Image: Shutterstock/ Chamille White
If there’s one thing that anyone with fibromyalgia knows, it’s that so many of the medications doctors prescribe for the condition just aren’t that effective. In fact, there’s only one medication, Savella, designed specifically to treat fibromyalgia. And even that isn’t effective for a lot of people with the condition. So that leaves many people turning to alternative treatments like homeopathic medicine.
Homeopathic medicine is an alternative form of treatment that is designed to treat the body in a natural way. But whether it is effective is a bit of a controversy. So, what exactly is homeopathic medicine? Can it work for fibromyalgia? And what are some homeopathic remedies that you can try?
What Is Homeopathic Medicine?
Homeopathic medicine is based on treating the body as a whole. Homeopathic practitioners see the body as a single unit made up of interconnecting systems. Any illness is, in the view of people who practice this type of medicine, the natural struggle of the body to keep itself healthy. The idea is that by using all-natural cures, you can stimulate the body’s healing process and cure the symptoms of many different diseases.
Most homeopathic cures are based on plants and minerals and given in very small, diluted doses. The central idea is that the body only needs a small amount of a substance to begin curing itself. And many homeopathic remedies are based on ancient forms of medicine, particularly from places like India and China, where these cures are still used today.
But, not everyone agrees that these types of cures are effective.
Does It Work For Fibromyalgia?
You can find report after report arguing that homeopathic medicine isn’t an effective way to treat illness. Many studies have found that the dosages used are too small to really have any effect. Or that the benefits described by patients are due to the placebo effect, which is where the patient believes that the treatment will work, and therefore reports positive treatment outcomes. And many reports have argued that some of the substances that are commonly prescribed can even be dangerous.
But, there’s also a large body of evidence that suggests just the opposite. Recent reports from both the government of Switzerland, known for its unbiased medical studies, and Harvard University, have found that homeopathic cures are both effective and a cost-efficient way of treating patients.
So, ultimately, it’s hard to know what to make of the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine. And you can find evidence to support either side of the argument. But, if you’re interested in trying homeopathic cures for fibromyalgia, there are a few things that might be worth trying.
Some Remedies You Can Try
Because most of the information about homeopathic cures for fibromyalgia comes from amateur practitioners rather than licensed medical experts, you should approach every cure with a grain of salt. Don’t try any substance that can be dangerous. And only get your materials from sources selling products that are regulated by the FDA.
Furthermore, the lack of formal research means that most homeopathic remedies for the condition come from these practitioners rather than official experts. With that being said, there are few things that are commonly recommended as potential ways to treat the condition.
Acupuncture is a very safe form of treatment that consists of using pins inserted into the skin to stimulate the body’s natural painkillers and improve the functions of nerves. Many people report that it helps with their fibromyalgia symptoms and there have been a few studies that back up that claim. But there are also studies that suggest it isn’t effective at all. Like so many homeopathic cures, it’s hard to say what the truth is. But because acupuncture is such a safe and easy treatment, it may be worth trying to see if it improves your symptoms.
In addition, there are a number of different dietary supplements that fibro sufferers have suggested benefit their symptoms. Melatonin is a substance that your body naturally produces as part of the sleep cycle, and using melatonin supplements can help you manage insomnia that comes with fibromyalgia and may even reduce the amount of pain you feel.
5-HTP, or 5-Hydroxytryptophan, is another supplement that helps increase the amount of serotonin in the brain and might help reduce your pain. And many people with fibromyalgia have low magnesium levels, which has led some to recommend magnesium supplements.
But even if homeopathic cures aren’t effective for fibromyalgia, the concept behind them has some merit. Taking charge of your health generally, and viewing your body as a single system is a good way to manage fibromyalgia. Striving to be as healthy as possible in diet and with exercise is one of the best ways to handle fibromyalgia.
So, what do you think? Have you tried homeopathic cures for fibromyalgia? What works for you? Let us know in the comments.
Comments