Freedom from Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, often termed chronic pain syndrome, is a mysterious condition which causes a person much suffering. The constant pain and fatigue felt by the person suffering from fibromyalgia saps all their energy and often leads to depression. Most of the time, the person does not look ill, so others tend to think their symptoms are all in their head. Over time, this can destroy relationships in the person’s life. The most prevalent symptom with fibromyalgia is muscle pain, which travels to various points throughout the body, one day the pain is in the shoulders, the next day it may be in the hips. During a flare-up of symptoms, the person suffers from overwhelming fatigue combined with an inability to sleep well (usually due to pain). Irritable bowel and heart pains are also common because both the heart and colon are made of muscle tissue. The tightness in the muscles throughout your body affect the circulation to the brain so “brain fog” and headaches are also common symptoms.

Modern medicine does not understand where fibromyalgia comes from, nor do they have a way to cure it. They use medications to control the various symptoms and hope for the best. I have worked with fibromyalgia over the years and have learned a lot about it. My mother was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue nearly 30 years ago. We worked together with nutrition and supplements to put her symptoms in remission and she fully recovered. Since then I have worked with many clients over the years and learned a lot about this condition.

My personal feeling is that fibromyalgia is initially caused by a virus, just like the Epstein Bar virus is known to be a root cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. When a person gets run down from prolonged stress, the virus seems to rear its ugly head and the symptoms come out. To put fibromyalgia symptoms back in remission you must take on the challenge of getting your body healthy again. Find constructive ways to deal with stress and take nutrients to help your body recover its health. The immune system needs to be built up again as well, so the body can stop the virus from replicating.

One of the keys to overcoming fibromyalgia is getting relief from the muscle pain. The pain is created by a blockage of energy production in the muscle cells as well as a lack of flow of Chi through these areas of the body. Chi is your life force energy, if it gets stuck anywhere in the body, you will have pain. You must restore the flow of energy to improve your health.

I have found many nutritional supplements which help the body to re-balance itself and overcome the underlying causes of the fibromyalgia. These supplements target energy production in the cell, relaxing tight muscles and supporting liver function. The liver as viewed by Chinese medicine, is responsible for the smooth flow of blood and Chi in the body. Healthy clean blood nourishes the muscles and tendons. A healthy liver is also needed for a healthy immune system.

There are so many details I could be sharing with you, but I am trying to keep this short and cover the most important points to consider. Here is a list of my top 5 Natures Sunshine supplements for supporting the body to recover from fibromyalgia:

Adrenal Support (#1507-0) – this is a wonderful formula to help strengthen and rebuild the adrenal glands. This will help you respond to stress better, recover from long term fatigue and improve immune function. Additional B-complex either in your multiple vitamin, or in supplements like Nutri-Calm (#1617-3) is recommended when stress is high.

Fibralgia (#4061-6) this is a combination of Malic Acid and magnesium, a key combination to help release the tension in the muscles and restore energy production in the muscle cells. Fibralgia is amazing for relieving the spasms in the fibromyalgia pain points. I usually recommend 2 capsules 3 times a day through the first bottle and then 2 twice daily. Continue to reduce slowly as the conditions improves.

Topically: I have found that a combination of NSP’s Essential Shield oil blend (#3887-8), with Lobelia essence (#1765-8) will quickly help relieve the pain in tight spots. This is particularly helpful at night when pain often flares up. The essential shield seems to act on the virus impairing its ability to replicate. The lobelia is the best anti-spasmodic herb I know of, so it is wonderful to release the tension and its nervine properties help you fall asleep or relax. I combine 5 drops of Essential Shield, a small squirt of the lobelia essence and a small amount of carrier oil together and apply to any areas which are in pain. You can use massage lotion, coconut oil, aloe vera gel or my favorite Herbal Trim Skin Lotion (#1669-0), I like this product because it is non-greasy and soaks immediately into the skin. It also leaves the skin soft, smooth and healthy. I’ve been putting it on my skin daily for over 20 years.

Immune Stimulator (#1839-3) – This is a powerful immune activating formula. It is particularly good at activating the parts of the immune system which helps the cells protect themselves from the virus, and inhibits its ability to spread. A healthy immune system works to disassemble and inactivate virus particles. Once your body has thrown off a virus, it may develop immunity. So, over time I have found that people become less susceptible to fibromyalgia flare-ups. If the fibromyalgia symptoms are active I recommend 3 capsules twice daily for 2-3 weeks until the person feels significantly better. I like to maintain on 2-3 capsules daily for a few months while the person builds their immune system and improves their diet and lifestyle.

