Fibromyalgia Syndrome Treatment.

Want to develop fibromyalgia syndrome in the next day or two? It's not that hard to do.
Just go to the local sleep lab, have yourself hooked up to an electroencephalograph (a machine that detects and displays brain waves), and, right before bedtime, ask the technician to wake you up every time you start producing delta waves, the brain waves of deep sleep.

"Within 1 to 2 days, you'll develop classic fibromyalgia pain," says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., a physician in Annapolis, Maryland.
Yes, the 3 to 6 million Americans who have the symptoms of fibromyalgia-the shifting pattern of constantly achy and tender muscles all over the body; the near-constant fatigue; the barrage of other problems that include frequent infections and bowel disorders-are suffering from a sleep disorder, alternative healers say.

Here's what typically happens: You feel exhausted all day, but when it's time for bed, your mind is racing. You eventually fall asleep, but you wake up repeatedly, sometimes as often as 3 to 15 times a night. Finally, at about 4:00 or 5:00 A.M., you wake up again-and stay awake until the alarm sounds. Then the dismal cycle of dragging days starts all over again.
Dr. Teitelbaum believes that this lack of deep sleep, caused by a malfunctioning hypothalamus, the master endocrine gland in the brain, can affect almost every part of the body. It shortens muscles, leaving them chronically tense and tender. It plays havoc with your hormones, your immune system, your brain neurotransmitters, and your digestion, triggering one or more of dozens of possible symptoms. It triples your body's levels of substance P, the chemical responsible for sensitivity to pain, so your muscles hurt-a lot. Also, since the body repairs itself during deep sleep, none of those problems ever gets a chance to heal.

The disease can start in many different ways, says Dr. Teitelbaum. Stopping it baffles conventional physicians, some of whom fail to even recognize that fibromyalgia exists. But Dr. Teitelbaum has had remarkable success reducing and usually even eliminating the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia with a combination of natural remedies and medicines.

He suggests that each of these remedies be used for 6 months. If you are sleeping through the night and feeling better at that point, he says to gradually decrease their use over a 9to 12-month period.

VALERIAN AND LEMON BALM: For Deep Sleep
At night, the herb valerian, taken in conjunction with lemon balm, can help increase the amount and depth of deep sleep, says Dr. Teitelbaum. He recommends taking the product Valerian Rest with Lemon Balm by To Your Health, containing 160 to 480 milligrams of valerian and 80 to 240 milligrams of lemon balm, before bedtime. During the day, the valerian alone can have a calming effect. He recommends 100 milligrams three times a day for anxiety.

KAVA KAVA: A Reasonable Alternative
This herb relaxes muscles, calms the mind, and deepens sleep, says Dr. Teitelbaum. He recommends taking 200 to 750 milligrams before bedtime. Look for a product standardized for at least 30 percent kavalactones, the herb's active ingredients.
Very rarely, kava causes photosensitivity. If you take it and develop a rash, Dr. Teitelbaum says to reduce your dose by 50 percent and take the herb with a high-potency B-complex vitamin containing 50 milligrams of most of the B's. This often eliminates the rash.

MELATONIN: Reset Your Body Clock
Your pineal gland, a hormone-secreting gland in your brain that produces melatonin, controls your body's internal clock, or its awareness of

day and night. In fibromyalgia, that clock is out of whack, says Dr. Teitelbaum. "The body doesn't know whether it's day or night-it's very confused." Taking the hormone melatonin can help reset your internal clock, so when it's time to sleep, you fall asleep.
He recommends that people with fibromyalgia take 200 to 300 micrograms before bedtime. "In most people, this dosage is every bit as effective for improving sleep as a higher amount," he says. Do not take this supplement unless under the supervision of a knowledgeable medical doctor.

MAGNESIUM: To Relax Muscles
"Magnesium is involved in many different reactions in the body and is especially important for muscles to relax," Dr. Teitelbaum says. "If your intake of magnesium is low, your muscles may stay in spasm, and your fibromyalgia will not resolve."

Since much of the magnesium in food is removed by processing, the average American gets far less than the 400 milligrams that the government's official standards say your body needs. "Almost everyone is deficient in magnesium," Dr. Teitelbaum says.

He says that the form of supplemental magnesium you use to correct that deficiency is critical. There are many types of magnesium, and not all of them are well-absorbed by the body. He recommends the product FibroCare Tablets, by To Your Health, which supplies magnesium glycinate combined with malic acid, making the magnesium maximally absorbable. Follow the dosage recommendations on the label and continue to take the supplement as a preventive measure even after your fibromyalgia improves.
There's one caution, however. Supplemental magnesium can cause diarrhea. If that occurs, cut back on your intake by 75 to 100 milligrams a day until the diarrhea goes away.

MASSAGE: Rub Out Pain
One of the best (and easiest) types of massage for soothing tight, aching, tender muscles is deep friction massage, says Ralph R. Stephens, a licensed massage therapist and instructor of sports massage and neuromuscular therapy at Ralph Stephens Seminars in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Here's how to do it.
Put the middle, index, and ring fingers of one hand on an area of muscle tension or tenderness and apply enough pressure so that your fingertips won't slide over your skin or clothing. Make 5 to 10 circular motions, rubbing just hard enough to elicit mild discomfort but not hard enough to cause pain.

"The massage movement shifts the skin over the deeper muscle layers, rolling the muscle fibers across each other, improving circulation, and relaxing the nervous system," says Stephens. Once you've massaged one spot, move over by a hand-width or so and repeat.

"You can massage your legs, arms, chest, and the back of your neck quite easily with this technique," Stephens says. Massage an area, let it rest for a few minutes, then massage it a second time. This can be done daily, and you should experience some immediate relief. If massage causes pain in an area, you are pressing too hard, working it too long, or both. Allow the area a few days of rest and then massage it again with less intensity.

VISUALIZATION: Watch Your Muscles Relax
Through visualization, you can tap the power of your mind to help relax the tight, tender muscles of fibromyalgia, says Simone Ravicz, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Pacific Palisades, California, who has fibromyalgia.
First, sit comfortably in a chair. Let your attention go to a spot where your muscles hurt: Next, says Dr. Ravicz, visualize the muscles in that area as tied in a knot. Then, in your mind's eye, see them slowly loosening, becoming completely untied, and finally lengthening and stretching.
As you're visualizing, take slow, deep breaths and let your entire body relax. Do this visualization exercise once a day for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce pain and help prevent daily flare-ups.

MULTMTAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENT: To Your Health
Fibromyalgia can cause multiple nutritional deficiencies because of digestive problems, says Dr. Teitelbaum. He recommends that everyone with this condition take a high-potency multivitamin/ mineral supplement.
He recommends My Favorite Multiple or My Favorite MultipleTake One by Natrol, which he believes are the most complete supplements on the market. Follow the dosage recommendations on the label, and take the supplement on a long-term basis as a preventive even after your fibromyalgia improves.