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I’ve seen a great number of patients coming to my fibromyalgia chiropractic clinic in Draper, UT to find help and better understand their condition. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that involves many other symptoms. Some of the indicators are sensory sensitivity, impaired cognitive function, headaches or migraines, and depression. These signs and symptoms have a link to central sensitization.
What does central sensitization mean? What does it have to do with fibromyalgia? Is there help for it? Read on to discover a therapy that can help you manage this chronic health condition.
What Is Central Sensitization?
Central sensitization is a disorder where the body’s central nervous system goes into a never-ending state of being hyper sensitive for no apparent reason. In other words, the body boosts the nerves and senses into overdrive, a thing that usually happens only when someone is in danger. This is the body’s natural response to an emergency situation. However, this is a common condition in people with fibromyalgia. It can result in allodynia and hyperalgesia. Researchers believe fibromyalgia can be due to central sensitization.
Allodynia
Allodynia involves pain that happens without a purpose. For example, you may feel pain from the pressure of a blanket against your skin. You may also feel a burning sensation when something rubs lightly against your skin like when a loved one hugs you, so you have to pull away. Allodynia can be challenging to describe to somebody who does not experience it and may even affect relationships negatively.
Hyperalgesia
Hyperalgesia involves an excessive sensitivity to pain. For example, a stranger bumps into you with their huge backpack. That can be a painful incident for anybody. But for a person with hyperalgesia, it may feel like being shot or stabbed. Hyperalgesia is a more common condition in people addicted to opioids (opioid-induced hyperalgesia). However, for someone with fibromyalgia, hyperalgesia is just another symptom and not a side effect of a drug.
Central sensitization may also involve other things like sensitivity to bright lights or glare. It can be bothersome for you to hear a repetitive sound, maybe even one that never caused trouble for you before. Strong smells, even the natural ones, may be overwhelming. All these sensitivities can cause both physical and mental fatigue to fibromyalgia patients.
Fibromyalgia IS NOT an Imaginary Condition
Many fibromyalgia patients hear people tell them, “it’s all in your head” when they explain their condition. This is a common misconception that some people continue to believe. The truth is the central nervous system involves more than just the brain. It comprises a network of nerves that travel throughout the whole body. The pain signals move through the spinal cord and brainstem. The pain signals that the body receives are real. Fibromyalgia patients are just experiencing them in a stronger way. You may be wondering, what could be causing the central nervous system to process pain differently?
Central Sensitization and Its Link to the Neck
Some studies show that the origin of central sensitization and fibromyalgia may be in the neck, not in the head like some people believe. The atlas (C1 vertebra) protects and surrounds the brainstem. If this uppermost bone in the spine moves out of its proper alignment, the brainstem will endure undue stress. Since the brainstem facilitates many involuntary functions of the body, its malfunction can result in a mismatch of signals between sensory receptors. The pain level can be different from the actual message being reported to the brain.
The cervical spine is also responsible for the proper blood flow to the brain. This is possible with the help of vertebral foramen, which are some tiny loops of bone that are only present on vertebrae. They offer safe passageway to the head for the vertebral arteries. Even the tiniest misalignments can impair the supply line and result in less oxygen in some parts of the brain. This can lead to a huge disturbance in the function of the central nervous system.
Upper Cervical Adjustments Can Help with Fibromyalgia
Many case studies involving patients with fibromyalgia and reveal that those patients had atlas misalignments. After receiving gentle and accurate upper cervical adjustments, they see a reversal of their fibromyalgia symptoms within a short period of care. Therefore, I recommend anyone who has fibromyalgia to consider upper cervical chiropractic.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia, it is very likely that you also have an atlas misalignment. If this is present in your spine, it can contribute to or even cause many of the symptoms of your condition. These misalignments can result from a neck or head trauma due to a sports collision or a car accident. They may work under the surface for many years before symptoms begin to show. Other things that may cause a misalignment are repetitive neck strain and poor posture. Certainly, it helps to get regular check-ups even if you have no history of injury.
Choose Source Chiropractic and Wellness
Upper cervical chiropractors focus on the upper cervical area of the neck. Here at Source Chiropractic and Wellness, I only use low force in my corrections. The gentle adjustments I make are long-lasting, which allows the body more time to recover from long-term impairment.
To learn more how you can relieve and possibly reverse your fibromyalgia, schedule a consultation at my fibromyalgia chiropractic clinic in Draper, UT. I look forward to meeting you, and I hope you get the benefits of this safe and effective method.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Cheney, call our Draper office at 385-331-7035. You can also click one of the buttons below.
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