Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Are Closely Linked

By Brenlee Place

"I literally get sick if I don't get sleep," Jackie Yencha tells WebMD. "Fatigue is my biggest problem. I've had to give up a lot of things because of the fatigue." Yencha has been coping with both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue (CF) for most of her life. Technically, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are considered separate medical conditions, but they are undeniably related. Both syndromes involve a severe fatigue that can't be cured with sleep, as well as aches and pains as if one has the flu all the time. Both conditions persist for more than six months, often into years, and appear usually after some sort of illness or trauma. Despite the condition, many patients can still achieve many of their goals with proper management.

Severe fibromyalgia and CF sufferers say that fatigue is the most debilitating facet of their condition since they are hyper-sensitive to pain and never feel completely alert, which can affect all of their daily tasks. Therefore CF and fibromyalgia treatments normally start with sleep management, says Mary Rose, a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"We know from studies that sleep improves mood, pain, and the overall way that folks feel throughout the day," she explains. "Regardless of the explanations for CF, if we can get some control over quality of sleep, we're almost certain to observe a positive impact on concentration, mood and fatigue."

Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia patients usually have a lot of bad habits that prevent them from getting adequate rest. "Don't lie in bed, worrying and stressing," Dr. Rose tells her patients. "Get up, go to the other room. When you're calmer, relaxed, feel tired, go back to bed." Another recommendation with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome is to avoid napping. "A lot of patients have circadian rhythm problems. Napping can throw you off. Any sleep during the daytime will be taken from your sleep at night," Dr. Rose adds. Limiting noise and distractions in the bedroom, blocking out all light and participating in calming activities before bed are all ways to improve sleep quality.

Patients who have any sort of syndromes, diseases and conditions find that stress exacerbates their maladies. Therefore, stress reduction is essential for anyone suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. Gentle exercises like yoga, Pilates and meditation can help patients unwind and sleep better. Relaxation exercises and meditation can also help individuals normalize their heart rates and lower blood pressure, which contributes to an overall feeling of wellbeing. Stretching several times a day and taking nice warm baths are pleasant ways to provide gentle comfort to an aching body. - 29964

About the Author:

Chronic fatigue is a real illness that requires education and the right treatment methods. One cure does not fit all with this disease. You need to educate yourself if you hope to start living a normal life again. Visit Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Help to find out more.

Fibromyalgia Cure- Is There A Fibromyalgia Cure?

By Shaun Marsh

If you are suffering from extreme pain in the ligaments, the tendons, or the muscles, then no doubt you have fibromyalgia. In fact, fibromyalgia is considered as one of the most frequent medical problems across the globe. This type of chronic pain disorder has symptoms like soreness on your body's tender points. Other signs also include irritable bowel movements, numbness, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, and for women, painful menstrual periods.

Because this chronic condition has been bugging hundreds and thousands of people, finding the right treatment for FM has been going on for years already. However, most people suffering from fibromyalgia normally consider finding fibromyalgia natural cures, believing that it can greatly help them with their joint and ligaments problems.

Vitamin D is probably the most common of all fibromyalgia natural cures. It has been proven that FM is often characterized by the body's vitamins D deficiency. So if you take in a generous amount of vitamin D religiously, you will achieve less painful fibromyalgia attacks in the future.

Another form of fibromyalgia natural cures is the S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). This is actually a compound occurring naturally in one's body. SAMe is needed in your immune system to make it work properly. Furthermore, it also helps in maintaining the membranes of your cells and provides assistance in the breakdown of the body's neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, or norepinephrine. And since this compound is also a major player in your body's cartilage formation, SAMe is truly a good way to cure fibromyalgia the natural way.

There are generally different ways available today, as far as finding the right fibromyalgia natural cures is concerned. However, you need to understand that FM is different from patient to another.

So in order to find out which natural cure for FM is right for you, it is important to consult your medical practitioner first and discuss what may be a possibility with your case. - 29964

About the Author:

Would you like to know more on fibromyalgia symptoms?, then visit the site below to know everything related to fibromyalgia including fibromyalgia diagnosis, treatment options and coping methods to deal with fibromyalgia agony and frustration.

Fibromyalgia Exercise- Can Exercise Help Treat Fibromyalgia?

By Shaun Marsh

Fibromyalgia, or popularly called FM, is that type of chronic illness that shows signs ranging from a mere body fatigue to a more painful and more constant body aches and pains. Today, this type of illness has made doctors difficult to diagnose because each case vary from the other and that, no proven cause has yet to be established of the problem.

