5 ways to beat fibromyalgia
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1. Treat the gut.
Health begins in the gut. Functional medicine doctors that treat fibromyalgia cite studies showing alterations in gut bacteria in fibromyalgia patients. A comprehensive stool tests the gut bacteria. In addition, the test measures markers for inflammation, digestive immune markers, parasites and how well you digest your food. Therefore, our fibromyalgia doctors have the tools they need to develop an individualized treatment program for your specific problem. By individualizing treatment I get excellent results treating fibromyalgia. There is no treatment that fits every fibromyalgia patient. Don’t guess, test!
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2. Eliminate allergic foods
Patients with fibromyalgia will often change their diet to reduce inflammation and this will often help, but just not all the way. A good fibromyalgia doctor will test for food allergies so they know which foods are causing inflammation. Even a food like broccoli or spinach can generate an immune response without the patient realizing it. You are eating a food that while good for most people is bad for you. To treat fibromyalgia effectively, food allergies must be tested because individualized treatment is so important. This includes IgG, IgE, IgG4 and complement reactions for commonly eaten foods. So this is one of the reasons why Midwest Functional Medicine stands above all in treating fibromyalgia.
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3. Work with a health coach
Changing diet and lifestyle can be very difficult. For instance, how many times have you tried to eat the right foods or not eat the bad foods and failed. It’s tough! A good health coach can hold your hand and walk you through the process. More importantly your health coach should be only a text message away. She will answer questions you have about cooking ingredients, supplements and more. Therefore, a good health coach increases successful fibromyalgia treatment dramatically.
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4. Your supplements should match your lab tests
In consultations with patients with fibromyalgia and other chronic illness, they are almost always taking nutritional supplements. When I ask why they are taking a particular supplement I often get a blank stare or a vague answer. Every supplement you take should have a reason behind it. That reason should be to remedy a tests result. Even probiotics vary widely. For example, they should be matched to your microbiome that was tested with a stool sample. Your diet should match your food allergy tests. The days of guessing are over. Don’t guess, Test!
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5. Treat the root cause of fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia patients have widespread pain in all four quadrants on the body for longer than 6 months. We treat fibromyalgia successfully. We will not tell you its all in your head. I am successful because I determine the cause of the problem. In short, this cause will be different for different patients. Symptoms are downstream reactions to upstream problems. Some of the upstream problems are the following.
Poor Diet
The standard American diet SAD has too much sugar. Additionally, there is not enough fiber from fruits and vegetables. Also the SAD is high is bad fats.
Poor Gut Health
Your gut is teeming with bacteria. However, these bacteria need to be in balance between good and bad bacteria. The type of bacteria is important but so is the amount. Changes in bacteria from normal is dysbiosis. Also many times I will see an overgrowth of yeast or even an occasional parasite or other pathogens.
Food Allergies
IgG4, IgE, IgG4 and complement are different types of an allergic response. These foods when eaten constantly inflame the gut.
Environmental Toxin
We live in a world with many technological advances. Unfortunately these advances come with a price. Toxins from manufacturers and processing foods show up in our foods and environment. Certainly these toxins have an adverse effect on your health. As a result, we need to eliminate these as best as possible.
Nutritional Deficiencies
The increase in processed food results in a deficiency of B vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Leaky gut syndrome
The cells in the wall of the intestine, also called the “tight junctions,” can leak toxins into the bloodstream causing inflammation.
Genetic SNP’s
For more information CLICK HERE
Stress
Stress affects everything! There are ways to deal with stress better. Our health coach helps with this.
Lifestyle
Exercise and sleep patterns can have a large influence on your health. Certainly, these can effect stress levels for better or worse. In conclusion, only by examining and correcting the above root causes can we defeat fibromyalgia.
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Putting the pieces together to beat fibromyalgia.
The above factors can be tested for to determine the area of deficiency. At Midwest Functional Medicine we perform comprehensive lab test to identify the specific factors in your fibromyalgia. I will then develop a comprehensive plan to fix the problem.
Firstly, our team will first review all medical records and history of your condition. Secondly, there will be important assessment forms to fill out and be evaluated. Moreover, extensive in depth lab work will be performed to evaluate your individual chemistry. In addition, I will assess diet, sleep, stress, and genetics with the above core processes to determine the best individualized treatment for you. Treatment will include of course, diet and lifestyle changes. Certainly, stress can be a major factor in chronic illness and cannot be ignored. Medical food through dietary supplements help to give you necessary ingredients to heal. However not all patients are accepted. I will only accept patients we feel we can help.
In conclusion, individual results may vary. Patients are individuals with varying degrees of severity of their conditions. Therefore, your results may be different from another patient.