Do you remember back in the 1990’s when a self-help guru boasted claims that any relationship could be fixed if we would just realize that men and women are wired differently? Men were apparently not of this world, they were Martians…. And us women? Well we were from Venus… and just knowing that fact was going to somehow change our lives…. Well John Gray, the author of the Mars/Venus books was actually on to something… We ARE wired differently… And that rings true for men and women that suffer from Chronic Pain.
A new survey on www.healthywomen.org shows the gender differences in how we experience and perceive chronic pain. This study is part of a new educational campaign, “She Said, He Said: Understanding Gender and Pain”.
Did you know that 59% of women believe that others view them as “complainers” in regards to their pain and only 36% of men feel the same? Did you know that just over half of women (53%) wish family members would take their pain more seriously, and almost 50% also believe that men are taken more seriously than women are in the Doctor’s office?
We might have differences when it comes to Chronic Pain, but we have some similarities as well. This study found similarities in areas such as pain intensity, and the effect that pain has on interpersonal relationships.
When it comes to chronic pain, are men and women living on different planets?
If you have a few minutes, click on the link and go check it out for yourself… It really was worth the read…
Eliminating some particular habits is one of the basic things for any Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue patient, as well as for anybody who suffers of a chronic disease.
We did not become sick within a day, a week or a month. I dare say we did not even become sick within a year. One of the most successful physicians regarding fibromyalgia, Dr. Sacher, says that it takes more than 10 years until the body shows symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Chronic diseases take years and years to occur. That is why they are chronic. The good news is that it is entirely in our hands to change that.
Chronic sickness in itself is a bad habit and it involves a whole complex of several bad habits. The causes can be summed up in one word: distress. Chronic diseases go most of the time along with toxic and mental stress. On both we can get a handle. Both are entirely in our own hands.
A chronic disease calls for a change of our habits – ALWAYS.
When having a chronic illness like Fibromyalgia the most crucial thing is avoiding more acidity. The muscle pain you have comes to a great extent from acidity.
Step #1 in reducing acidity is: avoid sodas
fibromyalgia & acidoses (source of picture: quitsmokingonline.com)
This is very important. If you have any form of rheumatism, arthritis, weight problems, stiffness, etc. (or if you simply want to remain healthy) then you cannot afford to drink any soft-drinks (pop, soda), because they are very acidic and toxic. You really strictly have to avoid them. This is even more important when you have Fibromyalgia. If I were you I would not allow any exceptions here. Soft drinks make your body more acidic and this is exactly what you absolutely cannot have. (Ignore this point to your own peril.)
Of course this is also very much true for your children. If they never start drinking Coke and other pops they will not have to quit. Soft drinks are kind of addictive.
My suggestion is: replace any soft drinks with water. Your pursuit will reward you with extra money you can then invest in the right health products and high quality food. At the beginning you might face some “withdrawal symptoms”, but they are harmless. This is simply because the body can become addicted to sugar. But this does not mean that your body really needs it.
You have only one health Take care of it!
Hope and health,
Maja Iten
Natural Health & Life Coach
P.S. If you want to get more in-depth information on reducing acidity (acidoses) please go to http://fibroreliefmembership.com and sign up as a Free or a Gold Member. This article is part of the month #3 Fibro Health Letter for Free Members and week #6 issue for Gold Members. It’s a 17-page article not only explaining what to avoid but also giving alternatives.
Daily Health Check: Weight –189!!! THIS IS NOT GOOD!!!
Misc Morning Herbs – ✔
Allergy Drops – ✔
Prog. Cream – ✔
FM Check – ✔ –Ugh. Not feeling all that great. Again. It’s rainy, cold, and yucky out.
HARD DRIVE!!! BUSTED!!! Way to mess with ones weekend! Argh. I’m glad there are 4 computers in the house… or we’d have missed a message from friends coming to visit from RI!!! For the DAY ONLY!!! Argh!
I am sad to say as well… that I didn’t complete my objectives for this weekend. While I do have 2 more weekends to complete said objectives, I wanted to get further along than I did! Here is the recap of what I wanted to do:
1. Chair Backs… Should only take me an hour to make the other 4, then washing time
2. Kids Rooms…
3. Avery’s pillow
4. Gretchen Safe Cookies
5. Babies blankets for the boys
6. LAUNDRY – have to finish folding the LAUNDRY..
Here is what I did accomplish.
1. The Gretchen Safe Cookies… and I must admit they are pretty dang tasty!
2. Recovering the dining room chairs. I will add a picture soon… as soon as I get my computer at home fixed, which, as stated previously, IS BUSTED! But the chairs really look good!
3. I cut out the pieces for Avery’s pillow, tonight I have to sew it… the girl was using her brother’s all weekend…which you can imagine caused great distress to a 3 yr old boy, who kept reminding her that it had cars on it and was not a girl thing! Very funny, but I gotta get it done!
