Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulty (often called "fibro fog"). It affects an estimated 4 million Americans and disproportionately affects women. While fibromyalgia has a complex neurological basis involving central sensitization of pain processing, chiropractic care addresses its musculoskeletal components in ways that meaningfully reduce pain and improve function.

Understanding Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is understood today as a disorder of pain amplification — the central nervous system processes pain signals abnormally, producing widespread pain from stimuli that would not cause pain in a person without the condition. The tender points historically used in fibromyalgia diagnosis reflect areas where this central sensitization is most apparent, but the underlying problem is systemic.

How Chiropractic Helps Fibromyalgia Patients

Chiropractic care benefits fibromyalgia patients through several mechanisms:

• Reducing musculoskeletal contributors: Many fibromyalgia patients have concurrent spinal joint dysfunction that amplifies pain signals. Addressing these mechanical problems reduces the overall pain load on an already sensitized nervous system
• Improving sleep quality: Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce sleep disturbance in chronic pain patients — and sleep is directly linked to fibromyalgia symptom severity
• Reducing muscle tension: Soft-tissue therapy addresses the chronic hypertonicity of the paraspinal and trapezial muscles that is nearly universal in fibromyalgia
• Supporting gentle activity: Exercise is one of the most evidence-supported treatments for fibromyalgia; chiropractic care facilitates the mobility needed to exercise without pain

Working Within Your Tolerance

Fibromyalgia patients typically require a gentler, more gradual approach to chiropractic care than other patients. Our doctors at Total Health Family Clinic are experienced in modifying treatment to accommodate the heightened pain sensitivity characteristic of fibromyalgia, beginning conservatively and progressing as your tolerance improves.