Cellular Energy (#1879-6) this is another formula that targets the energy production and oxygen uptake by the cell. Cellular Energy targets energy production in the connective tissue and nerves, people with fibromyalgia often have weird nerve pains all over the body. Manganese is a key nutrient in this formula (a different mineral from the magnesium in the Fibralgia formula). The formula acts as a powerful antioxidant activating the enzyme SOD (super oxide dismutase) which plays a major role in repairing cell damage and controlling inflammation. 2 capsules daily

Chinese Blood Stimulator (#1881-9) – is key product for overcoming fibromyalgia. This formula addresses the health and function of the liver. In Chinese medicine the liver is said to move the Chi (energy) and blood through all the organs and muscles of the body. The liver insures clean healthy blood and a smooth flowing chi. When the chi gets stuck in the muscles, pain occurs. The liver is also responsible for the free flow of emotions through the body. Anger, resentment and frustration all greatly impact the liver and its ability to function properly. Chinese Blood stimulator formula helps to lift moods and release these buried emotions in the body, this can be very helpful in the healing process. This formula also targets strengthening the immune system, cleaning the blood, enhancing digestion, relieving inflammation and pain and lifting sinking spirits. Take 6 – 9 capsules per day, or 1-2 of the TCM concentrate capsules daily (#1005-9).

Diet and Exercise: To fully recover from fibromyalgia one needs to choose a diet which consists of foods which are easy to digest and as natural as possible. Organic, minimally processed foods have more chi (energy) in them, they help build the body and activate the DNA signals to repair and rejuvenate the body. There is not one fixed diet to follow as people digest foods differently, due to many factors. Your blood type being one factor, a person with Type A blood may thrive as a vegetarian while a person with Type O blood may do better with animal protein in the diet. Consider eliminating fried foods, white sugar, wheat, corn, dairy, processed foods and caffeine; as these foods are often triggers for digestive issues. Try tuning into the body and listening to what it needs. Eat simple at first so as not to overload your digestive system (and hence the liver). Steamed or roasted vegetables, homemade soups or stews, small portions of organic meats, oatmeal, quinoa, lentils, millet and fermented foods are good places to start. Make sure to get plenty of water to help clean the blood. Avoid cold drinks and iced drinks. Room temperature water and hot teas are best. Drinking ginger tea with meals help activate digestion, chamomile tea can help break up gas and relax digestive spasms. The liver loves dark green leafy vegetables so make sure to add them into the diet. Spirulina (#681-1) and Herbal Trace Minerals (#980-5) are excellent green food supplements to nourish the liver. Consider adding them to your program especially if you have not been eating plenty of vegetables and greens in your diet. They will build your energy and activate enzymes in the body. Exercise is very important for recovering from fibromyalgia. However, the tight muscles and pain make the thought of exercise too overwhelming. So, we need a different approach, as it is critical to get the blood moving through the tight stuck areas of the body to heal. The Fibralgia and Cellular Energy supplements are really going to help as they release the tightness in the muscles and activate the energy production in the muscle cells. The Chinese Blood Stimulator cleans the blood and helps remove toxins from the muscles. I have found that after a couple weeks of these supplements, plenty of water and a clean eating diet that the soreness and tightness quickly improves. Begin with simple stretches and walking. It is very important to breathe deeply and properly (from your diaphragm) while exercising. This relaxes the arteries and fills the blood with oxygen and life giving chi energy. If you are not familiar with this type of breathing please google breathing for relaxation and exercise. Consider using a hand-held massager on tight and sore areas to help break up congestion and improve circulation. The massage will warm the muscles and help make exercising easier. The best exercise I have found for recovering from fibromyalgia is Qi Gong. This is an ancient Chinese form of exercise which is very slow, low impact and incorporates breathing and the moving chi through the body. Just 10 minutes of Qi Gong can have a huge impact on freeing up the muscles and pain. Eventually 30 -60 minutes a day is optimal. My favorite Qi Gong DVD for recovering from fibromyalgia is Lee Holdens’s Qi Gong for Stress which can be purchased at www.exercisetoheal.com

This exercise program targets all the areas which typically hold pain with fibromyalgia. It is a very gentle program, which yields amazing results. If you choose to walk or do other stretches, start with short durations, rest in between but keep at it. If you have a lot of physical pain after the exercise rub the Essential Shield oil on those areas. You could also add Tei Fu lotion (#3538-5) or Tei-Fu Soothing blend (#3875-6) to help pain and discomfort. IF-Relief (#1175-4) or Curcumin BP (#238-2) are other excellent supplements to help reduce pain and inflammation in muscles following exercise.

I have helped many people over the past 25 years overcome Fibromyalgia. I really want to encourage you that this is something that can be changed, you can heal and regain your life and energy again. It all starts with your setting an intention in your heart to heal. Move forward one step at a time, and let go of the illness, the diagnosis and all the negative talk you have heard about this illness. The power to heal lies within, your body has marvelous intelligence, it just needs you to provide the right tools for it to heal and repair. When you embrace the energy of healing you move into a place where anything is possible, where miracles are normal and change is a process of transformation.

Blessings, Valerie Greguire

Disclaimer: Supplement recommendations are not designed to treat a disease condition. Discussions are for educational purposes only. Supplements should be used to nourish and strengthen the natural function of the various body organs and systems so that they will have a greater capacity to heal themselves. It is not intended to replace your doctor's recommendations. Any questions or concerns that you have regarding existing medical conditions, or the use of medications with supplements, should be discussed with your nutritionally oriented medical doctor.