4. The Laundry… I literally folded 87 baskets of laundry. So I now have time to sew the previously mentioned pillow.
So with that… I still have the kids rooms to clean top to bottom, and the chair back covers, and… the baby blankets… which those are mostly fun… the cleaning not so much. And the straightening up of the house. But now, I need to add, go through each room as I clean and add stuff to the sell pile…
This weather! Ugh! It’s painful… my arms are currently in a kind of vibrating numb hurt. It’s starting to go to my chest and throat too. Its kind of a feeling like you want to throw up, but you know what it is, and you know you won’t, but you’d feel better if you did… My hips have the same feeling… but is less annoying as I am not moving them. I just dug out the heating pad for my lower back… I hate this. This would be the kind of day that I don’t want to pick anything up, because I do NOT trust my arms to work as I request. I really hope this goes away tomorrow, when it’s SUPPOSED to dry out. I’m really distressed about my weigh again. I don’t understand why it keeps going up. I guess I will be eating salad for awhile. Not that salad is bad, I hate doing that though, because when you eat just salad for awhile, then you actually eat FOOD, your weight just goes right back up. It’s really distressing. It’s also distressing when your mother mentions that your face looks like you are gaining weight. I am starting to wonder about getting a wii… and comparing that to the cost of a gym membership… somehow I don’t think that the flex spend would cover that… bugger.
I am trying a new thing for food this month as well. It’s called Angel Food Ministries, and you order the food online, and then it is delivered to a local church for pick up. This happens once a month. You go on the Saturday that is listed for pick up, and there you have it! If this works out it should be really fantastic and benefit both us, and the church where we pick it up. I’ll let you know.
OK… I need to go pick up lunch… so, have a good one!
I received an email from the National Fibromyalgia Association, and they have asked me to share something with the readers here at Graceful Agony.
The NFA publishes a magazine called Fibromyalgia Aware.
Many people do not know that there is a publication dedicated to those who live with this illness. In this publication you will find
Latest news in Research
general information and tips on health and well-being
A balanced approach to treatment options
Lifestyle and self-management techniques
A subscription to Fibromyalgia Aware can be purchased through the National Fibromyalgia Association website – it is $34.95USD per year – BUT- they are now offering this magazine for FREE online!!.
If you follow the last link, it will take you directly to a sample of this magazine. Once you register (for free) to the NFA website, you will be able to view the entire magazine for free.
This website has a plethora of resources, stories, articles, and an online community – so go take a look!
Hi everyone!! My apologies for not being able to post a tip last Tuesday, but as most of you know my precious laptop kicked the proverbial bucket! I am happy to say that a computer genius has had my laptop at the spa for the past week, and it is now well rested and a few pounds lighter, and hopefully it will be coming home in the next day or two!! YAY!! I can’t WAIT to have it back! I didn’t realize how lost I would be without it!!
Speaking of spas…. (okay lame segue! HA HA HA!) Today my tip is all about focusing on pampering as part of your treatment plan. Most of us bathe everyday (at least I hope we do!), it is one of the basics needs we mindlessly take care of everyday. If you are someone who suffers from chronic pain, bathing can even be considered a chore! How many times have you been too sore to stand in the shower for longer than a few minutes? And once you are in the shower, does it hurt to lift your arms above your head to wash your hair? Are you someone who loves to take a bath but on bad pain days you are not sure whether you will be able to get in and out of the bath on your own? See… for all you “normal” people out there ( I use that term affectionately to describe those who don’t suffer from daily pain), bathing is something you can do without having to take many factors into consideration… for us Chronics, it is a little more complicated!!
Which leads me to the tip this week – Take the time to make one night this week a spa night! Your body might just thank you for it!!
Hydrotherapy is the use of water to relieve pain and treat illness. It is a general term, but things such as underwater massage, mineral baths, jacuzzi tubs, cold plunge pools, Vichy shower, and raindrop treatments are all forms of hydrotherapy – and they are ALL used as treatment for chronic pain. However, you don’t have to spend major bucks at a spa to get some of the same results!! How about a spa quality bath at home?
I have spent a lot of time researching the place that essential oils have in the treatment of chronic pain. It started out many years ago when an old friend of mine began to use different oils in her practice as a Registered Massage Therapist, and she used me as her guinea pig! I noticed a difference with certain oils she used, and went home and spent countless hours doing research on how I could apply this to my own treatment plan.
I came up with the most amazing bath salts, and whenever I was in severe pain I would pour myself a bath, and wash away some of the pain. I shared these bath salts with others, and they have worked for everyone who has used them! Keep in mind they are NOT a cure they are simply just another ‘tool’ to put in your tool belt to help you manage. I’d like to share the recipe with you!
*Note that ALL of the ingredients I have used can be found at any reputable health food store or online. The start-up cost can be around $75-$100 but your oils will last you a VERY long time! I only need to replace my essential oils once or twice per year – and I take TONNES of baths!!
RELAXATION BATH SALTS RECIPE
The base of your bath salts will be Epsom Salts. They are INEXPENSIVE and have a high concentration of Magnesium(great for chronic pain). Pour out 2 cups of Epsom salts into a plastic container.
You may now add a few tablespoons of baking soda or ground oatmeal if you would like, but you do NOT need to. I choose to skip this step, but if you have extremely sensitive skin, you may want to include it.
