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{I hope you all will give a warm welcome to my friend Beverly Meyer. She is a Paleo Nutritionist and Natural Health Practitioner, as well as the founder of the On Diet and Health website. She is a wealth of knowledge about a wide range of topics and her website is one of my go-to resources. Please stop by her site and say hello!}

Considering causes of Fibromyalgia? Like all chronic disorders, Fibromyalgia has multiple symptoms and causes. I have success in my clinic by exploring the combination of issues below. We’re all different, so any one area may be the key to permanent relief for you.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is chronic musculoskeletal pain which varies in location and severity. It can include headaches, swollen lymph nodes, IBS, depression, sleep problems, sensitivity to stress and hormonal issues.

It’s not just a muscle problem. It’s a whole body problem, and when I think of whole body problems, several elements come to mind.

5 Common Causes of Fibromyalgia

1. Low adrenal and thyroid function.

Fibromyalgia is most common in menopausal women. Thyroid and adrenal issues are most common in menopausal and peri-menopausal women as well. Could there be a connection?

Multiple studies show pain relief with Natural Dessicated Thyroid such as Armour or NaturThroid. Synthroid, lacking any of the essential T3 hormone, does not seem to work as well.

Yet anytime the thyroid is low, the real culprit may actually be the adrenals. I have many clients whose health improved only marginally on thyroid hormone until the adrenals were treated as well.

What to do?  Run a full thyroid blood panel with Free T4, Free T3, TSH and thyroid antibodies. Do a saliva test for 4 cortisol samples in one day, and while you’re at it, test saliva for Free Estrogen, Testosterone, DHEA and Progesterone. I feel saliva sampling is more accurate than blood for these hormones. Here are some articles and podcasts on saliva and blood testing from my website.

2. A damaged gut and food intolerances.

I ask clients to get off gluten as if they’d been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This includes body care products such as hair dye, lipstick and shampoo until verified gluten free.

The Paleo Diet removes grains, beans, dairy (except ghee), sugars and processed foods. The inflammation from gluten antibodies, dairy intolerance and the lectins in beans and grains are known to damage the intestinal wall. Candida and bacteria find a ready home in a damaged intestine, especially one fed on sugary foods such as desserts, corn, alcohol, soda and pasta.

What to do?  Adopt the Paleo Diet and incorporate gluten free body care. Check out Whole30, Mark’s Daily Apple, or my DVD on the Paleo Diet, helping visual learners quickly understand what to eat and why.

3. Stress, burnout and low GABA neurotransmitter.

Pain response varies from person to person and day to day. Serotonin and GABA neurotransmitters play a huge role in the perception of pain and the other senses.

When we live an over-anxious accelerated life, our adrenals get worn down. The calming neurotransmitters GABA and Serotonin get used up. Our perception of pain increases and we become hyper-sensitive to all inputs.

I have many articles and podcasts on GABA since understanding this neurotransmitter changed my life. Read more here and here.

What to do?  You know what you need to do – rethink your life and take control. Do your best to be happy – don’t burn out and suffer. Passion Flower is the herb I recommend for pain and for calming. Find it on the web or in my store. It can change your life too!

4. An overburdended detoxification system.

Lymph vessels collect debris from cellular functions all over the body. When the lymph get congested, we have more toxins than we can clear. Managing our toxic burden can significantly help to reduce pain, and help Fibromyalgia sufferers fight infection too.

Toxins from gluten antibodies and the maldigestion of starchy foods are a key part of this lymph congestion. Leaky gut affects the whole body.

Other key toxins include mercury from dental fillings, artificial fragrances, food additives and pesticides.

What to do? Stick with strict Paleo guidelines to eliminate gluten from food and body care. Consider having your mercury fillings removed by a Biological Dentist. Get rid of pesticides, and scented products in your home, including perfumes, cologne, detergent, skin and hair care, room “fresheners”, etc.

5. Nutrient deficiencies.

The combination of poor diet, damaged gut, toxic living environments and energy burnout means we use up nutrients. If any nutrient is in short supply, we cannot make the complex repairs our body needs.

Common limiting factors are Vitamins D and K2, the minerals Selenium and Magnesium, and the DHA we used to get from abundant seafood. (I think DHA is more important than EPA). Zinc and B6 are important catalysts for many functions, as is B12.

All of these will restock once we live and eat better, but meanwhile, a superior professional-grade Multi Vitamin/Mineral and Fatty Acid supplement will help.

Have courage!  You CAN make a difference in your life. Work through the causes of Fibromyalgia and watch your body thrive!

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