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Treating Fibromyalgia with Qigong
By Steven Sonmore L. Ac. | October 9, 2007
You might be shocked to know that there are over 3.7 million people diagnosed with different forms of fibromyalgia in the US. If you suffer from this read on to learn about an ancient self help technique.
Through out the years I’ve treated a number of fibromyalgia patients using Chinese medicine in my clinic. The symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day. They include:
• Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness.
• Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Some believe nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless leg syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people with fibromyalgia.
• Headaches and facial pain. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have headaches and facial pain that may be related to tenderness or stiffness in their neck and shoulders. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which affects the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, also is common in people with fibromyalgia.
• Heightened sensitivity. It’s common for people with fibromyalgia to report being sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch.
Other common signs and symptoms include:
• Depression
• Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet (paresthesia)
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes
• Chest pain
• Dry eyes, skin and mouth
• Painful menstrual periods
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
The name fibromyalgia stands for pain in the muscles and in the fibrous tissues, such as ligaments and tendons.
How Qigong Can Help Fibromyalgia Sufferers
Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention. Qi is pronounced chee and is usually translated to mean the vital life force that flows through all things in the universe. Gong, pronounced gung, means accomplishment, or skill that is cultivated through steady practice. Together Qigong means cultivating energy. It is a system for health maintenance, healing and increasing your vitality.
The more complex forms of Qigong or Tai Chi are appropriate for those who are in good health. For people with fibromyalgia it is important to keep it simple
When you are in a stressful state, your sympathetic nervous system (the fight or flight response) is very active. Your breathing is more shallow and rapid, your heartbeat is quicker, your digestion and elimination are not as effective and your muscles are tense.
When your practice Qi Gong Meditation you are activating your parasympathetic nervous system or your relaxation response. Your breathing is deeper, full and slow. Your heartbeat is slower and more regular. Your digestion and elimination is more complete. Your smooth muscles relax. Qigong breathing together with a relaxed mind is an easy way to cultivate health and longevity. Meditation is not something you try to do. It is a process you allow to happen.
If you watch a little baby breath they just naturally breathe from their lower abdomen. This type of breathing is very healthy because it rejuvenates the body. As we age many of us unfortunately breathe into our upper chest and throat. This type of breathing contributes to the aging process. You can reverse this bad habit with the Qi Gong Meditation. This type of breathing massages your internal organs, achieves deep relaxation, detoxifies your body and strengthens your immune system.
The imagery used in Qigong has massive benefits. Physiologically these images lead to the slowing of brainwaves to alpha and theta, very deep states of consciousness.
When your mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. This is good news for fibromyalgia sufferers because the Qi Gong Meditation excels at putting loving energy into your internal organs. We spend so much time grooming ourselves, styling our hair, washing and moisturizing our skin, how much time do we spend inside our bodies? This is really valuable because you can actually increase the positive energy flow to your Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys…our source of energy and life.
In Qi Gong Meditation we learn to put loving energy into our organs. It is the same kind of energy that you feel when you look into the eyes of a lover, dear friend or relative. This raises the energy level of your internal organs much higher.
Recently there was a controlled randomized study to evaluate the effect of a 7-week Qigong intervention on subjects with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. The overall results showed that Qigong has positive and reliable effects regarding FMS. The results of the study are encouraging and suggest that Qigong intervention could be a useful complement to medical treatment for subjects with FMS. *
To learn more about the Qigong Meditation, you can go online to http://www.theqigongmeditation.com .
* Source: Disability and Rehabilitation. 2007 Jun 15; 1-9 [E-publication ahead of print] PMID: 17852292, by Haak T, Scott B. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
Topics: Fibromyalgia |