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Chronic pain is a pervasive issue and fibromyalgia is a very common form. It is a chronic condition whose symptoms include muscle and tissue pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Recent data suggests that central sensitization, in which neurons in your spinal cord become sensitized by inflammation or cell damage, may be involved in the way fibromyalgia sufferers process pain.

Certain chemicals in the foods you eat may trigger the release of neurotransmitters that heighten this sensitivity.

Although there have been only a handful of studies on diet and fibromyalgia, the following eating rules can’t hurt, and may help, when dealing with chronic pain.

Limit Sugar as Much as Possible. Increased insulin levels will typically dramatically worsen pain. So you will want to limit all sugars and this would typically include fresh fruit juices. Whole fresh fruit is the preferred method for consuming fruit products.

If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, you will also want to limit grains as much as possible as they are metabolized very similarly to sugars. This would also include organic unprocessed grains. Wheat and gluten grains are the top ones to avoid.

Eat fresh foods. Eating a diet of fresh foods, devoid of preservatives and additives, may ease symptoms triggered by coexisting conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

It’s also a good idea to buy organic food when possible, as it’s best to avoid pesticides and chemicals. However, fresh is best. So if you have to choose between local, fresh, non-organic and organic but wilting – go with fresh, and clean properly.

Avoid caffeine. Fibromyalgia is believed to be linked to an imbalance of brain chemicals that control mood, and it is often linked with inadequate sleep and fatigue. The temptation is to artificially and temporarily eliminate feelings of fatigue with stimulants like caffeine, but this approach does more harm than good in the long run. Though caffeine provides an initial boost of energy, it is no substitute for sleep, and is likely to keep you awake.

Try avoiding nightshade vegetables. Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant may trigger arthritis and pain conditions in some people.

Be Careful with Your Fats. Animal based omega-3 fats like DHA and EPA have been touted as a heart-healthy food, and they may help with pain, as well. They can help reduce inflammation and improve brain function. At the same time, you want to eliminate all trans fat and fried foods, as these will promote inflammation.

Use yeast sparingly. Consuming yeast may also contribute to the growth of yeast fungus, which can contribute to pain.

Avoid pasteurized dairy. Many fibromyalgia sufferers have trouble digesting milk and dairy products. However, many find that raw dairy products, especially from grass fed organic sources, are well tolerated.

Cut down on carbs. About 90 percent of fibromyalgia patients have low adrenal functioning, which affects metabolism of carbohydrates and may lead to hypoglycemia.

Avoid aspartame. The artificial sweetener found in some diet sodas and many sugar-free sweets is part of a chemical group called excitotoxins, which activate neurons that can increase your sensitivity to pain.

Avoid additives. Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) often cause trouble for pain patients. MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may stimulate pain receptors; glutamate levels in spinal fluid have been shown to correlate with pain levels in fibromyalgia patients.

Stay away from junk food. Limit or eliminate fast food, candy, and vending-machine products. In addition to contributing to weight gain and the development of unhealthy eating habits, these diet-wreckers may also irritate your muscles, disrupt your sleep, and compromise your immune system.

Sources:

Health.com 2008

Health.com 2007

National Fibromyalgia Association

By Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman
With technology advancing and the ability to measure brain activity and health improving each year, studies and theories about the brain-body connection are finding ever-increasing popularity.

Advancements in brain-body research are incredibly important, as the brain is responsible for all body function, thought and social interaction. The more we discover about the functions of the brain and the pathways in which it communicates with cells and the senses, the more likely we can expand our mental, emotional and functional capacities and overcome disease.

The Real Connection

With so much thought going into the brain and how it keeps the body going, we bet you’re wondering what keeps the brain going. The answer is pretty simple: Your body. While the brain keeps the body developing and moving along, it is the nutrients that come from the body through eating, drinking, breathing air and the products of cellular function that keep the brain developing and moving along.

Important nutrients the brain needs for survival such as oxygen, glucose and neurotrophins (nutrients that keep neurons strong) get from the body to the brain through the cerebro-spinal (brain-spine or spine-brain) fluid (CSF) that flows from inside your spinal canal. This fluid gets from the spine to brain with the use of a CSF “pump.”

This CSF pump doesn’t use electricity. The power for the pump is generated by the movement of the sacrum (the lowest portion of the spine) and the cervical spine (upper portion of the spine).

