If you are suffering with fibromyalgia or chronic pain and don't know why, it's time your investigation includes looking at the role of sub-optimal brain function and nutritional deficiencies. Check out the video below and we'll continue the discussion after that:
For years I have been using Johnson Neuro-Metabolic Therapy to help fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients recover from their life limiting maladies. Johnson Neuro-Metabolic Therapy is simply the fusion of Johnson Brain-Based Therapy and my unique blend of metabolic testing and treatment using specific individualized diet and lifestyle changes and nutritional supplementation. In fact I wrote a book that explains more of the details and concepts of my unique approach to helping people regain their zest for living. You can find Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life Changing Secrets For Renewed Health at Amazon.com
The Brain and Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain
The brain and nervous system are often overlooked in traditional health care, despite the major role they play in coordinating every function in our body. Without a healthy brain you cannot have a healthy body. Johnson Brain-Based Therapy encompasses both assessment and treatment of sub-optimal brain function. I always start with a comprehensive functional brain and nervous system exam. I want to look at all the areas of a patients brain that may not be functioning optimally, being very sure to analyze specific functional brain regions. Once areas of malfunction are discovered I develop a functional neurology program using rehabilitation procedures to strengthen those areas through a series of non-invasive modalities.
With Johnson Brain-Based Therapy I stimulate the brain by using the receptors on the outside of the body that are wired and connected to the various areas of your brain. So if I find weakened areas in your right parietal lobe then I am going to use receptors that are wired to the parietal lobe. It is complex, however all the procedures are non-invasive, non-drug, and promote proper function in the brain. The brain has an amazing ability to adapt, change, and rewire if I give the proper fuel and activation. I can help the weak areas become strong again.
When the brain is functioning properly, chronic pain and fibromyalgia often vanish. Just the other day one of my former fibromyalgia sufferes was in for a follow-up visit and she explained that if she feels any discord in her body, the immediately performs the personalized brain-based therapy homework exercises I prescribed for her and she feels the pain and other symptoms significantly diminish. Brain exercises are like muscle exercises in that if you want to maintain good muscle tone, you have to perform your exercises on a regular basis. Fortunately for this particular patient, she learned her exercises well and can do them at any time, anywhere and get relief from any residual issues.
Nutritional Deficiencies Contribute to Fibromyalgia and Chronic pain
To get great results with the fibromyalgia and chronic pain patient, often additional interventions to stimulating weakened areas of the brain are important. I also have to determine how much stimulation the brain can handle. In addition I have to consider things like blood sugar delivery, oxygen delivery, neurotransmitter deficiencies, stress physiology, etc. For some people I have to make a series of nutritional changes before we can provide any neurological stimulation. For some people we have to work very slowly. Too much stimulation for a neuron is called exceeding metabolic capacity, and if we do too much we can cause your symptoms to flare, albeit temporarily. Luckily there are ways to monitor fatigue and I am very careful not to exceed your metabolic capacity. Below you can read about various nutritional deficiencies that research has shown can contribute to fibromyalgia, courtesy of Spectracell. Just click on the image below to dowload the image and all the references.
Autoimmune Thyroid and Chronic Pain
Another connection to chronic pain is the very common, but rarely tested for, condition known as autoimmune thyroid or Hashimoto's disease. I've written several articles about autoimmune thyroid on my blog. I would say that these two conditions are very commonly associated with one another based on my clinical experience. Recently I consulted with a patient who wanted help finding the cause of her chronic pain, thyroid symptoms and fibromyalgia. I am really excited to share an interview that I recorded with this patient. The changes that have occurred in her life as a result of our work with her are nothing short of amazing.
Here is just a small preview of the things she shares in the interview:
1. She had a doctor examine her in the past and he completely dismissed all of her symptoms. In fact he referred her to a psychiatrist … implying that she was crazy. She lost trust in doctor's at that point.
2. When asked how her life was before the care she receive at my office she said: "I had no life."
3. Her symptoms got so bad that she contemplated suicide.
If this interview does nothing else for you, it will give you hope. It will show you that true healing is possible … getting back to a normal life is possible.
One Key To Finally Regaining Your Health Is To Work With Better Data About Your Body
Time and time again the reason for people like Nancy not getting the help they need is the health practitioners consulted want to "treat labels - not the patient". With the mindset of finding the root of the health challenges the patient has, rather that just treating the symptom with drugs, or even with supplements, the treatment often falls short of helping with core level healing. The image below is a great example from a recent patient that consulted me for thyroid symtoms that were not going away despite medical managment.
As you can plainly see from this image, the TSH and T4 were normal, which is all the thyoid tests this patient received prior to coming into my office. I ordered comprehensive bioscreen labwork as part of my thorough workup to find out why this patient had chronic pain.
It turns out this patient has autoimmune thyroid as evidenced by the antibodies to her thyroid (TPO -Ab). In addition she has high levels of systemic inflammation based on fibrinogen being out of range and her blood lipids were elevated (cholesterol, LDL and tryglycerides). In addition to any chiropractic managment, this patient will need diet and lifestyle changes and specific supplementation. We also found that this particular patient has gluten intolerance with a genetic cause.
This pattern of lab findings is what I commonly encounter with the patients who seek my care and guidance. I am glad that I can be a part of helping these patients regain their zest for living and become able to do the things they enjoy once again. If you are looking for help, I would be happy to be of assistance.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with chronic health challenges or autoimmune issues despite having medical managment. Thank you, help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living!
