What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia can often be misunderstood and is sometimes misdiagnosed. Commonly characterized by widespread muscle pain and fatigue, it affects an estimated 10 million people, mainly women, in the United States alone.
The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from one person to the next and may fluctuate even in a single individual, depending on such factors as time of day or the weather. Because it is a chronic condition, in most cases fibromyalgia symptoms never disappear entirely.
What are the Symptoms?
At a glance, symptoms of fibromyalgia can include the following:
- Increased sensitivity to pain
- A deep ache or a burning pain that gets worse due to activity, stress, weather changes or other factors
- Muscle stiffness or spasms
- Pain that moves around your body
- Feelings of tingling or numbness in your hands, arms or legs
- Feeling very tired or fatigued (out of energy), even when you get enough sleep
- Trouble sleeping
How Fibromyalgia Can Affect You
According to various studies, fibromyalgia can negatively affect quality of life in various ways:
- Working age women with fibromyalgia hospitalized for occupational musculoskeletal disorders were almost 10 times less likely to return to work and 4 times less like to retain work at 1-year post hospitalization.
- Working adults with fibromyalgia average almost 17 days of missed work per year compared to 6 days for persons without fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia has been associated with lower levels of health-related quality-of-life and more work productively loss.
Treatment for Fibromyalgia in Augusta GA
Your symptoms aren’t “all in your head.” Scientific research has shown that fibromyalgia is a real syndrome that causes real pain. Don’t let anyone discourage you from getting a diagnosis and treatment for your symptoms. The good news is that fibromyalgia isn’t progressive or life-threatening, and treatments tailored specifically for fibromyalgia an help alleviate many symptoms. At Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic we can customized treatments tailored specifically for your fibromyalgia. Additionally, we are the only clinic in Augusta that can provide the combination of chiropractic treatments and cold laser therapy.
Studies Show Cold Laser Treatments Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
The FDA has approved the use of low level lasers for relief of chronic or acute pain, including the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Several studies have shown this treatment to be an effective alternative to prescription medication, especially with no known side effects.
A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of cold laser therapy in 40 female patients with fibromyalgia. Patients with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to either active laser treatments or placebo treatments. Both the laser and placebo groups were evaluated for the improvement in pain, number of tender points, skinfold tenderness, stiffness, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and muscular spasm. There were no significant differences in either group prior to therapy in any pain category measured. However, there was significant improvement observed in the active laser treated group with respect to pain, muscle spasm, morning stiffness and tenderness.
This study, among many others, shows how cold laser therapy is a safe and effective means for treating fibromyalgia. We can customized your treatments to integrate cold laser therapy, and many of our patients have achieved significant relief from fibromyalgia symptoms. Below is a video of Vickie, where she tells her story of how fibromyalgia had affected her life. Prior to becoming a patient at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic and seeing Dr. Mark Huntsman, she was taking multiple medications, and suffering from their side effects. With customized treatments from Dr. Huntsman, she was finally able to relieve her chronic pain and chronic fatigue symptoms.
For more information on our treatments, visit www.FibromyalgiaTreatmentAugusta.com. You can call our office today at (706) 814-5053 to find out if you’re a candidate for our specialized fibromyalgia treatments.
The Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic Blog is written by Dr. Mark Huntsman. Augusta GA Chiropractors Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic provides customized chiropractic care to the Augusta GA, Martinez GA, and Evans GA communities. Visit our main website at www.georgia-clinic.com for a chiropractor in Augusta GA.
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