Fibromyalgia and How Osteopathic Treatment Can Help
Fibromyalgia can be a very debilitating condition as it involves several systems in the body. Most commonly, the musculoskeletal system develops tender points in several areas. One can also have compromised digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome. Fatigue is another common symptom caused by poor sleep patterns.
When I was undergoing my osteopathic training, I remember my instructor saying that fibromyalgia is typically caused by a physical or emotional trauma. So osteopathically, when someone asks me if I can help with this or that like fibromyalgia, my reply is always that osteopathy treats the person, not the disease. When I see someone new, we have a long chat about medical history and I try to piece together what symptoms began following what trauma. With some, it is many traumas piled up onto one another until their whole being can’t cope anymore. This is no different for fibromyalgia but I feel once the diagnosis is given, people feel that they are labelled for life. This isn’t my belief. We can work step by step to help you heal your whole being.
You will recover when all of the body’s systems are working together as a coordinated unit. Osteopathy involves the use of several techniques depending on what structure you are working on. And finding the ‘primary lesion’ is also very important. This is a significant disruption that caused symptoms before other traumas happened. The lesion will hold abnormal tensions and abnormal physiology, thus creating symptoms. You may have had a significant injury or surgery, etc. before the one trauma that resulted in the fibromyalgic symptoms.
So if you are willing to try osteopathy for your fibromyalgia, we can take those steps together, one by one, on the path to health.