Volume 1, Issue 2 April, 2008

Fibro Friends Forever

P A I N M A N A G E M E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S

A l t e r n a t i v e T h e r a p i e s f o r
P a i n m a n a g e m e n t
T h i s m o n t h : H e a t T h e r a p y
Information from www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org
Alternative therapies for pain
Butterflies are management are on the rise.
I know that I am personally
symbols of tired of being drugged out.
When I was researching al-
metamorphosis. ternative therapies I was
amazed at how many differ-
Fibromyalgia ent types there were. I was
overwhelmed. So, starting
gives us the this month, I would like to
take a look at all the different
opportunity to types of alternative therapies
that fibromyalgia and other
change, grow pain sufferers have used.
Each month I will touch on
and become one of the alternative thera-
pies that are the most com-
stronger. mon or even the most inter-
esting.
This month I am going to
discuss heat therapy. I per-
sonally use heat therapy as
one of my pain management
methods. When I started out
using heat therapy, I started
with the all relaxing, warm,
soothing bath. Taking a hot
bath just made the aches and
pains drift away. When I
moved, I didn’t have a bath
tub, so I used a heating pad.
Then I purchased a small
heater that I use at the side of
my bed. I love it! When I
am hurting, I turn on my
heater and crawl into bed.
The warmth feels so incredi-
bly good. Using this heat
therapy helps to reduce the
severity of widespread pain.
I have now incorporated my
own form of heath therapy
If you are suffering from the
symptoms of fibromyalgia,
you may want to try your
own form of heat therapy.
Heat therapy is simple, inex-
pensive, and effective. Oh
yeah, and it feels soooo
good!!!
What is Heat Therapy?
Heat therapy is a simple con-
cept. Any treatment that uses
heat to help soothe pain,
relax muscles, or ease stress
can be classified as a form of
heat therapy. Heat therapy is
very popular because it can
be done by anyone for very
little cost. If you have a bath-
tub or a shower, or even a
hot facecloth, you can per-
form your very own heat
therapy treatment. Recently,
more complex forms of heat
therapy, such as ultrasound
and paraffin waxing, have
come into the spotlight, and
they are now being used in
pain clinics, hospitals, and
spas across North America
and Europe.
How Heat Helps
Heat therapy is a simple
form of treatment. When
applied to sore areas of the
body, heat helps to dilate
your blood vessels. This en-
courages
(next page)

