some people also report restless leg syndrome, bowel or bladder problems, numbness and tingling and sensitivity to noise, lights or temperature. People with fibromyalgia may also experience depression, anxiety or PTSD.
Fibromyalgia is neither an inflammatory or an autoimmune disease.
It is a condition that has been called by many individuals as a hormonal response to constant stress and the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles and tendons combined with the lack of oxygen and constricted lymphatic response to release the acid into the bloodstream.
Fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and non-painful signals.
Fibromyalgia often coexists with other conditions including but not limited to:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Migraine and other types of headaches
- Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
Adrenal Stress – The Fight or Flight Response
Stress – we all experience it. The good and the bad. But it is interesting that the body does not recognize the difference between “good” stress (like getting married) or “bad” stress like grieving over the loss of a job or a loved one.
Eventually, that stress valve which is turned on and off constantly, eventually switches into overdrive and the body is on a constant lookout on whether to fight or flee from the situation. Not unlike a leaky faucet overflowing the sink in the bathroom. Without knowing how to relax, take a deep breath and replace the nutrients the body needs for homeostasis, the adrenal glands can burn out. Not unlike the old saying “We’ll leave the light on for you.” Sounds good, but sooner or later that light bulb is going to burn out.
What Does Adrenal Burn Out Have to Do with Fibromyalgia?
A vital piece of knowledge disregarded by the medical system is that the body functions optimally in a rhythmic pattern. Some call this circadian rhythm. But the truth is that every cell in the body resonates…inhales and exhales – just like we do. Only we have forgotten to do either and take short breaths without taking in a lot of oxygen.
When the rhythm is thrown off, the body goes into disarray… breaking down, putting more stress on organs and muscles. The hormones (chemical messages from the brain) do not get through. This is especially true for women who experience a monthly cycle.
Women experience a “high” around ovulation and a “low” (release) before menstruation. Oftentimes that “low” due to decreased hormone levels, and lowered immunity, is ignored and women plow through their day trying to keep up with what came easy just two weeks prior. Ignoring this cycle adds months and years of stress and also known as chronic fatigue.
It is no wonder that the vast majority of people afflicted with FM are women.
Constant Stress Causes Lactic Acid Buildup in the Muscle Tissue
The pain of fibromyalgia is actually caused by a lack of oxygen and the buildup of lactic acid in muscle tissue and tendon sheaths which causes a constant burning or feeling like the nerves are inflamed. Interesting to note, that athletes and runners experience a similar “burn” post-workout. However, the difference is they relax, enjoy a sauna, eat a healthy meal, drink plenty of water and their burn goes away.
For people with fibromyalgia, the pain is constant because the body is under stress…trying to “fight” off the constant dull ache. Hold it at bay… praying it will go away.
Instead, lactic acid keeps building up in the muscles – and the pain becomes more unbearable, causing chronic fatigue from being in the “fight” response constantly when all we want to do is “flee” our body, our situations, our life. Instead, we become debilitated.
Muscle tension compresses lymphatic vessels (the body’s drainage system) and functions to remove toxic build-up and lactic acid. This creates a situation where the lactic acid is continuously building up but is not able to be drained.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction is also related to Fibromyalgia
Adrenal fatigue/stress and lactic acid build-up can be an early sign that mitochondrial dysfunction. What are mitochondria? They are the building blocks of energy production in your body. There are many factors that can reduce mitochondria in the body- including environmental toxins, mycotoxins, and/or stealth infections in the body that are sometimes hard to detect in laboratory testing.
Issues with mitochondria function have also been seen in people with fibromyalgia. Detecting the challenges impacting mitochondria function and dealing with them through person-specific supplementation at the right time can support the body in regaining its natural energy at a cellular level.
Treating the Underlying Causes of Fibromyalgia
While many mainstream doctors believe that fibromyalgia is untreatable, holistic practitioners know that one has to prevent the buildup of lactic acid and improve mitochondrial function, which, in turn, is accomplished by treating the underlying cause(s) of fibromyalgia.
At Paramount Wellness, we offer a variety of time-tested remedies that are effective in relieving chronic stress, and the constant muscular burn that defines fibromyalgia.
Nutrition Response Testing
Dr. Erika Schultz is a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) and a certified Applied Clinical Nutritionist (ACN) who utilizes an evidence-based technique called Nutrition Response Testing to determine the body’s nutritional deficiencies that inhibit innate healing and chip away at mitochondria.
Simply put, when the body is in pain, the more essential nutrients are burned off to feed the adrenal stress and constant fatigue, chronic pain, and the cognitive difficulties also known as “fibro fog”.
Once the body’s nutritional deficiencies are addressed, and supported with whole food organic supplements easily absorbed into the bloodstream, the muscles relax, adrenal stress lessens, and the lymphatic system becomes functional and the lactic acid build up released.
In other words, the body becomes the fine-tuned organism it was designed to be.
Regular acupuncture treatments are useful in managing pain experienced during fibromyalgia and promoting blood and lymphatic circulation.
Paramount Wellness also offers Biomat Therapy – a revolutionary healing tool that combines three therapeutic components: Far Infrared light and Negative Ion technology with the healing power of Amethyst crystal. It has been working to help thousands of people suffering from muscle and joint pain since 1997. The mat provides warmth and relaxation, similar to the sun’s energy, which stimulates the cells in our body and increases local circulation.
Schedule Now
Dr. Erika Schultz, DACM, LAc, is an Advanced Trained Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner
Dr. Erika is the most advanced trained practitioner in Nutrition Response Testing ℠ in the Denver Metro area and works alongside Lyric Turner, a Certified Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner and mentored by Dr. Erika. Either practitioner will complete a full body scan to properly assess each of your reflexes. Energy flows exist between all parts and organs of the body. These flows can become disrupted for a variety of reasons. This disruption is easily discovered and properly handled with our testing. Chronic health issues like allergies and asthma can be addressed at the root cause- which may be unique to each individual. Handling chronic health issues become more personalized and efficient in this manner.
Our mission is to support our clients in living well and being well.
Call to schedule an appointment today.
Paramount Wellness
(720) 460-0766
6410 W. 44th Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033