Fibromyalgia is a muscle disorder characterized by tenderness, stiffness, and pain in your tendons, joints, and muscles. These maladies are aggravated by symptoms like anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and gastrointestinal diseases. There are new ways to manage your illness, such as using oils made from hemp for fibromyalgia.
Based on data, almost 6% of the total global population suffers from fibromyalgia. In the United States, around 2% of American adults have the condition, with women accounting for 75-90% of the total. Recent studies also showed that 77.1% of people with fibromyalgia are seeking treatments sourced from Cannabis sativa plants like marijuana and hemp.
Tender Points of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia patients experience pain throughout their bodies. However, certain parts of the body are more susceptible to soreness that even a light touch could be excruciating. Here are some fibromyalgia tender points:
- Hip bones
- Inside areas just above your knees
- Upper outer buttocks
- Areas below the side bone of your elbows
- Upper inner shoulders
- The base of your skull
- Edges of your upper breast or the sides of your breastbone
- Areas in the front of your lower neck
- Neck and shoulder areas
Conditions with Fibromyalgia-like Symptoms
The diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be challenging as there are several conditions with similar symptoms. Physicians often perform several tests to their patients to make a fibromyalgia diagnosis correctly. Here are some diseases with fibromyalgia-like symptoms:
- Vitamin D insufficiency
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Arthritis
- Hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone deficiency
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Cancer
- Depression
- Communicable diseases like AIDS, hepatitis, and Epstein Barr virus
- Hypercalcemia or high blood calcium levels
- Bone diseases such as Paget’s disease
- Parathyroid diseases
- Muscle disorders like polymyositis
To make a proper diagnosis of fibromyalgia, doctors use several criteria after completion of your diagnostic tests. These are:
- You experience pain for three months or more.
- Your pain affects all four quadrants of your body.
- The absence of other conditions that may be the cause of your symptoms.
Alternative Remedies to Manage Fibromyalgia
Your physician can only prescribe treatments to manage your fibromyalgia as there is no drug yet to cure the disease completely. Your treatment program will depend mainly on your symptoms. Here are some strategies to help manage your condition:
- Having general awareness about the signs and possible causes of your illness. To help control your disease, monitor the effects of your diet, physical activities, moods, environment, and prescription drugs on your symptoms.
- Do low-impact exercises regularly. Physical activities allow your body to produce natural painkillers called endorphins. Some of the low-impact workouts you may consider are walking, swimming, cycling, and water aerobics.
- Undergo laser acupuncture or electroacupuncture to stimulate your endorphins.
- Consider using hemp for fibromyalgia symptoms. Hemp contains a chemical called cannabidiol, which has potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Try chiropractic therapy. This remedy can relieve pain in your pressure points and improve your lumbar and cervical ranges of motion.
- Massage therapy can help relax your muscles and alleviate your pain by enhancing blood circulation and bolster the production of endorphins.
- Consider meditation to improve your spiritual health and limit your perception of pain.
Although fibromyalgia could cause you pain and stress, it cannot cause severe damage to your bodily organs. Try the tips above and decide on the best approach to manage your condition and improve your quality of life.