U n d e r s t a n d i n g
You all know that I am not a health practitioner in
anyway. I have just chosen to take an active role in
my health diagnosis. I struggle day to day to cope
with the symptoms of fibromyalgia that at times are
debilitating. At times, health care providers prove
less than helpful. Now it is up to me to create a
voice not just for myself, but for others. We all need
help coping with this illness and I know for a fact
that there is not much in our city, our county, or our
valley that provides this help. So, as I fumble in the
dark, I promise to do my best to find out as much as
I can for you, and to provide whatever support group
efforts I can.
I am going to use this portion of the newsletter to
just go over some of the basics of fibromyalgia.
From diagnosis to treatment. I will also include
every day methods you can use to regain some of
‘yourself’ in this ‘fight’. Each month I will have some-
thing new.
The best way to understand an opponent is to un-
derstand things about him. So let’s see what we
f i b r o m y a l g i a
can understand about fibromyalgia.
FM experts estimate that 10 million Americans
suffer with FM. The most common sufferers
are women. It is a condition that comes with a
number of symptoms, but is characterized by
widespread musculoskeletal and joint pain.
There is no cure for FM, but there are many
ways to treat its symptoms.
FM knows no boundaries; it affects any or all
parts of the body. FM has varying degrees of
severity. Some people may be slightly affected
while for others the impact of the symptoms
can be extremely debilitating. Unfortunately I
am impacted more severely than most. I am
currently on disability for 6 months. The symp-
toms of FM can be described as deep muscu-
lar aching that can throb, stab, or tingle/burn.
Joints can hurt, skin can hurt. It just hurts all
over. Like getting the flu every day.
Fibromyalgia syndrome can cause intense
pain leading to difficulty sleeping, mental
health issues and movement problems. Many
other symptoms come along with this syndrome.
We will discuss those later.
Fibromyalgia symptoms are confusing. They
mimic other diseases and conditions. There is
no real test for FM; it is more a process of elimi-
nation of other conditions.
However, please understand these few little
tidbits:
-fibromyalgia is not contagious; fibromyalgia
comprises a number of symptoms; eight out of
ten people diagnosed with fibromyalgia are
women; fibromyalgia is NOT a psychosomatic
problem
Next month, lets discuss the different triggers
and causes of fibromyalgia.
If you have any questions about this article or
about what is coming up next month, please do
not hesitate to shoot me an email. I will do my
best to get a good answer for you.
fibrofriendsforever@yahoo.com
V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2 P a g e
H e a t t h e r a p y :
blood to rush to the affected area,
flushing out toxins and other wastes.
This blood also brings oxygen to the
site, which helps to repair soft tis-
sue, encourage muscle tone, and
relax muscles contractions.
Heat therapy also lessens the sever-
ity of pain symptoms, though it is
not completely understood why. It is
thought that heat may help to numb
the nerve endings inside your body,
thereby decreasing your sensations
of pain.
Heat Relief and Fibromyalgia
Symptoms
Heat therapy is not recommended
for every type of muscle and joint
pain. Heat can make pain that is
The
Tannery
“Welcome to the
Warmth”
350 N. Porter Rd.
Porterville, CA
781-3600
May 12th is International Fibromyalgia
(FM), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS),
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), and Gulf
War Syndrome (GWS) Awareness Day.
The above are real conditions, although
many people don't recognize them as
such. These conditions impact the quality
of our lives. Many of us have lost jobs,
homes, income, friends, self-respect and
much more because of our diseases.
Family and friends don’t understand. Our
own health care providers treat us as
though we are hypochondriacs.
These conditions are all characterized by
overwhelming fatigue, muscle pain, sleep
disorders, headaches/migraines, concen-
tration/memory problems and other persis-
tent symptoms. I for one am sick and tired
of being “sick and tired”. Seriously! I cry
just out of frustration and I know I am not
the only one.
Let’s work to find a definition, a place for
these syndromes, and eventually a cure!
This is going to require that we take some
c o n t i n u e d
caused by inflammation even worse.
This means that people facing ar-
thritis and other inflammatory dis-
eases should stay away from heat
therapy. But because fibromyalgia
pain is not caused by inflammation,
heat therapy is an ideal choice for
symptom relief.
Types of Heat Therapy
Heat therapy treatments are classi-
fied according to how deeply the
heat penetrates the body. Depending
upon your pain severity, one type of
therapy may be more beneficial than
the other. There are two major
types:
Superficial Heat Therapy: Super-
ficial heat therapy does not pene-
trate deep into your soft tissue. In-
stead, it provides heat to the skin
and just beneath the skin’s surface.
MAY 12TH
IS
sort of action. I know that with our limited
energy reserves that can be hard. But
even if we do just the smallest thing, it
will help, trust me. We don’t have to be
ashamed because we’re sick. We don’t
have to worry about what others will think
of us and about us. Although I am guilty
of doing such. I will tell you about it
sometime.
Below I have listed 5 small things you
can do to raise awareness or just make a
difference. Please try one and let me
know what comes of it. I purchased the
awareness pins, and my boys took them
and put them on their jackets. Even their
friends are wearing them. I was sur-
prised!
1) Tell someone about your illness. Talk
about it. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. I
for one feel like people are tired of hear-
ing me talk about it. I feel like it is a con-
stant sort of complaining. Done correctly,
it is advocacy! Just tell them what it’s like
to be you for a day and how this illness
has impacted you.
2) Join a support group. Either online or
in person.
2
f r o m p a g e 1
Hot packs and heating pads are
types of superficial heating.
Deep Heat Therapy: Deep heat
therapy penetrates well beneath the
skin, right into the core of your
muscles. Heat provided by ultra-
sound and whirlpool baths are forms
of deep heating.
Therapies to Try
If you are suffering from severe
pain or stiffness with your fi-
bromyalgia, give heat therapy a try.
Here are a few of the most effective
and popular techniques among fi-
bromyalgia patients. Remember to
consult with your health care pro-
vider before trying any type of treat-
ment for fibromyalgia.
Hot Packs
Hot packs are probably the most
popular form of heat therapy. They
are especially useful for relieving
muscle spasms and the soreness
caused by restless leg syndrome.
Hot packs and similar heat therapy
products are widely available, both
on the Internet and at your local
drugstore.(page 4)
www.nfra.net/awarebracelet
3) Educate yourself about your illness. I get
emails from people every day. Listen to your
body and give it what it needs. That is the dif-
ference between existence and survival with
this illness. You can survive even if you aren’t
cured.
4) Support one of the NonProfit Organizations.
Shoot me an email and I can hook you up with
one. Send them an email, donate, buy a prod-
uct, whatever you decide. Help these organiza-
tions stay afloat and remind them to keep lob-
bying Congress, local, state and national repre-
sentatives and the media on your behalf. If we
help them, they can do wonders for us and
others that will be diagnosed. We just need to
acknowledge the work of these individuals and
organizations and help them do it. Together we
can accomplish what seems impossible to do
alone.
5) Wear an Awareness bracelet, pin, or ribbon
– with pride. The National Fibromyalgia Re-
search Association has developed one for Fi-
bromyalgia. It’s available at http://www.nfra.net/
AwareBracelet.htm.
Remember, this is your health, your life, and
you CAN make a difference!!!
V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2 P a g e 3

