Today's Topic:
Fibromyalgia - Chronic Pain
The Brain
Connection
Fibromyalgia - Chronic Pain sufferers show accelerated loss of brain mass
Fibromyalgia - Chronic Pain a symptom of premature brain aging?
What YOU can do TODAY
More Oxygen to Your Brain
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Does this sound familiar?
- Pain - sometimes here, sometimes there?
- Pain - sometimes everywhere?
- Fatigue?
- Sleep difficulties?
- Brain fog?
- Morning stiffness?
- Muscle knots, cramping, weakness?
- Digestive disorders?
- Headaches/migraines?
- Balance problems?
- Itchy/burning skin?
- ....and more
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Content:
I get Letters (bolds and links added by Dr. Z)
I have had fibromyalgia, Menière's disease and feelings of 'imbalance' and fogginess for 10 years, also, extreme multiple chemical sensitivity issues.
I had a recent MRI that showed moderate brain atrophy in the cerebellum and cerebrum issues. As you can imagine, I was dismayed and shocked, as I was always considered to be intellectual by myself and others. Also, I am only 50! What can be done about this to regenerate my brain and improve my situation? Please help, I feel depressed and desperate. Janet
I have been in pain over 26 years. I am 55. The last 16 years were much worse. I worked in a hospital setting for many many years as an EKG and EEG nurse. I was bending over hospital beds for hours and hours and hours. Prepping the patient's head with 27 electrodes was the worst because I had to bend from the top of the bed.
I have had chronic pain/fibromyalgia everywhere - neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, arm pain. My feet were always bothering me. I was putting ice on my low back daily after work for at least 16 years.
Once I retired from the hospital my pain got much, much better. Then I started a dance work out class, that same old pain pattern started coming back again. Before I knew it I had all that muscle pain in my arms and my rib cage, I was hurting everywhere.
I also started suffering from major mood swings and became more and more depressed. I was so fatigued that often in the middle the day I wanted to lie down and sleep. I could not figure out if this was fatigue, boredom or depression. I did yoga and took lots of aspirin, lots of it.
I have a girlfriend who suffers also from chronic pain/fibromyalgia. She recently went to a Sacramento Clinic where they do case studies - they did all kinds of lab work and testing and couldn't find anything wrong - all they wanted to do put her on antidepressants, which she refused.
Then, one day I saw Dr. Z's Fibromyalgia advertising in the local paper. Because I felt my that condition was becoming worse and worse every day and I got depressed more and more, I decided to call Dr. Z's office and make an appointment. I must admit that initially I was very skeptical.
Dr. Z performed an extensive neurological and nutritional work up. I have never experiences anything quite like it. He determined that I probably suffered from candida overgrowth possibly due to past antibiotic use. At that point it occurred to me that every time I have my teeth cleaned or see a dentist for other reasons I have to take antibiotics because of a heart condition. This has been going on for years. It never occurred to me that this was a problem.
Dr. Z also determined that my diet was rather high in carbohydrates, which tends to lead to blood sugar swings/hypoglycemia and mood swings. He had me change my diet and took me off pretty much all carbohydrates. This was not easy initially, especially breakfast. But I became used to eating differently. I lost several pounds in the process.
Dr. Z discovered that my feet and ankles were stressed and he ordered custom made sandals with built in orthotics - I truly believe that wearing those orthotics sandals makes a huge difference. I have been seeing Dr. Z several times a week for several weeks now. He adjusts me and has me do neurological brain exercises. I do a light work out on his UBE/ Upper Body Ergometer, while breathing oxygen enriched air from a Personal Portable Oxygen Bar' which he makes available to his patients.
After just 2 weeks I started seeing a big difference. Now, after 7 weeks I feel like a new person. I'm totally symptom-free. It feels good to get up in the morning and have a good day, regardless. All my pain is gone.
Having even blood sugar has made my mood swings disappear. I used to get so hungry that my stomach would hurt. I would actually feel frantic. Now, I'm not hungry any more. I eat little things throughout the day.
My husband is eating the same way I am eating because he noticed what a big difference this makes for me. He is thrilled. He says it is very nice to see me happy again. Another wonderful change: my hot flashes are gone. Mentally I am much clearer. I feel that my head is right.
Judy S, Nevada City, California
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Fibromyalgia - What is it?
When you "google" the word fibromyalgia, you find all kinds of definitions. Here are just a few examples: "A chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points that occurs in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips; also may cause sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms." "Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a state of central sensitization. This means that your central nervous system may be unusually sensitive to pain (hyperalgesia) and you also may find certain sounds, vibrations, light, and other sensations (even smells) to be translated by your body into discomfort or pain." "Fibromyalgia is not yet considered a disease."
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Fibromyalgia is a set of Symptoms - NOT a Disease
The word fibromyalgia is not a diagnosis for a disease - it is simply descriptive in nature. It means you have pain (algia) in muscle fibers. The only relevant question to ask - WHY? Look at the second quote once more: "Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a state of central sensitization. This means that your central nervous system may be unusually sensitive to pain (hyperalgesia)..... What does this mean? It means that fibromyalgia is caused by abnormal brain function. I have found this to be true in my clinical work with fibromyalgia/chronic pain, chronic fatigue, allergies, digestive problems, chronic recurring spinal misalignment, depression, bladder dysfunction..
