It has been speculated that fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease although it has not yet been confirmed as such. Many people who have autoimmune conditions have symptoms of fibromyalgia – tender points on the body, extreme fatigue, inability to sleep, and gastrointestinal symptoms to name a few. Fibromyalgia is often the diagnosis when patients present with symptoms and no other physical cause can be identified.
Reflexology and/or massage performed on a regular basis can help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms by improving circulation to reduce pain intensity, releasing toxins to decrease inflammation, releasing muscle tension and re-establishing energy flow in the body. Dietary modifications may also be helpful.
A preliminary study at the Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA “suggests that people with fibromyalgia may experience reduction in their symptoms if they eliminate one or more foods from their diet.” Results were presented in October 2001 at the annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition in Orlando, FL. In the study, 17 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia eliminated corn, wheat, dairy, citrus, soy and nuts from their diets for a minimum of two weeks. Almost half of the test subjects reported reduced gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and heartburn as well as headache, fatigue and respiratory difficulties. Upon reintroduction of foods one at a time every 2-3 days, many of their symptoms returned. The most problematic foods were corn, wheat, dairy, citrus and sugar.
The article referenced is from celiac.com and is titled, “Elimination Diet May Ease Fibromyalgia.”
Emily Luttrell