By: Debbie Kacic, Licensed Massage Therapist
Remember the last time you had the flu? The aches and pains you felt, the headache you had. You probably couldn’t sleep well and maybe even had trouble concentrating on things. Can you imagine what it would be like to have the flu all the time? Day after day, week after week, year after year. Now you have some idea of what it feels like to have Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS).
Since it’s a syndrome (a collection of symptoms and conditions), not everyone feels the same. Some may have a couple of the symptoms associated with FMS, and others may experience all of them. This collection of symptoms includes a variety of pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, chronic headaches, chemical sensitivities, memory loss or mental fog, and other various symptoms. You get the picture. All of these can add up to a very disabling disease, affecting your day to day existence, even your ability to perform your job.
More women than men are afflicted with FMS, yet studies now reveal that the condition is equally as severe in both genders, and it shows up in people of all ages. While the cause of FMS is still uncertain, there are events that can trigger its onset. Changes in the weather, cold and drafty environments, trauma, hormonal fluctuations, stress, depression, anxiety, over-exertion, can all cause symptoms to flare-up.
It is very important to get a confirmed diagnosis from your physician. Other medical problems have some of the same symptoms as FMS. While blood tests and other medical tests do not confirm FMS, there is a set of 18 tender points associated with FMS. These "tender points" refers to tenderness that occurs in precise, localized areas. In 1990, the America College of Rheumatology developed criteria that health care practitioners can use to diagnose Fibromyalgia. According to the criteria, a person is considered to have Fibromyalgia if she or he has widespread pain in combination with tenderness in at least 11 of the 18 tender point sites. Once your diagnosis is confirmed, you will be started on a pain relief program.
Massage Therapy in conjunction with treatment by your doctor can help provide long-term relief from Fibromyalgia pain. The treatment varies according to your individual needs and issues. Massage Therapy will help to relieve your pain by releasing painful trigger points and tight muscles, improve your flexibility and motion, improve your posture and muscle tone, improve circulation of blood and lymph, and help you to relax enough to be able to sleep better. Massage Therapy treatments should generally be comfortable and enjoyable leaving you with less pain, not more. Mild levels of pain immediately following a treatment may be felt but should be short in duration. Severe pain has no place in your treatment plan. You have enough of that already. Nature's Touch is also offering Steam Therapy sessions. A one hour massage session followed by 15 to 20 minutes in the steam tent has been proving to have added benefits to our Fibromyalgia clients. The steam helps to rid your body of any built up toxins, and the moist heat helps to further relax all muscle groups. If you haven't already, please consider giving Massage therapy a try and make it part of your treatment plan.
Debbie Kacic is a Licensed Massage Therapist and owner of Nature’s Touch Massage and Wellness Center at 708 East Smith Rd., Medina, OH. She can be reached at 330-721-9357 or e-mail NaturesTouch4u@aol.com
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