I subscribe to a newsletter from womentowomen.com. They are pioneers in the combination of alternative and conventional medicine in women’s health, and focus on underlying causes rather than simply upon the treatment of symptoms. They do have products and a health care program they are trying to sell, but even if you are not interested in becoming a client/patient, the information on the women to women site is a valuable resource.
In their most recently newsletter, the main article was a feature on Fibromyalgia: Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally — So You Can Shine Again. I found this to be the most realistic, in touch and accurate assessment of Fibromyalgia I have ever read. Several times throughout my reading of it I wanted to clap for Dr. Marcelle Pick, or stand up and bow. Here are just a few of the things she wrote that made me want to cheer her:
I see many women in my practice who feel discouraged and disheartened by the advice they’ve received about fibromyalgia. The sleeplessness, extreme fatigue, and widespread chronic pain that accompany fibromyalgia can be unbearable for some women, but the medical community has long been stumped by this confusing and controversial condition. It was ignored by conventional medicine for years, and in some circles fibromyalgia is still questioned as a “real” diagnosis. But fibromyalgia is real, and I know there are thousands of women out there who deserve compassionate and effective care. We don’t have all the answers yet, but pain specialists and functional practitioners are working to get to the root of fibromyalgia and similar pain syndromes, to give you the answers you want and deserve.
I think women with fibromyalgia deserve more than a prescription for their pain and suffering.
I see this as a condition that strikes at the very core of a woman’s being.
But you can feel good again, if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, do some digging, and learn some new ways of being.
At this point in the article Dr. Skin goes into a very thorough discussion of Fibromyalgia and its underlying issues. She uses the word SHINE as an acronym for what she believes to be the main issues of FM – Sleep, Hormone Imbalance, Immune Health, Nutrition and Emotions. (Some of you may recognize this as a protocol of Dr. Teitelbaum, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic. I am very familiar with his name, but have yet to read his book. After reading this article I certainly plan to.) Dr. Skin also addresses Stress, Detox, Exercise and Mind-body Work. She shares a lot of valuable information in her article and is clearly invested in helping women with Fibromyalgia shine again.
Dr. Skin ends her article with encouragement and hope:
Find hope in your own light
We all glow in our own unique ways, and when we are feeling good, the world can feel our warmth and positive energy. I know fibromyalgia can dim this light, making us too tired, too discouraged, and too achy to find hope in anything, let alone feeling better. Especially if you’ve been told by your practitioner, or by several practitioners that there is nothing they can do — or worse, that your symptoms aren’t real — it can seem like you just have to live with this. But please know that you don’t have to live in pain, and you don’t have to be on a prescription medication for the rest of your life, either.
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome caused and influenced by many, many factors, and if you start to work on even one or two of these factors, you will find that light within starting to shine again. With this new hope, you can regain the energy to work on more aspects of your life that may be affecting your health — and in time, you’ll be enjoying each brand new day.
I encourage you to take the time to read the article for yourself. It is refreshing to read a perspective from a doctor who actually understands the many levels of Fibromyalgia, and hopefully you will decide on one or two factors of FM that you will want to work on. Articles like this go a long way in encouraging us to take steps towards better health and wellbeing. Thank you Dr. Skin.
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Clarissa says
Hey there Dannette,
I totally agree with al those things about , “Shine”. Some days I just am soo wiped out and having a thyroid condition on top of all that just overwhelmes me. I have guilt that my husband goes out to work a long day of physical labor when he too himself has CFS and that alone can make you feel really bad. I work hard to stay positive and put good energy out there. I get it , if you are not feeling like writing some days. I understand the habit issue , if you work at it and then I think , thats great for someone who does not have the struggle to move and just function daily. I adore you and as much as I love to se your writing and look forward to it, try to remember , you are just human and you are doing the best you can. Keep up all the great work you are doing, trying to take care of you, which is soo important. You are a good egg! 🙂
Jacqueline says
Awesome article! I also found this one on the Women to Women site – – Chronic fatigue — get your energy back!