Fibromyalgia and Cardio Health: Is There a Connection?

fibromyalgia chiropractic, cardio health

A recent study published in the BMJ Journals shares that fibromyalgia patients have an increased risk of coronary heart disease. This discovery alone shows how bad the problem can get and why patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia needs to take things seriously and tap into helpful solutions such as fibromyalgia chiropractic care. Let’s help you understand the connection between the two and how you can potentially manage them with the help of neck bone adjustments. 

But before that, let’s walk you through some of the common questions patients ask when they visit a fibromyalgia chiropractic doctor in their town or city.

 

Answering 4 Fibromyalgia FAQs

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a neuropathic problem that affects how the brain detects and processes pain and pressure signals. It can cause mild to extreme pain and tenderness in several body parts, including the arms, hips, legs, and toes. As per CDC’s statistics, around 4 million American adults have fibromyalgia. And sadly, the majority of these individuals experience a laundry list of health problems, including: 

  • Body pain
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting 
  • IBS and other digestive problems
  • Brain fog

Doctors explain that fibromyalgia patients also have a highly susceptible cardiovascular system because of the increased cardiac workload. On top of that, studies claim that fibromyalgia can increase risks for other problems such as hormonal imbalances, osteoarthritis, and lupus. 

What causes fibromyalgia?

Studies have yet to grasp the reason why and how fibromyalgia develops. But, several convincing studies point to the following factors as the key triggers of fibromyalgia: 

  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Upper cervical spine misalignment 
  • Viral infection
  • Stress (emotional, psychological, and injuries)
  • Lack of restorative sleep

How can you get diagnosed with fibromyalgia? 

Fibromyalgia diagnosis is quite tricky. In fact, there isn’t a standard test used to determine whether a patient has fibromyalgia. Currently, doctors rely on assessing the medical history and the severity of the symptoms. Additionally, physicians need to rule out other potential causes of the symptoms, including lupus, Lyme’s disease, and rheumatic arthritis. 

Who is more at risk of developing fibromyalgia?

If you suspect having fibromyalgia because of prolonged body pain or meet certain risk factors, we strongly suggest consulting a physician. The earlier you can catch the condition, the better your chances of preventing worse flareups. Here’s a quick list of the different fibromyalgia risk factors identified by studies done over the years:

  • Women
  • Obesity
  • Family history
  • Exposure to traumatic events
  • History of repetitive injury, especially on the neck and head

 

Heart Diseases and Fibromyalgia: Is There a Connection?

Tawainese researchers found that patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia also have a high chance of developing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). As you might already know, CHD affects about 18 million Americans. It also accounts for around 360,000 CHD-related deaths in the country. 

The researchers found that widespread body pain is the root cause of fibromyalgia-related CHD. The study explained that patients with fibromyalgia feel depressed and anxious because of their symptoms. Consequently, the emotional problem can lead to additional concerns such as:

  • Lack of motivation to exercise
  • Excessive weight gain 
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased risks of stroke 

fibromyalgia chiropractic, cardio health

 

 

 

 

 

How to Cope When You Have Fibromyalgia 

Because living with fibromyalgia can be quite challenging, doctors and fibromyalgia chiropractic physicians strongly recommend developing a robust and sustainable patient care plan. Notably, it should include getting an official diagnosis and tapping into helpful practices such as:

Avoiding stress 

Stress - regardless of the form or severity - can trigger fibromyalgia and its comorbidities. Hence, patients like you must avoid or manage your key stressors. Find the time to unplug and recharge and ensure that you attend to physical stress causes such as injuries and postural imbalances.  

Scheduling daily exercise

Exercising is one of the simplest yet commonly forgotten ways to maintain a healthy life. Additionally, studies have long proven that it provides several benefits to fibromyalgia patients, including:

  • Improved energy metabolism to combat fatigue
  • Increased joint and muscle fiber flexibility
  • Better mood and sleep quality
  • Stronger cardiovascular system
  • Reducing anxiety levels
  • Stimulating the production and release of your happy hormones

If you want to take advantage of these benefits, we strongly recommend spending at least 10 to 15 minutes a day on your preferred exercise routine. If you have a hard because of your symptoms, you can try doing low-force conditioning and strengthening exercises. Then, you can modify your routine depending on how well your body responds. 

Proper hydration

Drinking enough water can help you flush out toxins and pathogens that may aggravate your fibromyalgia symptoms. Furthermore, enough hydration can help you combat fatigue, weakness, and confusion. Be sure to drink at least eight cups of water each day or increase your intake during warm or hot seasons. 

Saying yes to a balanced and fibromyalgia-friendly diet

Eating a healthy diet is also crucial in maintaining optimal health. So, besides making sure that you drink enough fluids each day, we strongly suggest minding your meals. Additionally, you might find it extra helpful to steer clear of products that increase the likelihood of having fibromyalgia flareups. A few examples of these include the following:

    • Products that contain high FODMAPS (fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyols) 
    • Gluten-containing food products 
    • Food additives and artificial sweeteners

Tapping into fibromyalgia chiropractic care

Fibromyalgia chiropractic is a natural remedy that can help alleviate the symptoms and resolve one of the most likely causes of the disorder – postural imbalance. Unknown to most patients, a slight change in the spinal column can trigger a laundry list of problems, including reduced brainstem efficiency, chemical imbalances in the brain, and constant misfiring of signals to and from the nervous system. 

Additionally, it can affect energy metabolism as the body struggles to maintain balance and address the issues caused by a spinal misalignment. 

If you suspect having posture problems or have a history of neck trauma, you may want to consider receiving fibromyalgia chiropractic. This branch of chiropractic care remains one of the best ways to address posture problems because it focuses on the two topmost neck bones – the C1 and C2. 

Unlike other spinal bones, the C1 and C2 bones easily get dislodged from their original position. That’s because they have a unique design that allows the head to move in various angles and directions. Thankfully, with the help of a fibromyalgia chiropractic doctor, you can ease the bones back in place and encourage the rest of your spine to follow a neutral curvature. 

If you haven’t tapped into cervical chiropractic yet, we strongly recommend consulting with the nearest upper cervical doctor. This will help you find lasting relief and achieve natural and holistic healing.

 

Find An Upper Cervical Doctor in Your Areato schedule a consultation today.

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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.

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