TCM Fibromyalgia Treatment
Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, treats the entire body and not just the disease. Unlike western medicine, TCM holds that everything functions by way of the life force called the chi (pronounced "chee"). TCM teaches that each body system has a chi force that governs it. When the force is blocked or unbalanced, it causes disease. In the case of fibromyalgia, TCM's view is that the body is out of balance due to stress, lifestyle, and the environment---so TCM works to remove the block, in order to elevate the condition.
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Fibromyalgia and its Symptoms
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Fibromyalgia is a set of symptoms that affect mostly women---each woman differently---and doesn't show up on any standard test. These symptoms can include aching pain covering the entire body, insomnia, fatigue, and depression.
Chinese Medicine
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According to an article entitled, "Chinese Medicine for Fibromyalgia," written by Wei Liu, TCMD, LAC and Changzhen Gong, PhD, MS, "The approach of Chinese medicine is to differentiate symptoms into patterns of disease, and then treat the patterns based on centuries of clinical experience."
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Qi Gong (Meditation and Exercise)
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The concept behind Qi Gong is promoting the flow of the Qi (chi) and blood in the body. This is attained by several sessions of meditation and non-strenuous exercise to reduce the stress that cause blockage.
Walking, yoga, and Tai chi are encouraged, as these exercises don't cause excessive amounts of stress to the body. Instead, they act to relieve stress on trigger points and promote circulation. It is recommended, however, that you rest a day between exercise sessions so as to not induce stress and to allow the body to recover.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
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Bai shao (white dahlia root), is prescribed as anti-inflammatory agent to relieve pain.
Qin Jiao (bitter root) is prescribed to relieve muscle pain.
Du Huo (angelica Root) is prescribed to relieve pain.
Yan Hu Suo (squirrel corn) is said to rejuvenate the blood and promote flow of the Qi.
Yu Jin (Turmeric Root) is also used to alleviate pain.
Acupuncture
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Although there has been improvement of pain symptoms and sleep disorders reported in smaller group studies, there hasn't been a controlled study done to show that the use of acupuncture is effective, according to a July 5, 2005 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Caution
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If you are pregnant, you should consult your doctor before taking any herbs. It is also important that you not over-medicate when taking Chinese herbs. More is not always better.
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