Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition which causes pain in soft tissue. It is not, however, a rheumatic disease as is often suggested, and seldom is there any underlying inflammation. The basic causes are the same as in many other ailments of the musculosceletal system; innervation of the symptomatic area and metabolism of soft tissues are disturbed. These problems can be fully cured by manual treatment.
Restricted mobility of spinal joints is a result of tense back muscles. When the vertebrae lock, the surrounding tissues become irritated and disturb innervation. The main causes of symptoms of fibromyalgia are tense shoulder muscles and the locking of upper thoracic vertebrae (1-6).
Factors triggering symptoms may also be hormonal, including lack of deep sleep. Fibromyalgia mainly affects middle-aged women, which makes one suspect that lowered estrogen production increases susceptibility to these symptoms. Fragmentary deep (REM) sleep does not allow sufficient recovery of muscle and connective tissues from daily stress, which lowers the production of growth hormone and weakens muscle maintenance. Muscle tenseness from work stress and lowered hormone production weaken the recovery of tissues, which irritates muscle and tendon insertions.
During treatment, muscles are worked on by massage, and locked facet joints are unlocked using chiropractic methods. As soon as the metabolism of soft tissues and nerve impulses are undisturbed, the symptoms disappear.
Based on my work experience, I strongly feel that fibromyalgia is not a disease (at least not to the extent indicated by statistics), since over 95% of diagnosed patients are cured during the treatment. The fibromyalgia sufferer needs about 4 treatment sessions, and then life is painless again.