Y o u r p e r s o n a l s t o r i e s / e x p e r i e n c e s

It is always nice to have people re-
spond to what it is we do.
I spend my days at home, on disability,
trying to live each day with a positive
outlook, even though I feel like crap
most the time. The one thing I did
promise myself was that I was going to
make something good come out of it.
So, here we are on our second issue
of our newsletter. Hey,...this is turning
out so much better than I had antici-
pated. The response to it has really
surprised me. I recently received this
email from someone wishing to re-
main anonymous:
Jodie:
I came across your page at
Scribd.com - I liked the newsletter.
I am a male who has been suffering
from fibro for over eight years. My
mother had it, but the pathology
remained undiagnosed ("phantom-
pain syndrome"). I have many hor-
ror stories associated with my con-
dition, however, I'll spare you the
gruesome details.
I just wanted to inform you that I
have been handling my own pain-
management and sleeping issues
via vigorous exercise (yes, I know
this sounds absurd!) and herbal sup-
plementation. I discontinued all
pharmaceuticals - and that is an
amazing accomplishment consider-
ing the excruciating pain that I en-
dured for many years.
I am a former athlete. I trained com-
petitively with weights for many
years, and with the onset (mid-life)
of this illness, I was forced to forgo
any and all anaerobic and aerobic
training. But, that has all changed in
the last four years, and now I am as
active as ever with my new "fibro"
program.
Well, keep up the good work, and
best wishes to you and all those who
are attempting to work through this
debilitating condition.
Best wishes…
I thanked this gentleman for his email
and he wanted to pass on the follow-
ing additional information:
“I want to pass the following info
along to you & others regarding
some sleep med alternatives. People
who are using Ambien or Amitrip-
tyline to induce a deep, restful sleep
might want to try a new herbal prod-
uct - Sleep MD - one can get it at
any Walgreens for about $15.00. It's
non-addictive.
The main problem with the other
two sleep agents is that they tend to
add exponentially to the
"fog" (those ever so bother-
some moments of cognitive impair-
ment), as these drugs tend to have a
1/2-life or side-effects - including
grogginess. Using these meds really
clouded things up for me the next
day, this in spite of the amount of
sleep I was able to obtain.”
As those of us who have FM know, the
med game is huge with this diagnosis.
We are treating symptom after symp-
tom. Each of us different and reacting
different. It is the responses and per-
sonal experiences of others that get
us through. When we feel we have
reached an end with something,
someone will come up with a
“fibrohug” for us. To my
reader...thanks for this “fibrohug” your
response was just what I needed. I
think I might just try this Sleep MD...Of
course I will check with my Doc
first...But who knows, it may work out
ok. The Ambien is making me (as my
son puts it) “fibro-f@#$ed”.
FIBRO-HUGS TO YOU ALL!!! THANKS
DEAR READER!!!