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Fibromyalgia and Premature Brain Aging - VERY Bad News Quotes from (bolds and colors added by Dr. Z)
Accelerated Brain Gray Matter Loss in Fibromyalgia Patients: Premature Aging of the Brain?
http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/15/4004
The Journal of Neuroscience, April 11, 2007
1) Fibromyalgia is an intractable widespread pain disorder that is most frequently diagnosed in women. It has traditionally been classified as either a musculoskeletal disease or a psychological disorder. Accumulating evidence now suggests that fibromyalgia may be associated with CNS dysfunction. In this study, we investigate anatomical changes in the brain associated with fibromyalgia. Using voxel-based morphometric analysis of magnetic resonance brain images, we examined the brains of 10 female fibromyalgia patients and 10 healthy controls.
2) We found that fibromyalgia patients had significantly less total gray matter volume and showed a 3.3 times greater age-associated decrease in gray matter than healthy controls. The longer the individuals had had fibromyalgia, the greater the gray matter loss, with each year of fibromyalgia being equivalent to 9.5 times the loss in normal aging.
3) In addition, fibromyalgia patients demonstrated significantly less gray matter density than healthy controls in several brain regions, including the cingulate, insular and medial frontal cortices, and parahippocampal gyri. The neuroanatomical changes that we see in fibromyalgia patients contribute additional evidence of CNS involvement in fibromyalgia.
4) In particular, fibromyalgia appears to be associated with an acceleration of age-related changes in the very substance of the brain. Moreover, the regions in which we demonstrate objective changes may be functionally linked to core features of the disorder including affective disturbances and chronic widespread pain.
End of quotes
Dr. Z's comments:"each year of fibromyalgia being equivalent to 9.5 times the loss in normal aging." What a great article. Terrifying discoveries. In my clinical practice, I see it again and again: whenever you improve brain function, chronic pain and fibromyalgia tends to decrease or vanish altogether. However, I did not realize until reading this article: the volume of gray matter shrinks with chronic pain/fibromyalgia. This means that a person with chronic pain/fibromyalgia loses brain cells/neurons at a highly accelerated rate, up to 9.5 times the loss of normal brain aging. The other important discovery: the longer a person suffers from chronic pain/fibromyalgia, the faster the rate of brain aging, the rate of brain cell/neuron loss. In my book this means that chronic pain/fibromyalgia is devastating.
chronic pain/fibromyalgia is a sign that your brain is getting worse and worse
chronic pain/fibromyalgia is a sign of premature brain aging
chronic pain/fibromyalgia cannot be resolved with pain medications
chronic pain/fibromyalgia cannot be resolved with antidepressants
chronic pain/fibromyalgia cannot be resolved with ice packs
chronic pain/fibromyalgia cannot be resolved with hot packs
chronic pain/fibromyalgia must be addressed at the level of brain function
chronic pain/fibromyalgia can only be solved by improving brain function
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You CAN beat Fibromyalgia
Dr. Z's Three Pillars of Brain Health
Chronic pain/fibromyalgia is an indicator that your brain is in big trouble, that your brain is aging prematurely and rapidly.
The question is: What can YOU do today to change that?
The answer is actually relatively simple. You must give your brain what it needs to be happy.
The Three Pillars of Brain Health
I) "Adequate"Oxygen
II) "Balanced" Blood Sugar
III)"Appropriate" Input/Activation/Stimulation
Oxygen is critical - your brain depends on adequate oxygen more than any other part of your body. As you age, you lose some of your capacity to utilize oxygen, approx. 1% per year. The older you get, the more oxygen deficiency becomes an issue.
Please read my article on Oxygen Deficiency and your Brain.
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How to Begin
Always start with your SELF
- Your lack of health is NOT due to medication deficiency
Always start with these basic questions:
- Does your brain get enough oxygen?
- What do you eat and drink and snack?
- How well do you digest what you eat?
- What is your history with antibiotics?
- How healthy is your intestinal flora?
- Is your blood sugar balanced or not?
Best still... Complete Dr. Z's Self EvaluationThe Solution
- The Solution: Improve your oxygenation
- The Solution: change what you eat/drink
- The solution: improve your digestion
- The solution: normalize your intestinal flora
- The solution: balance your blood sugar
- The solution: your insight and intelligence
- The solution: your compassion with your self
- The solution: your willingness to make proper life style changes
- The solution: you take full responsibility for your health and your life
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Your First Step towards a Healthier Life
*** Dr. Z.'s Self-Evaluation***
Dr. Z.'s on-line Self Evaluation is geared towards giving you a basic starting point in order to make intelligent and important changes in your diet, normalize your bowel flora, improve your digestion and balance your blood sugar. Example: If you have ever taken antibiotics, yesterday or 30 years ago - the chances are high that you may suffer the terrible health consequences of bowel flora imbalance and candida overgrowth.
- It is my clinical experience that this approach is always useful.
- This does not mean that it will or can solve all your problems.
However, the majority of my local and on-line clients experience dramatic improvements in their health, when they address:
ODDHC - Oxygen, Diet, Digestion, Hypoglycemia/Blood Sugar, Candida
Dr. Z's Self Evaluation
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Special offer: 10% off Your Personal Portable Oxygen Bar
Your brain controls ALL aspects of who you are -
Optimal oxygenation is vital optimal brain function.
Your Personal Portable Oxygen Bar provides a simple and user-friendly way to improve the oxygen supply to your brain.
- Order Your Personal Portable Oxygen Bar with Fan Assembly on-line between Friday 1/25/2013, 10:00 AM Pacific time and Sunday 1/27/2013 midnight Pacific time and receive a total of 10% off plus Free Shipping within the contiguous continental US with UPS ground.
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What some of Dr. Z's clients say .
I wish you well.
Thank you again for your interest and support.
Peter Zeischegg, MS, DC, DACNB
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
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ODDHC - Oxygen Enriched Air, Diet, Digestion, Hypoglycemia/Blood Sugar, Candida
© Copyright Dr. Peter Zeischegg MS, DC, DACNB, 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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