For the CSF pump to move effectively, you need a healthy spinal column. Irregular or reduced motion of the sacrum and/or cervical spine will lead to an abnormal and reduced flow of oxygen, glucose, neurotrophins and other important nutrients to the brain. That’s why the spine-brain connection is so important. A bad back or neck will literally give you a bad brain.

The Damage

News stories concerning tragedies in which oxygen was cut off to the brain for too long a period during near-drowning incidents are very popular. Because of these reports, we all know that the effect of spending too much time without air causes brain damage. A lack of normal nutrient support to the brain will lead to damaged brain tissues and aberrant brain functions resulting in a significant increase in risk of disease process both in the brain and organ systems of the body.

Because many people suffer from undetected spinal imbalance and misalignments called subluxation, they lose the CSF pumping mechanism. As a result, nutrients are not delivered to the brain in the right quantity and quality. A poor spine-brain connection has been the cause of the average brain beginning to atrophy (shrink and deteriorate) by the age of 25.

Additionally, it’s important to recognize that, for the brain to do any communicating with the body it must send the signals through the spinal column. Within the spinal column lies the brain stem and spinal cord. Again, misalignment or poor placement of the spine would then traction the brain that could lead to poor development, altered brain function, and potentially reduced output of important glandular chemical hormones.

Off of the spinal cord emanate the spinal nerves. These nerves bring brain signals to all of the organ and muscle functions in the body. If the spinal nerves were to suffer from pressure or damage from the spinal column, it could affect heart, lung and glandular functions. This would, in turn, affect the brain due to abnormal levels of oxygen, blood and chemicals flowing to it.

Good Spine Hygiene

The success of the “brain-body connection” is linked to the health and function of the spinal column. This new twist, however, gives us the “spine-brain connection.” Damage, misalignment (subluxation), altered curves and imbalance of the spine will lead to an ineffective “brain-body connection.” That’s why, regardless of symptoms, people who want their brains to “talk” to their bodies should make sure to establish proper spinal hygiene, which consists of the following criteria:

•Exercises to strengthen the paravertebral (back) musculature, abdomen and quadriceps (front of legs) which all become weak or atrophied due to sitting too often.

•Proper stretching of anterior musculature including the pectorals (chest) and anterior deltoids (front of shoulders) as well as calves and hamstrings.

•An evaluation by a chiropractor for proper spinal alignment and correction of spinal curves.

An unhealthy spine-brain connection can lead to almost any disorder of the brain or body. Fortunately, the spine-brain connection can be enhanced by a chiropractor. Certain types of chiropractic can even improve or even completely restore this important connection.

In this study 283 children ages 6 months to 12 years seen in a hospital emergency department, with acute ear infections were divided into two groups. One group was treated only by the “wait-and-see prescription”, known as the WASP group. The second group was known as the SP group which stood for “standard prescription”. The authors noted that previous studies did not include severe cases as would be seen in the emergency room as with these cases.

The “wait-and-see prescription” group of children did get a prescription for antibiotics, but their parents were advised to wait and see for 48 hours before considering filling the prescription. These parents were asked not to fill the prescription they were given unless the child either is no better or is worse in 48 hours. The “standard prescription” group got a prescription for antibiotics and were not given any instructions to wait and see.

The results showed that 62% of the prescriptions in the WASP group were never filled. Conversely, about 90% of the children in the “standard prescription” group whose parents were not asked to wait and see wound up taking the antibiotics. Even more interesting is that the researchers found that, “There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the frequency of subsequent fever, otalgia (pain), or unscheduled visits for medical care.” In essence the group that did not take antibiotics did just as good as the group that took the medication.

Lead researcher, David M. Spiro, MD, commented in a WebMD article by saying, “In this country, 96% to 98% of physicians treat ear infections immediately with antibiotics, even though most cases will resolve on their own without treatment.” In the conclusion of the study, Spiro and co-authors stated, “The WASP (wait-and-see-prescription) approach substantially reduced unnecessary use of antibiotics in children with AOM (acute otitis media) seen in an emergency department and may be an alternative to routine use of antimicrobials for treatment of such children.

It should be noted that in 2004 the American Academy of Pediatrics gave their approval to the wait-and-see approach and stated that 80% of children whose ear infections are not treated immediately with antibiotics get better on their own.