But thorough research showed that fibromyalgia is related to the sensory processing of the nervous system. And with fibromyalgia, signs such as stiffness, pains and fatigue made experts conclude that doing proper exercise for fibromyalgia is one way to beat the problem.

However, your joints and muscles are the primary problems with fibromyalgia. Is it not a bad idea to make it worse my doing exercise? But if you try to look at it on the lighter side, exercise can actually help you with your fibromyalgia problems. Exercise can help the muscles become healthier and stronger. Thus, this can give you lesser chances of having fibromyalgia attacks in the future.

Upon doing exercise for fibromyalgia, set your mind that this is not for weight loss but instead, for health improvement. So you need to start slow and set small goals. And as you go along, you can gradually increase your exercise and you may start making larger goals as well.

Swimming is one proven effective exercise for patients with fibromyalgia. With the exercise, you get to simultaneously improve your body and heart's performance. Furthermore, the water is also a good support of your body while doing your exercise.

Yoga and tai chi are also other forms of exercise. But whatever type of exercise for fibromyalgia you consider, keep in mind that this one can help ease the pain of your FM. After all, proper exercise can help boost your energy levels and provide you with a better sleep at night. So to lessen your worries about fibromyalgia, get your feet moving now and start exercising. - 29964

About the Author:

Learn more about fibromyalgia pain relief. Stop by at the site to find out aboutFibromyalgia Symptoms and much more.

Finding Out The Treatment Fibromyalgia In Pregnancy

By Shaun Marsh

The exact reason why fibromyalgia exists is not yet known. Both alleviation of symptoms and focusing on the quality of life are the focus of the treatment process for most patients. Prescription medicine, alternative medicine, work outs and changes in the lifestyle are combined to form one powerful treatment regimen for fibromyalgia patients.

But, it is also known that the approach is always trial and error. It means that the approach is tweaked in various ways to meet the needs of one patient. Moreover, the method is modified entirely for the benefit of a single patient. It is important that patients have to allow the medical personnel work as a team so that a plan can be devised properly for each patient.

But, the approach is limited in a way that the disease process is not yet understood and there is only a limited background about the course of the disorder. There is really no single treatment studied that emerged to be really working. Most of all, there is no published information regarding the disease activity during pregnancy.

The lack of understanding about the disease process puts the fetus and the mother in danger. There has been conflict in the evidence of the process of disease and its effect to pregnancy. It is imperative therefore that further research is needed in order to discover the appropriate treatment as well as the course of disease on pregnancy.

The importance of such research is needed so that there will not come a time where we have to choose between the mother and child. There is one thing that is already known and it is the fact that the pregnancy alone can increase the symptoms of fibromyalgia. However, this needs to be delved deeper.

The most important phase and the most challenging during pregnancy is the third trimester where the frequency of the symptoms is also increasing. This would mean that the disease is already progressing. - 29964

About the Author:

Want to find out more about treatment fibromyalgia , then visit Rapid Fibromyalgia Relief on how to find fibromyalgia pain relief .

Ways To Seek Treatment For Fibromyalgia- Know What Works And What Doesn't

By Shaun Marsh

The lack of understanding for the exact cause of fibromyalgia leads to the lack in the effective treatment that is present. There are many treatments that claim to cure the condition but many of them are ineffective and deceitful. They are manufactured to make you lose money in every sense of the word.

More often than not, patients already know that there is no cure yet to the disorder. However, there is one good approach for this particular condition that is found to be effective in many ways. The treatment regimen involves the interplay of both the traditional and conventional medicine.

Alleviation of symptoms through this approach is done through stress management, medications and exercise. This approach will lead to the improvement of the quality of life for patients. Moreover, patients should remain hopeful for new treatment in the future because of the studies done today.

The researches are made to increase our knowledge about the disease process and comprehension about its course as well as effects to the body. Exercise can help you alleviate the symptom of pain. Basically, it will make your sore muscles achieve strength and become more flexible.

The medications that could help you with the pain could be acetaminophen, NSAID and some muscle relaxants. Furthermore, sleep medications are also given although not for extended periods of time. The reason behind this is that it will lose its effect over time. Antidepressants can also alleviate sleep disturbances as well as treat depression accompanying fibromyalgia. There is another medication for the fibromyalgia symptoms namely seizure medication. This medication can also significantly relieve you of pain.

