Chinese Medicine as Fibromyalgia Treatment: Could It Work?

The medical world is filled with mysteries that simply do not want to be unlocked. It sometimes seems that no matter how many studies are being made, the answers we seek still do not appear. HIV, cancer, arthritis – they are all mysterious and incurable. Of course, not every disease or medical condition that is not curable is also deadly, but even when it isn’t, it can still significantly alter one’s life.

Fibromyalgia is among the most mysterious incurable medical conditions known to mankind. Indeed, it is not deadly, but it can affect one’s life to the point where pain is just too much to handle. Not few are the cases where patients end up bedridden for days, months or even years simply because their symptoms are too much to manage.

Pain is, as you may well know it, the main symptom related to fibromyalgia and it can manifest itself differently with different people. It can be unbearable, manageable, mild, or there may be times when it disappears almost completely. But, in the end, it is a chronic type of pain and actually curing it is not yet possible (not until we find the answers to the most frequent fibromyalgia-related questions out there).

Why So Mysterious?

We don’t know the cause for fibromyalgia. Although a lot of research has been made, the most we know so far is related to the fact that there may be some factors that influence whether or not a person develops this syndrome. Among them, the following ones appear to be the most important:

1- There is a very high occurrence in the number of people who come from families with fibromyalgia that develop it too and studies show that certain genes may indeed be responsible for this.

2- Some scientists believe that there are certain neurotransmitters that do not function properly with fibromyalgia patients. Basically, the chemicals responsible with sending the pain signals to the brain function abnormally and the brain perceives pain in a different way than it should be.

3- Sleeping issues. It is known that lack of sleeping properly for a prolonged period of time can lead to feeling fatigue, which in itself can be a cause for higher levels of pain in the human body.

4- Certain triggers. It is believed that certain stressful events (physical or emotional) in one’s life can trigger the development of fibromyalgia. Giving birth, an injury, the death of a loved one, being in an abusive relationship – all these things could lie at the grounds of this syndrome.

Fibromyalgia Treatment with Integrated Chinese Medicine

What Treatment Is Available?

Fibromyalgia may be incurable (or at least for now), but it can definitely be something that can be managed. The Food and Drug administration has approved three drugs for the treatment of this syndrome and, in addition to them there are other types of medication available for pain management and for the management of the other symptoms too.

1- Lyrica is the first drug to ever have been approved for treating fibromyalgia (this happened in 2007). Although it was initially created to treat diabetes nerve pain and shingles rashes, it is now prescribed for fibromyalgia patients too.

2- Initially created for depression, anxiety and nerve pain treatment, Cymbalta is now FDA approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia too.

3- This is the first drug to have been created and approved specifically for treating fibromyalgia.

4- This is a drug that was used to treat withdrawal symptoms in patients who were addicted to drugs or alcohol, but it was discovered that it could function very well in the case of fibromyalgia patients too. However, it is not yet FDA approved and it is not used for the treatment of fibromyalgia as it is still in the research phase.

These drugs are indeed efficient in treating fibromyalgia, but other than that, it is important to know that they come with several adverse effects too. Since they are anti-depressants in nature, they can show the same side effects, including insomnia, weight loss or weight gain and even increasing the number of suicidal thoughts.

Could Chinese Medicine Be the Key?

It may seem amazing, but thousands of years before the medical field got to the state-of-the-art at which it is today, the Chinese had their own medical system which seems to be very much functional even today. Although there are many people skeptical about this, Chinese medicine could provide patients with fibromyalgia with alleviation for the many symptoms they experience.

Basically, traditional Chinese medicine is comprised out of three main branches: acupuncture, Tai Chi and herbal medicine. Used together, these practices can ameliorate the pain (especially with acupuncture), re-build the balance of the body (especially with Tai Chi) and alleviate the other symptoms as well (especially with herbal medicine). You can use them together or separately, according to what you want to achieve from the traditional Chinese practices.

According to the specific symptoms you show, a Chinese medicine specialist will be able to recommend you with certain herbs. These herbs are meant to treat what the Chinese call the “muscle Bi syndrome” (fibromyalgia) in its three states: wind, damp and cold.  Each patient can show different levels of these three states of the muscle Bi syndrome, so the treatment recommended will be different.

In one way or another, Chinese medicine does appear to have the power to improve the quality of life for people suffering with fibromyalgia. Even a slight alleviation of the pain can mean a lot for a patient who has been living with it for such a long time.

All in all, trying the Chinese alternative medicine is worth it and it could make things much better for you too. Keep in mind the fact that you really need to see an approved specialist when it comes to these practices because otherwise you may get yourself into a scam- and even make things worse for your fibromyalgia.