A few thoughts on chronic pain.

It is very easy to misdiagnose chronic pain conditions or to confuse one for another.  Fibromyalgia is one example of the challenge.  The article Fibromyalgia, What is and what it isn’t from the blog This Time – This Space gives a list of the disorders that can mimic Fibromyalgia and vice-versa and also gives an excellent overview of the condition.

For example, you may be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia but actually have Chronic Myofascial Pain. Or vice-versa.  Or both conditions can be occurring together, but you may only have one diagnosis.  It is important to distinguish between the two because each requires a different approach and treatment and you can often relieve myofascial pain through trigger point therapy.   Devon Starlanyl’s book Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain, A Survival Manual is an excellent guide to both conditions, tells you how to differentiate the two, and is chock full of other useful advice.

Did you know that EI & Chemical Sensitivity commonly overlap with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Migraine, Arthritis, Chronic Pain, Allergies, Gluten Sensitivity, Digestive Disorders, Hypothyroidism, Depression, Panic Disorders, and Anxiety? Is it possible your symptoms and flares are triggered or exacerbated by toxic chemicals found in everyday products, our food, water, and air?  You might benefit from reducing your exposures.  Deborah Lynn Dadd is one of the best guides on how to eliminate the standard everyday products that contain chemicals from your home and replace them with safer options.  The amount of toxic chemicals we breathe in each and everyday is mind-boggling!

It seems that more and more people are making the connection between migraines and toxic environmental chemicals, perfume, and fragrance.  Learn more at Smell, Inc. and Headwise Woman.

Many people with chronic pain conditions, arthritis, hypothyroidism, vulvar pain, and other conditions have found benefit in the Low Oxalate Diet.

Toxic neuropathy is another chronic pain condition known to be triggered by toxic chemicals.

It’s possible that other pain conditions may be triggered or exacerbated by toxic chemicals as well.

Mindfulness meditation as pioneered by Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and described in his book Full Catastrophe Living, Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (10th Anniversary Edition) can help to significantly reduce pain levels.

Two other books have helped me tremendously.

Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain by Donna Finando, L.Ac. and Steven Finando, L.Ac. is a manual written for acupuncturists and body therapists.  It relates trigger points to the meridian systems in Chinese medicine.  It also gives stretching exercises that can be used once the trigger point has been released.

The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, Your Self Treatment Guide for Pain Releif by Clair Davies was written by a piano tuner who cured his frozen shoulder after thoroughly studying trigger points.  He went on to become an accomplished body worker and author.  It is written in an engaging style and gives you all the ins and outs of self-treatment.

One word of caution:  people with fibromyalgia  suffer from pain amplification and need to proceed gently and cautiously when it comes to any form of body work.

Please note that I do not receive renummeration for recommending books or products on this blog.  I only provide the links to Amazon to make it easy for you, but of course these books can be purchased at the bookstore of your choice.