There are also alternative practices being used to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and these are the massage therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation. Flare ups can also be avoided through the use of the mentioned alternative methods. - 29964

About the Author:

Learn more about how to treat fibromyalgia . Stop by Rapid Fibromyalgia Relief where you can find out all about fibromyalgia pain relief .

The Quest For The Treatment Of Fibromyalgia

By Shaun Marsh

The most effective treatment for fibromyalgia is the interaction of both alternative and conventional medicine. The combination of medications, technology, proper nutrition and relaxation will make everything easier when you try to alleviate the symptoms of this condition.

There is no single treatment for this disease, which is why the solution may seem like it is complicated. It is needed that the solution would involve all possible method to address the complicated problem. This is the ideal method of approaching the condition because it attacks from various angles, which would lead to a much desired effect. Nonetheless, the discovery of the real causes and understanding of the course of disease are the only ways that the real solution would be achieved.

This particular goal can only be reached through extensive studies and research. There are already many research facilities that are conducting studies to reach this goal. The approach would only depend on the severity of the disease and the frequency of the symptoms for each individual. Your physician will be the one who will recommend various regimens that are designed to fit your needs. Basically, it will involve a trial and error but they are effective in more ways than one.

The focus of the treatment process is to alleviate the symptoms and relief from the pain inflicted by the disorder. Naturally, your physician will follow through the regimen that would enable you to have the best quality of life possible. Along with the treatment regimen, you also have to enhance the quality of your sleep. You need to rest adequately because it can make the whole situation worst if you do not rest.

There are many studies that claim there is a relationship between estrogen levels in the blood, menopause and this condition. However, this needs further evidence. Future studies should also focus on this aspect since we all know that women tend to be the ones affected more than men.

One form of an effective treatment would be to combine alternative methods like exercise, stress management, chiropractic procedures, physical therapy and acupuncture. Nevertheless, you need to bear in mind that the cure is yet to be found for this condition. - 29964

About the Author:

Looking to find the best information on the treatment for fibromyalgia , then visit site to all you need to know about fibromyalgia including fibromyalgia diagnosis for you.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia

By Anju Mathur, MD

People who were happy, healthy and vital experience chronic symptoms that put an end to their activity. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seems to take all your energy away and it often lasts for years.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that doesn't improve with bed rest and may worsen with physical or mental activity. Unlike influenza symptoms, which usually subside in a few days or weeks, the signs and symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) can last much longer. They may come and go frequently with no identifiable pattern.

Many people suffer from chronic symptoms that have no real medical handling in traditional medicine. Although the symptoms are serious, they are treatable. Center for Disease Control reports that between one and four million Americans have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and are many of those cannot fully function, are unemployed or on welfare because of it.

Chronic fatigue syndrome may precipitate after an infection, such as a cold or viral illness or after a time of great stress. It can also come on gradually without a clear starting point or obvious cause. Women are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome far more often than men are.

Conventional medicine favors the idea that it's "all in your head." This leads to no remedy at all as the patient is sent to psychologists who prescribe harmful drugs. Sometimes a physical therapist or sleep therapist or dietitian get involved. But mainly medicos tell the patient to learn to live with it.

But the condition is not all in your head. You don't have to live with it, and alternative medicine offers help by finding an underlying cause and a natural remedy. The disease can be stopped and symptoms reversed. The results are available, and you can regain your energetic lifestyle.

If you suffer from fibromyalgia or CFS, your diet can make your condition worse or better. Eating a lot of refined carbohydrates will make the condition worse, whereas eating slow-burning carbs (rich in fiber) will provide your body with more energy. If you consume a lot of saturated fats and refined vegetable oils, the pain will worsen. If you consume foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish and flaxseed oil) your pain will lessen. Diet is very important.

Food allergies are often missed as a cause of CFS and fibromyalgia. A competent doctor can evaluate for food allergies.

Depression can accompany CFS and figromyalgia. Low levels of a neuro-transmitter, serotonin if often a cause, because this substance in the brain regulates sleep and contributes to the persons mood. Lack of it increases pain. There are supplements that can be prescribed to alleviate pain, regulate mood and ward off depression - such as St. John's wort, SAMe, natural replacement seratonin and 5-HTP. Whereas Prozac and other prescription drugs merely mask symptoms and come with dangerous side effects, natural remedies do not. Many happier patients will attest to this fact. - 29964

About the Author:

Learn more about Dr. Anju Mathur and Bioidentical Hormone Replacement at the Angel Longevity Medical Center. Find out more about Chronic Fatigue and Anti-Aging