Fibromyalgia Augusta, GA

Do You Have Fibromyalgia?

tender points

 

Routine lab tests do not detect the widespread pain of fibromyalgia. Instead, the diagnosis is made by a physical exam of pressure points that takes about five minutes. When light pressure is applied to the surface of the muscles throughout the body, patients with fibromyalgia find this painful, especially at the specific tender point areas used for diagnosis.

If you experience widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body, and experience tenderness in at least 11 of the 18 tender points, then you may have fibromyalgia. During your evaluation with our clinic, we can perform this simple test to check and see if your symptoms fall under the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

If you don’t quite meet the tender point criteria, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia may still apply to you. The tender point diagnosis was developed for selecting fibromyalgia patients for research studies. However, patients in the general community are often diagnosed with fibromyalgia using less strict guidelines. Call our office today at (706) 814-5053 to get started with a complimentary consultation.

 

Signs and Symptoms

  • Temporo-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
  • Skeletal Pain and whole body aches
  • Muscle Spasms
  • Severe Muscle Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Depression
  • Chronic Headaches
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Racing Heartbeats
  • Bowel Disturbances
  • Anxiety





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Frequently Asked Questions About Fibromyalgia

 

What Is Fibromyalgia? What Does It Feel Like?

Fibromyalgia is a widespread muscle and skeletal pain. Widespread is defined as pain occuring on the right and left sides of the body, above and below the waist, and along the spine. Localized pain also must occur in a majority of identified “tender points” all over the surface of the body.

The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. Intense burning may also be present. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning, and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively.

How Common Is Fibromyalgia? Who Is Mainly Affected?

Fibromyalgia affects as many as 5 million Americans ages 18 and older. Most people with fibromyalgia are women (about 80 - 90 percent). However, men and children can also have the disorder. Most people are diagnosed during middle age. Fibromyalgia can occur by itself, but people with certain other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other types of arthritis, may be more likely to have it. Individuals who have a close relative with fibromyalgia are more likely to develop it themselves.

What Factors Aggravate The Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia?

Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety, infections (flu or a cold), and over-exertion can all contribute to symptom flare-ups. Repetitive use of the same muscle group can strain the muscles and lead to more pain. Fibromyalgia patients can also be sensitive to odors, loud noises, bright lights and certain foods.

Many of my doctors laughed at me when I told them I thought I might have Fibromyalgia; is it even a real condition?

The old school of thought for medical doctors regarding pain is that it is produced by tissue injury, and there is usually no obvious source of tissue injury in patients with fibromyalgia. Pharmaceutical companies have recently come out with medications they have deemed ‘effective’ at treating fibromyalgia. Current treatment prescribed by medical doctors for fibromyalgia generally consists of prescription medications and cortical steroids. Some Fibromyalgia patients we see get some relief from this type of treatment, however none of the patients we've seen have been cured by this. Even if prescription medications are effective for a patient, it doesn't 'fix' the problem, but merely masks the symptoms, and its side effects can be harmful. So the answer is YES, Fibromyalgia is a real condition, and we have helped hundres of patients over the years with our drug-free, side-effect-free treatments. Click here to read the success stories of just a few of the patients we have treated.

I’ve been to a chiropractor before and it didn’t help my fibromyalgia. How are you any different?

We have had people tell us, all too many times, that they went to a chiropractor to help with the pain and symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, but it didn’t help or possibly even made them worse. We can tell you from years of research, treating fibromyalgia patients, and being part of national fibromyalgia organizations, that the symptoms and way that one feels with fibromyalgia is different than that of other pain syndromes. It requires a unique approach different than traditional chiropractic manipulations. Fibromyalgia is most commonly a condition in which your nerves are hypersensitive. In other words, they are overactive. Here at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic, we utilize specific techniques and additional therapies in strategic areas of the body to calm the hypersensitivity of the nerves and treat the cause of the pain. This is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Fibromyalgia patients receive a different type of treatment than many other “traditional” chiropractic patients. Unless you have gone to someone who truly understands the causes and proper treatment methods for your fibromyalgia, you most likely haven’t received the quality of care that fibromyalgia requires.