Welcome!
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 1997 while working a full-time job and attending massage therapy school. At first, I was so bad that I could not even get out of bed. It was all I could do to lift my arm, which felt like it was broken, to call in sick to work. No one could understand why one day I wasn't at work and the next day I was fine and back at work. I also noticed that I wasn't sleeping well, I had chest pains, I had the "stomach flu" all the time, AND the migraines were intolerable! They could last for 3 days, in which I could lose my eyesight, and be praying to the porcelain god the whole time. My life was one big mess! The worst part was I loved my job and I loved school. I knew I needed to do something to change this vicious cycle. So my journey began...
I knew I wanted to get well. I reasearched and studied for years on the subject of Fibromyalgia. I became a certified massage therapist so I could help those with Fibromyalgia, certified in group exercise to be able to create an exercise program for Fibromyalgia, and of course, wrote my books. I also began to speak at support group meetings, wellness and women's conferences throughout the area. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. I now teach my Fibromyalgia Massage Protocol at various massage schools and at my location one-on-one. Please don't ever hesitate to contact me to help you with any questions or concerns you may have.
Wendi White, CMT, is the owner of the Fibromyalgia Wellness Institute located in Hanover, PA. During her studies at the Baltimore School of Massage, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This diagnosis started her quest for knowledge about this debilitating and painful condition. While working with her mother and sister, who also have FM, Wendi created FibroMassage. She works with several doctors in her hometown to help those with FM live a more productice life. She has also created a twelve-week self-help course for people with FM called Fibro-Fit. She has now written three books on FM: "90 Days to Managing Fibromyalgia, Naturally", "Fibrocise: Managing Fibromyalgia with Exercise", and "FibroMassage: Managing Fibromyalgia with Massage Therapy".
Ms. White's credentials include being a graduate of the Baltimore School of Massage, a certified group exercise instructor, longevity wellness specialist, and has completed several seminars on fibromyalgia and other modalities. She is currently working on completing her Doctorate degree in Naturopathy at the International Institute of Original Medicine in Columbia, MD.
Ahhh...Massage
I noticed when I was at school getting massages that the massage could affect my symptoms. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. I started studying these affects and worked with others who had FM to create a technique for FM sufferers...Go to FM & Massage page for more information. For Fibromyalgia Massage Training Course, click on the Training button.
Vitamins, Meds & Supplements...Oh, My!
While I was working on my FM symptoms, the doctor put me on Elavil which was a lifesaver! It is an SSRI anti-depressant that helps regulate serotonin levels in your body. It is used to help you sleep and also is good to treat chronic pain. The problem was I had other symptoms and I knew I did not want to own a drug store...Go to Products page for workbooks.
Exercise...You've Got to be Kidding!
You hurt so bad, but the doctor keeps telling you to exercise. You can't even walk to your mailbox without pain- what does he mean exercise!!! Well, the correct type of exercise will make the world of difference in your pain and other symptoms. Movement is the key...Go to FM and Exercise page.
My Take on Fibromyalgia...
The theory I agree with most is that illness, injury or prolonged stress brings about a metabolic dysfunction (biochemicals created from the fight or flight syndrome) which weakens the immune system. This creates a buildup of wastes which cause a toxic system. This leads to FM symptoms like pain, insomnia, irritable bowel, headache, fatigue and so on.
Let's break this down. Illness can weaken our immune system. Our body either gets help from medications or learns to cope with the illness by creating different chemicals in our body. This can lead to dysfunction at the chemical level in our body which leads to our body working improperly.
Injury can have the same results as above as our our brain produces chemicals to help us deal with the injury. Again, our body is in a dysfunction mode creating havoc on our immune system.
Prolonged stress is the number killer in America. It causes so much illness and FM is one of these. Our body will create a way to deal with the stress by creating different hormones and other chemicals to deal with the situation.
The Fight or Flight Syndrome is the key to our body fighting whatever causes us stress. It is usually used for a short period of time to get us out of a dangerous situation. This is when you hear of people lifting cars up to get a person out from underneath it. In FM, this syndrome doesn't shut off, so we have an over-abundance of these bio-chemicals: epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol.
These biochemicals are known to cause symptoms like racing mind, trouble sleeping, and the dreaded stomach fat, just to name a few. Now that you have the idea of how illness, injury or prolonged stress can creat havoc on your system and create your symptoms, let's look at how your symptoms affect your body's systems.
As a Massage Therapist my take on Fibromyalgia is a little different from the medical world's take. I look at FM from the perspective of the muscles and fascia and how FM affects the body's systems. Let's take a look at the muscular system. We know that fascia covers all muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons and organs in the body. If you have a " FM flare-up", the fascia is affected and can create spasms anywhere in your body. Thus, symptoms like heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, and irritable bowel happen.
If you have ever seen the muscular chart, you will notice that there is a white film covering most of your muscles and bones, this is fascia. It is the connective tissue in your body. This is the part of the muscular system mostly affected by Fibromyalgia. If you haven't seen the chart, think of a skinless, boneless chicken breast. There is a white film on the piece of meat. The meat is your muscle and the white film is the connective tissue. If you pull on the white film you will notice that the muscle becomes squished. That is exactly what happens to your muscles with FM. The fascia has a spasm and it crunches your muscles, then you have pain and inflammation.
My thoughts on the 18 tender points are that they can be active or not inactive. It depends on what you do to stay well and how your day is going. I do feel that the 18 tender points are important. I feel that they can cause havoc throughout your body. If one of the tender points becomes active, it can pull your fascia from anywhere in your body. You might be having pain in your head, but the cause could be coming from the tender point at your hip. I have learned this from years of working on myself and others who have FM. It is really quite amazing.
These spasms in your body can affect your breathing. Let's just think about it. If you are having difficulty breathing and your FM is acting up, it can pull the fascia around your lungs into a spasm. Several doctors will diagnose you with asthma without further testing. My question is, "Does the inhaler he gave you help?" If not, you probably don't have asthma. I would ask for further testing to confirm you have asthma.
FM spasms can cause heart palpitations also. If your FM is acting up, you can become anxious and the fascia surrounding your heart (which is a muscle), can have spasms. This creates heart palpitations. I always suggest going to the doctor to be checked, but it holds to reason that it could be your FM.
What about Irritable Bowel? Well, again, it could be your FM acting up. Are your symptoms caused by what you ate or by your FM? Remember, your intestines are covered by fascia. Your FM acts up and you get diarrhea. IBS or FM?
I can continue with other symptoms, but I think you get the idea by now. Now you ask what you can do to help yourself? The best way is to keep a journal and write your symptoms down, how you were feeling, what you ate, and what activity you did that day.
I hope you have gotten some insight into FM by reading this. If you want more information, please purchase my books. They go into much more detail on how you can help yourself get well. As always, you are welcome to contact me with any questions you may have.
Peace and Blessings,
Wendi White
The Fibromyalgia Wellness Institute
1070 Friar Run, Hanover, PA 17331
717-495-4478
Email: contactus@fibrofit.com
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Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is not provided to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any condition of the body. The information on this website should not be used as a substitute for medical counseling with a health professional. Neither the author nor the publisher accepts responsibility for such use.