Next you simply get out your oils and add 3-5 drops of each! If you have sensitive skin, you may want to start out with 2 drops of each, but I have worked up to 5 drops of each oil. The oils along with their healing properties are listed below.
Add to your bath water, and VOILA!! a relaxing and powerful spa bath at home!!
These are the oils I use:
Basil - helps with exhaustion, muscle aches, rheumatism, flu like symptoms, and also can be used on insect bites.
Cedarwood – very helpful to bring down stress levels.
Chamomile – helps with insomnia, neuralgia, muscle aches, sprains and strains
Frankincense – helps with anxiety and stress (this oil can be one of the more expensive ones, so feel free to omit it if you would like.)
Juniper Berry – helps with cellulitus, rheumatism, toxin build up,
Lavender – helps with anxiety, cystitis, depression, earache, headache, rheumatism, insomnia, sprains and strains, stress, vertigo.
Marjoram – helps with aching muscles, muscles cramps, rheumatism, sprains and strains, stress.
*Please note that alternative medicine is STILL medicine, and should be used with your discretion or input from a health practitioner. I have used all of these oils, and they have been beneficial to ME. I have NEVER had a problem with them, BUT we are all different!
I hope you take the time to pamper yourself a little today! You deserve it!! If you have any questions about essential oils in general or this recipe, please feel free to ask them! And I would LOVE to hear feedback from anyone who tries these salts!! They have been a LIFE SAVER to me at times when I have been out of control with pain. I hope they work for you too!!
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a very common condition that affects approximately 5% of the female population. A partial list of symptoms associated with FM include widespread pain and includes fatigue, non-restorative sleep, generalized stiffness, memory problems, poor balance, headache, numbness/tingling, painful muscle cramps/spasms, depression, anxiety, back pain, jaw pain, and hypersensitivity to: noise, lights, odors (perfumes), and weather changes. It is important to note that FM is NOT a psychiatric disorder, and can be diagnosed and treated, though promising a cure is not realistic.
There are many websites and articles that one can access through the internet. This is not an endorsement for any one site but rather, a review of one site that is available. The “Fibromyalgia Information Foundation” (www.myalgia.com) offers a lot of information that is very informative and usable. This includes information on the condition, the diagnosis, treatment, exercise advice and more. For example, under “Treatment of FM,” it is stated that there is no “cure” for FM. Rather, the goal of treatment is to teach the patient to gain “control” over the condition rather than to have the condition control the patient. There are four major areas of treatment to concentrate on which include pain management, exercise, sleep, and psyche. For pain management, there are lists of different medications, manual therapies and physical agents that can be of benefit. Exercise is emphasized to be gentle stretching after warming up and not to exercise too aggressively, so as to avoid irritation. In addition to stretching, light non-impacting aerobic exercise such as walking, water exercises, and/or stationary bike are recommended with a gradual increase in dose. Starting out at short 3-5 minute sessions, 2-3 times per day and gradually increase the session duration to three, 10 minute sessions/day, then to 2 -15 minute sessions and eventually one 20-30 minute session/day may be wise.
Regarding sleep, all FM patients complain of interrupted, non-refreshed sleep and improving this pattern is important. If an underlying condition such as whiplash, back, neck, or shoulder pain is the cause of interrupted sleep, that condition should be managed. A sleep study to determine if sleep apnea is an issue and the use of a C-pap unit can be quite helpful in gaining restorative sleep. Multiple medications are listed with dose recommendations that can be shared with your primary care provider. Regarding the “psyche”… Because chronic pain can result in depression, anger, fear, withdrawal and anxiety, management of these issues is important. Early detection and treatment is ideal. Interventions can include activity management such as ergonomic modifications both at work and home such as weight lift/carry limits, computer station re-design, the use of headsets vs. phones, and modifying other irritating postures should be considered. A de-emphasis of medications and long-term health care provision without clear goals is important. Unless an underlying psychological condition is present, counseling may be non-productive. However, biofeedback and some behavior modification may benefit some patients that are having trouble coping with the pain and it’s effect on their life.
Chiropractic is an important player in the management process of FM and benefits the patient by helping them set realistic goals and offering management strategies to help achieve those goals. Patients with FM need a “quarterback” to guide them in this process for which chiropractic is a logical choice.
For more information visit www.backsmartchiropractic.com
Stress…a Fact of Modern Life.Stress may appear to be a disease of modern times caused by fast moving ever-changing lifestyles, but it has been with us since time began. Stress affects every aspect of our daily lives, including health, work, personal relationships, alcohol/drug abuse, and obesity. The pressures of life itself is not the main problem, rather how we react to it.Stress can contribute to depression, anxiety, and has diverse effects on many other functions and organs of the body. Stress levels can vary widely in identical situations and for different reasons. It is a highly personalized phenomenon. One survey showed that in a work situation, having to complete paperwork was more stressful for many police officers than the dangers associated with pursuing criminals.There is, of course, a huge cost associated with stress. For example, absenteeism is estimated to cost American companies $602 per worker per year. The price tag for large employers could approach $3.5 million
Here is the recap of what I wanted to do:
