Denver Fibromyalgia Health Center

In our Denver Fibromyalgia Health Center we have found that these are four good steps that anyone with fibromyalgia can take to help improve their condition.

1. Cut down on the sugar – Too much sugar can put your body into an acidic and inflammatory state, which heightens and prolongs your pain response. A lot of processed foods that you find in the grocery store that are packaged, or frozen have added sugar that can lead to an inflammatory cascade in your body. This not only creates more pain pathways to your brain, but it inhibits your ability to adapt and respond to everyday stress.

If you are accustomed to a lot of sugar in your diet, wean yourself off of it slowly and you will find that you will not crave it as much as you used to. Did you know that in a research study, they found that sugar was just addictive as cocaine in rats!? That is an alarming fact. The less you rely on sugar, the more your pain will decrease.
One thing that you can do is to shop on the perimeter of your grocery store for fresh produce and meats, instead of buying a lot of processed, prepackaged foods. Cut down the sugar and allow your body to start healing!

One warning: do not switch to sugar substitutes like Splenda, Nutrasweet, or anything with aspartame. These sugar substitutes are neurotoxins, which mean that they cross your blood-brain barrier and actually destroy brain cells. They are not a good substitute for sugar.

2. Go for a walk – Exercise has been proven to be one of the most effective ways of decreasing the pain of fibromyalgia and restoring your function. Exercise produces “good feeling” endorphins, which have a physical and psychological effect to feeling better. Exercise also increases blood flow to your muscles, heart, lungs, and brain. This restores and replenishes nutrients, increases your metabolism, and builds muscle strength. Start out with something that is tolerable, like a short walk around your block or your work building at lunch. Gradually build up to walking longer distances or add some strengthening exercises to your regimen. Also, find an accountability partner to walk with you. This makes it a more enjoyable, fun experience. You will be amazed at how good you will feel!

3. Talk to someone – There is no known cause for fibromyalgia and this can make it difficult to explain to other people what you are going through, especially your spouse or partner. Cognitive behavioral therapy is highly effective for people suffering from fibromyalgia because it helps them to relieve some of the fears they may have in terms of exercising, performing everyday tasks, and living their lives with pain every day.

4. Get checked by your chiropractor – One of the most important things that you need to do if you have been diagnosed with or think you have fibromyalgia, is to make sure that your nervous system is working optimally. A lot of your pain could be stemming from fixations in your spine, affecting the rest of your nervous system, muscles, and joints. When you have these fixations, there can be increased muscle spasm, inflammation, and pain. Your chiropractor will locate them and apply a very specific force, called an adjustment to increase motion and overall function. Fibromyalgia is a multifaceted condition, and therefore can take time to turn around. Start implementing some of these tips today to begin feeling relief!

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Dr. Visentin is a Denver Chiropractor of Care Chiropractic specializing in safe, effective and natural relief for fibromyalgia.

Legal Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is intended for your general knowledge. It is not to be used as a substitute for professional advice, or for treatment for a specific condition. Always seek the advice of a professional Chiropractor or other qualified health care provider with questions you may have regarding any condition.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 12:16 am and is filed under Fibromyalgia Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.