Tuesday, May 02, 2017

Fibromyalgia, the Misunderstood Disease

Fibromyalgia

People with chronic pain describe a variety of patterns -generalized aching associated with tender "pressure points" are common complaints. Fibromyalgia sufferers often say:" I feel like I am 90 years old." Stiffness after sitting or lying down is common. The stiffness and pain will often improve with mild activities, but overly vigorous exertion makes it worse. There are many ideas about Fibromyalgia. Patients are often frustrated and confused. Physicians are not always helpful and insurance companies are reluctant to pay disability claims. Some people have strong opinions and beliefs about Fibromyalgia and some support groups champion one idea over all others.

The Problem
  • Generalized pain and stiffness
  • Associated fatigue, digestive disturbances, cognitive dysfunction and many other symptoms

  • The Solution
  •  Complete, comprehensive diet revision, using the Alpha Nutrition Program
  • Physical therapy, exercise
We believe that Fibromyalgia is one expression of non-specific hypersensitivity disease and should be treated with diet revision as the first and most essential form of therapy. Not everyone agrees with us. The recent marketing a drug directed at fibromyalgia pain has legitimized the diagnosis. If the drug has any benefit, it comes with a high price to purchase and then a cost to you as you endure the side effects. We have prepared an intelligent guide for people with FM who are motivated to experiment, modify their lifestyle and make a sustained effort to improve. Drugs should not be the preferred remedy.

The Alpha Nutrition Program can help to resolve Fibromyalgia and related disorders. The program is both a a diagnostic and a treatment procedure. The first Phase of the program is an attempt to clear symptoms. This is home science. You start with the hypothesis that your food intake is causing or contributing to your illness and you do an experiment to find out if it is true.

You want to accomplish four important goals at the same time:
  • Remove all the problems in your existing food supply
  • Add all the nutrients your body needs
  • Reintroduce the best, nourishing foods available and establish a new healthier diet
  • learn how to take better care of yourself
  • Begin gentle exercise and slowly regain physical fitness.

Background

Musculoskeletal and rheumatic complaints account for approximately 15% of the patients seen by primary care physicians. These complaints include muscle pain and weakness, regional pain syndromes such as back or neck pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. More aggressive pain associated with joint and muscle inflammation is less common and occurs in patients with the autoimmune disorders, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus erythematosus, polymyalgia rheumatica and polymyositis.

Marcus stated: "We need to recognize that pain is an epidemic of sorts and that we are not adequately handling patients with pain." He estimated that headaches disrupt productivity in 40-million Americans each year, while back pain interferes with work in 36-million people, muscle pain affects 24-million people and neck pain affects 20-million people. For persistent pain in general, the cost estimates are around $100 billion per year. For back pain in particular, estimates are $16-20 billion per year. He stated: "Back pain is often a problem of fitness…if we made weight loss and exercise a national priority, the result would be tremendous savings for our beleaguered health care system…Even something as simple as walking the equivalent of two miles per day could reduce utilization and cost of medical services.

Obscurity to Big Pharma


Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue have evolved from relative obscurity to become a brand name for a bizarre assortment of products and services. Drugs are prescribed by physicians in a haphazard manner as if they were browsing through the pharmacy shelf picking out drugs at random. A variety of pain relief clinics offer another random assortment of services. A variety of imaginative explanations is offered with little evidence. Sick lifestyles and environment problems are generally ignored. Drug prescriptions include pain relievers, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping pills and anticonvulsants.

WebMD in 2016 offered this orthodox medical perspective:” Your fibromyalgia specialist may prescribe pain medication or antidepressants to help treat the pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety that comes with the disease. In addition, your doctor may recommend physical therapy, moist heat, regular aerobic exercise, relaxation, and stress reduction to help you self-manage your symptoms. There is no one "pill" that treats or cures fibromyalgia. A multidisciplinary approach that uses both medication and alternative or lifestyle strategies seems to work best to treat fibromyalgia symptoms.”

Lyrica and Other Useless Drugs

Big Pharma has moved the marketing of Fibromyalgia into big-money TV advertising. The US FDA approved the drug, Lyrica (Pregabalin), for fibromyalgia and TV ads show happy patients enjoying a pain-free life.  This is  a serious anticonvulsant drug with alarming negative effects including suicide. Lyrica can cause life-threatening, allergic reactions.  Symptoms of an allergic reaction include swelling of the face, mouth, lips, gums, tongue, throat or neck. Lyrica may cause depression, anxiety, restlessness, trouble sleeping, panic attacks, anger, irritability, agitation, aggression, dangerous impulses or violence, or extreme increases in activity or talking.  Our questions are why would any physician prescribe and why would any patient take this potentially dangerous drug?