Archive for October, 2008

Fibromyalgia Pain at Night

October 15, 2008 at 1:52 am · Filed under Fibromyalgia ·Tagged , , , , ,

10 Tips for Better Sleep
By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

Do you toss and turn at night because of fibromyalgia pain or discomfort?

“People with fibromyalgia tend to have very disturbed sleep,” says Doris Cope, MD, director of Pain Management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Even if they sleep 10 hours a night, they still feel fatigued, don’t feel rested.”

Research shows that with fibromyalgia, there is an automatic arousal in the brain during sleep. Frequent disruptions prevent the important restorative processes from occurring. Growth hormone is mostly produced during sleep. Without restorative sleep and the surge of growth hormone, muscles don’t heal and neurotransmitters (like the mood chemical serotonin) are not replenished. The lack of a good night’s sleep makes people with fibromyalgia wake up feeling tired and fatigued.

The result: The body can’t recuperate from the day’s stresses — all of which overwhelms the system, creating a great sensitivity to pain. Widespread pain, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and memory difficulties are all symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Insomnia takes many forms — trouble falling asleep, waking up often during the night, having trouble going back to sleep, and waking up too early in the morning. Smoothing out those sleep problems — and helping people get the deep sleep their bodies need — helps fibromyalgia pain improve significantly, research shows.

Medications can help enhance sleep and relieve pain. But doctors also advocate lifestyle changes to help sleep come naturally.

Tips to Get Better Sleep With Fibromyalgia

Creating a comfort zone at home is key to better sleep, whether you have fibromyalgia or not. It’s all about easing into bedtime feeling relaxed — and staying relaxed so you sleep through the night.

These 10 tips can help people sleep better:

  • Enjoy a soothing (warm) bath in the evening.
  • Brush your body with a loofah or long-handled brush in the bath.
  • Ease painful tender points with a self-massage device (like a tennis ball).
  • Do yoga and stretching exercises to relax.
  • Listen to calming music.
  • Meditate to tame intrusive thoughts and tension.
  • Sleep in a darkened room. Try an eye mask if necessary.
  • Keep the room as quiet as possible (or use a white-noise machine).
  • Make sure the room temperature is comfortable.
  • Avoid foods that contain caffeine, including teas, colas, and chocolate.

Therapies to Treat Insomnia When You Have Fibromyalgia

If you’re still having sleep problems, several therapies can help, including biofeedback, relaxation training, stress reduction, and cognitive therapy. A psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders can discuss these therapies with you.

The therapies help people handle stress better, which helps control fibromyalgia episodes, Cope says. “Fibromyalgia comes and goes,” she tells WebMD. “When you’re stressed out, that’s when it’s worse.” That’s when you’re most likely to have insomnia, too.

Medications can also help ease fibromyalgia pain at night, or directly treat insomnia. Medications to ease fibromyalgia at night include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, prescription pain relievers, and sleep aids.

No one therapy will control fibromyalgia pain 100%, Cope adds.

“Medications help some. Exercise helps some. Stress reduction helps some. Cognitive behavior therapy helps some… If you can get restful sleep, you’re going to function better when you’re awake.”

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Fibromyalgia and Alternative Treatments

October 15, 2008 at 1:41 am · Filed under Fibromyalgia ·Tagged , , , ,

From acupuncture to chiropractic, from massage to meditation, alternative treatments are in great demand. That’s especially true for people with pain-related illnesses such as fibromyalgia. Alternative medicine, including herbal therapy and homeopathy, is a form of “drug-free” doctoring that views the mind and body as a fully integrated system.

For people with fibromyalgia, some alternative treatments work well. That’s because holistic therapies influence your total being. In that way, they may allow you to reduce your medications and increase your normal activities.

Study findings show that standard acupuncture may be effective in treating some people with fibromyalgia. Both biofeedback and electroacupuncture have also been used for relief of fibromyalgia symptoms. However, before you try alternative treatments, talk with your doctor. Check to see what limitations might apply to you. Working with your doctor, you can find an acceptable way to blend conventional medicine with alternative treatments or natural remedies. When you do, you may be able to increase restful sleep and reduce your fibromyalgia pain.

Can acupuncture treat fibromyalgia?

With acupuncture, a practitioner inserts one or more dry needles into the skin and underlying tissues at specific points. Gently twisting or otherwise manipulating the needles causes a measurable release of endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are the body’s natural opioids. In addition, according to acupuncture practitioners, energy blocks are removed. Removing them is said to restore the flow of energy along the meridians, which are specific energy channels.

Studies show that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry. It appears to do this by changing the release of neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters stimulate or inhibit nerve impulses in the brain that relay information about external stimuli and sensations such as pain. In this way, the patient’s pain tolerance is increased. One acupuncture treatment in some patients may last weeks to help alleviate chronic pain.

What is electroacupuncture?

Electroacupuncture is another way of stimulating the acupuncture points. It uses a needle hooked up to small wires connected to very slight electrical currents. Heat – moxibustion — and massage – acupressure — can also be used during this electroacupuncture process.

Laser acupuncture is yet another offshoot of this alternative therapy. It may occasionally be effective for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. While it uses the same points, there are no needles involved.

There are precautions to take if you want to try acupuncture. First, make sure you find a licensed acupuncturist who has a lot of experience. Also, make sure the acupuncturist uses only disposable needles.

There are multiple styles of acupuncture. The style used depends on where the practitioner studied. For instance, Chinese acupuncture depends on larger bore needles and the practitioner may be more aggressive with moving them. Japanese acupuncture uses thinner bore needles with a relatively gentle approach. You’ll need to find the style that suits your fibromyalgia needs.

Of all the above, my favorite is electroacupuncture. It feels so fantastic and seems to release tight muscles. Doylene

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