Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition that generates severe pain in the muscles and causes tender points all over the body. A person dealing with fibromyalgia pain often experiences disability and reduced quality of life.

In general, fibromyalgia can be a life-long condition, but it is not a deadly disease. However, its complications include an increased risk of higher death rates due to suicide attempts and severe physical injuries.

A 2010 study discovered that the risk of death due to suicide was ten times higher in those with fibromyalgia compared to the general community. Degrees of depression in fibromyalgia patients also tend to be higher than in people without this condition.

Can Fibromyalgia Cause Death in Patients?

Is fibromyalgia fatal to patients? It is a question that many people frequently ask the moment they get a fibromyalgia diagnosis. It can be a scary thing to hear about a disease that is not entirely understood. 

The good news is that fibromyalgia, by itself, won't kill you. Fibromyalgia symptoms are not deadly. Complications from it cannot kill the patient. Fibromyalgia is not a terminal disease like AIDS or cancer. If left untreated, cancer will cause tumors to spread around the body, which eventually shut down vital organs. Fibromyalgia, on the other hand, won’t kill you. The pain and grief may grow worse over time, but it will not cause your organs to shut down the way cancer would. Therefore, fibromyalgia, by itself, can never kill a patient. There is no increased risk of dying due to natural causes. 

However, a fibromyalgia patient should still be concerned because there is a factor that causes death in those with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia can be deadly in other ways. It could reduce a patient's lifespan. This factor is at a higher rate among fibromyalgia patients than those without fibromyalgia: suicide.

Fibromyalgia and Suicide

People who have fibromyalgia are at a significantly higher risk of thinking about suicide than most people. It is easy to see why. Fibromyalgia patients regularly face extreme challenges, chronic pain, and increasing difficulty in a lot of things. Here are the reasons why:

• Fibromyalgia is a severely painful disease.
• It gradually takes away your ability to do any of your daily routines normally.
• Going to the bathroom can be a real challenge.
• It ‘s harder to take care of yourself.
• Patients are eventually isolated from friends and family.
• Close friends and family ultimately get burdened with the patient’s situation.
• People you depend on for support often drift away as your condition worsens.
• Experiencing constant pain can be depressing.
• Fibromyalgia is a horrible illness that gets worse.
• Mental fogginess makes it hard to function properly.
• You constantly feel fatigued.
• Eventually, fibromyalgia patients feel depression and anxiety disorders.
• Patients stuck in a depressing situation with a disease that alters brain chemistry, making them feel depressed and feeling alone.

Meanwhile, fibromyalgia patients are feeling farther removed from friends and family. These patients eventually feel they are unwanted or uncared. Finally, they will feel they are abandoned and forgotten. Being in constant pain takes its toll on people, no matter how strong they may be. Without any support or hope of relief from their illness, not to mention experiencing anxieties, sadness, and fears, fibromyalgia patients may eventually give up. 

There is Hope for Fibromyalgia Patients!

Never give up hope. When all seems lost, there is always someone or some group of people who can help you. Seek out help from people who know how you feel. Join support groups so you can get exposed to people who are in the same boat as you are. They can talk about your struggles, fears, and hopes. But, be honest and open about any possible suicidal thoughts. There are always people, groups, and resources you can turn to for help. Always keep in mind that you are not alone in your struggles.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia Relief

There’s a clear link between a misalignment in the upper cervical bones and the onset of fibromyalgia. It relates to the stress on the brainstem when a misalignment occurs in either the C1 or C2 vertebra. 

Misalignment in this area leads to improper signals given to the brain. If the brainstem tells the brain that there is severe pain when there is none, fibromyalgia may develop. 

Upper cervical chiropractors employ a gentle method to help the neck bones to realign. It will not inflict further pain. It encourages the bones to move into place without the need to pop or crack the back or spine. Once the misalignment is appropriately corrected, patients may experience a significant improvement in their fibromyalgia symptoms. 

With our most recent understanding of fibromyalgia, the disorder originates in the nervous system. Therefore, it would be logical to make sure that the nervous system is always at its optimum best. Upper cervical chiropractic care is a vital branch of chiropractic that targets the restoration of healthy brain-body communication through the brainstem. Thus, realigning misaligned bones in the neck region restores proper nerve and body communication.

Browse for an upper cervical chiropractor by using the search function on our website. You can find the one nearest you. Let us help you reclaim a life at a higher standard and less pain. There is always hope and healing. It’s time for you to claim yours now.

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