Whilst browsing the internet today we found the following article:

30-80% of the US population may be vitamin D deficient

Fibromyalgia may be the diagnosis often given to people who experience chronic pain (bone and muscle pain) and weakness without any apparent cause.

Now to comprehend why Dr. Holick considers fibromyalgia as a possible symptom of vitamin D deficiency we need to first evaluate the known conditions associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Practically everyone has heard of rickets. It is a childhood ailment that is known to be associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Because there is not enough vitamin D present for the growing child to properly mineralize the new bones as they form, the kid ends up with soft, pliable bones. These, in turn, leads to bowed legs and several other skeletal deformities related to rickets.

Similarly, practically all of us have heard about osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is really a demineralization of the bones that occurs in older adults (women past menopause and men over 50). The bones become very fragile and simply break.

Much research over the past decade has shown that people can think of osteoporosis like a lifelong deficiency of calcium and vitamin D (although other factors are also involved).

However, there is a third consequence of vitamin D deficiency that most people are unaware of – a condition called osteomalacia.

Osteomalacia usually occurs in young adults and it is associated with a softening of the bone. The most common characteristic of osteomalacia is chronic bone and muscle pain.

Most doctors happen to be trained to identify rickets or osteoporosis, but they haven’t been trained in how you can identify osteomalacia (our medical school is just as guilty of this as the other schools). Primarily, this happens because most experts considered osteomalacia to become
almost non-existent because of food fortification with vitamin D.

However, since we are starting to learn that 30-80% of the US population may be vitamin D deficient, it might be time to re-think this assumption.

Dr. Holick reports that 40-60% of the patients who are referred to his office with symptoms of fibromyalgia are vitamin D deficient, and people patients who are vitamin D deficient respond well to vitamin D supplementation.

Dr. Holick also called a study by Dr. Gregory Plotnikoff from the University of Minnesota that said that 93% of children and adults who arrived at his emergency room with nonspecific muscle aches and pain put together to be vitamin D deficient.

So, what is the bottom line if you or someone that you know has fibromyalgia?

I would not recommend that you think of vitamin D as a magic bullet. There are many other activities involved in fibromyalgia, for example inflammation and possible autoimmune responses. Your holistic approaches to managing your disease should cover all of the bases.

However, vitamin D supplements are cheap, simple to use and practically risk free (You would have to take huge amounts on a daily basis to develop vitamin D toxicity). If you are experiencing bone and muscle pain for no no reason, it would make sense to add some vitamin D to your daily regimen.

See for full article:

http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2011/jan/27/271245/how-to-ward-off-muscle-aches-and-pains/

If you’ve ever completed a vigorous workout, then you’ve probably experienced some muscle aches and pains. There’s nothing unusual about that.

What about those aching joints?

That is swelling and stiffness that just doesn’t go away when you get out of bed in the morning?

Should you halt your workouts because the aches and pains in your joints keep you from feeling up to par?

The simple answer is, “no!” Keeping up your fitness regime is an important component in warding-off those pesky aches and pains.

Exercise, along with other key factors, can actually help you live pain free.

Some tips for minimizing joint pain while you stay active:

Warm-Up – Before engaging in your workout regimen or sports activity, take about five minutes for light stretching and warm-up. Failing to stretch before your workout can exacerbate inflammatory problems, such as tendonitis or bursitis.

Pump some iron – Weight-bearing exercises not only build muscle, but also help to strengthen your joints. Creating stronger muscles means that your joints are better stabilized, and are less likely to ache in the long run.

Slim down – Extra pounds create quite a bit of stress on your joints. Swedish researchers recently reported that women with a body mass index higher than 24 were more likely to undergo knee or hip replacements. That’s because extra weight increases your risk for osteoarthritis, particularly in the joints that bear the brunt of your weight.

Butt Out – Smoking wreaks havoc on your joints by lowering the amount of oxygen in your blood and hindering bone growth. Quit your cigarette habit, and you may just find that you have fewer swollen joints.

•Pay Attention – Don’t ignore prolonged swelling or stiffness in your joints. It may be a sign that you have an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or fibromyalgia. Talk to your doctor right away because early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent permanent damage to your joints.

Whilst browsing the internet today we found the following article on Fibromyalgia:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fibromyalgia-Pain-Relief-Causes-and-Cures&id=4825619

Fibromyalgia is a condition which causes unbelievable pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. It also causes sufferers to be fatigued and to feel tender spots literally all over and the slightest pressure can cause pain. Women are more likely to suffer than men statistically and the risk of fibromyalgia increases as we age. Fibromyalgia pain relief is something which sufferers crave for as they seek to quell the tide of the never ending dull aches and pains afflicting what seems to be their very core.

Statistic also show us that in most cases there appears to be no specific cause for the onset of fibromyalgia. In fact, the exact cause of Fibromyalgia is not known although it is thought that in some cases it can develop after a trauma to a part or parts of the body.

There are some known medical facts however. For example, it is documented that sufferers have increased amounts of a nerve chemical known simply as ‘substance P’ in their spinal fluid. It is also known that patients with Fibromyalgia also generally have lower than usual levels of the chemical serotonin in their brain.

Many studies have been completed on how to give patients some relief from pain caused by Fibromyalgia and perhaps the best known of these are studies completed by Israeli physicist Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. In the process of treating himself for a sports related injury, Feldenkrais developed a process which sees gentle pressure applied to improve and restore posture, flexibility, muscle strength and coordination. Somehow in the process, Feldenkrais discovered that this process provides fibromyalgia pain relief.

The Feldenkrais method concentrates on encouraging efficient muscle function thereby helping to minimize fatigue and pain. Another focus of the method is to have patients concentrate on taking control of their illness by making lifestyle related changes and focusing on those rather than the chronic pain experienced as a result of fibromyalgia. It is said that the majority of sufferers who try the Feldenkrais method gain lasting pain relief after no more than three to four weeks of employing the techniques.

It is recommended that patients employing the technique start slowly and build up exercise levels. It has been shown by all studies in this area that regular exercise increases the body’s production of endorphins and other hormones which decrease pain levels and have a positive effect on mood and temperament. For sufferers of Fibromyalgia there can be no logical reason whatsoever not to give the Feldenkrais method a try and see if it can help you relieve the pain you suffer form Fibromyalgia.