Dr Amarilis Méndez - The Holistic Fibromyalgia Treatment Plan: 28-Day Plans for Healthy Digestion, Therapeutic Movement, and Emotional Well-Being

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ISBN: Print 978-1-64739-503-2 | eBook 978-1-64739-328-1

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To everyone who feels, or has felt, hopeless due to a chronic mental or physical condition, never lose hope and never give up. Your breakthrough may be just beyond your point of greatest despair.

CONTENTS

I was a college student when it started to feel like everything was falling apart. I had suffered from insomnia and migraines since I was thirteen, and I had learned to grit my teeth and get through various forms of chronic pain. Now in my early twenties, I was studying biology and working two jobs to support myself, and everything about my life was overwhelming. I developed chronic anxiety. By my sophomore year, my pain had become so widespread that at times I could barely function. I finally sought medical help and immediately hit an obstacle: doctors couldnt explain what was wrong with me.

I kept returning to doctors and going to the emergency room and getting the same non-answers. Doctors ran tests on me that came back normal, and they started to question my sanity. Even I did. Medical professionals told me I couldnt have those symptoms I was describing. They would ask me if maybe it was just stress or if I needed to see a psychiatrist.

Doctors gave me narcotics to ease the pain, and at night I needed sleep meds but nothing really made me feel normal. They couldnt tell me why I had so much pain, but they were willing to keep writing prescriptionsI felt like I was being experimented on, and I wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

After almost seven frustrating years, I finally got a diagnosis: I had fibromyalgia. Id been dismissed as a crazy person and a hypochondriac, and it was cathartic to have someone acknowledge at last that the pain wasnt all in my head and that something real was wrong with me. Still, the answer didnt give me much hope. I believed fibromyalgia was a condition with no cure. I learned that the known treatments might not work, and I saw a list of drugs with horrible side effects. There was a possibility that I wouldnt be able to work and support myself. One doctor told me I probably wouldnt get better and that I might have to apply for disability. Sometimes I would go through my days feeling like a zombie.

But I was determined to find another way to live the rest of my life. Although my original plan was to become a medical examiner, I decided to study natural medicine in hopes that I could learn something that would help me. Over several years, I was able to use what I learned to heal my own body. And working as a naturopath, I have helped others overcome or prevent chronic illness.

I have developed this guide for readers who are ready to be proactive about their healing process but dont know where to begin.

In this book you will find:

Practical four-week plans to help you improve rest, emotional health, digestion, and physical movement.

Easy recipes that require few ingredients and minimal preparation time.

Natural remedies for common symptoms experienced by people with fibromyalgia.

Ways to manage a health-conscious lifestyle with limited income and resources.

After being diagnosed with this condition, the first step is to gain an understanding of what the condition is, what causes it, and what can be done to find relief. Sometimes the medical jargon can be overwhelming and difficult to understand. Fortunately, with a thorough understanding of the basics, you will be equipped to begin your journey to relief. This chapter will go over what is currently known about fibromyalgia.

BIG-PICTURE BASICS

People with fibromyalgia experience widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and problems with their memory and moods; they might experience symptoms like fibro fog, which makes it hard to focus. Fibromyalgia is a common, chronic widespread pain disorder, and according to an analysis of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, nearly four million people in the United States have the condition. Researchers now believe that it may stem from a disruption in the brains ability to process pain, which makes the body much more sensitive not only to pain but also to other sensory experiences like touch, temperature, and sound. In a scientific article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings , several members of the Fibro-Collaborativea group of experts on the conditionwrote that it was as if fibromyalgia turned up the volume on pain signals.

Women are much more likely to have this condition than men, and the average age range at the time of diagnosis is 35 to 45. However, many people say theyve had symptoms, including chronic pain, that started long before they received their diagnosis. The condition may develop suddenly after a stressful or traumatic event or injury, or the symptoms may appear gradually and become more severe as time goes by.