Loretta’s
Get in Touch
Article by Camile Noe Pagan, The Arthritis Foundation
Article Contributed by Loretta, Jodie’s Favorite Bodyworker!
Corner
Human touch can be just as and compromise the immune Make Massage a Must: People and meeting new friends is al-
important to health as diet and system.” When your natural killer with arthritis in their knees who ways fun.
exercise. cells are low, you’re more sus- underwent hour-long Swedish Just say “Spaaaaaa”: Your
When it comes to keeping ceptible to illness and flares. massages twice a week for four dollars will do double duty if you
your body and mind in tip-top Touch leads to positive neuro- weeks, and then once a week for book a treatment in which the
shape, you may be overlook- chemical changes, including a another four weeks, experienced technician makes the most of
ing one important factor: boost in serotonin – a brain improved flexibility and range of hands-on techniques (such as a
human touch. In fact, re- chemical that acts as a natural motion, as well as less pain, ac- neck massage during a facial
search suggests that physical antidepressant and painkiller. The cording to a new study from Yale mask application, or a hand and
contact may be as important catch? “You’ve got to incorporate University School of Medicine foot massage along with a mani-
to health as nutrition and touch into your life regularly if and Dentistry. You can get a cure/pedicure).
exercise, says Tiffany Field, you want to reap the benefits,” similar effect at home by having
PhD, director of the Touch says Field. Here are four simple your significant other massage So, with all this “touching” in
Research Institute at the Uni- ways to do just that: you. And yes, that feels good mind, it is time to take action. If
versity Of Miami School Of too…. you decided to have a facial,
Medicine. Hug someone. Yes, it really is Get Moving: Dance- particularly there are a couple places in town.
“Moderate touch- such as a that easy. Give a friend or family ballroom varieties, such as salsa – I do believe there is a dance class
handshake, a hug or a mas- member a squeeze, and you’ll is a great form of exercise that or two available at “Dance Hori-
sage – stimulates pressure both benefit: “You’ll be stimulat- involves touch. If you’re single or zons”. If you want a Hug, give
receptors in the body,” ex- ing your own pressure receptors, can’t persuade your spouse to Fibro Friends a call, they have
plains Field. “That, in turn, as well as theirs,” says Field. join you, not to worry: Most lots of fibrohugs available. For a
lowers levels of stress hor- Besides, it makes people feel classes have solo participants massage, give me, Loretta, a call.
mones such as cortisol, which good and feel happy. who need a partner. It can be fun, 359-9344. I will get you “in
can destroy natural killer cells touch”.
 Fibro Friends Forever has been created for
P A I N M A N A G E M E N T Fibromyalgia Awareness. Its mission is to
S U P P O R T
help those with fibromyalgia change, grow
and become stronger. Our goal is to make
PO Box 1082 fibromites and normal's alike aware of the
Porterville, CA 93258
issues that face those with fibromyalgia on a
Phone: 559-756-0894 daily basis. Education is the key to our
E-mail: fibrofriendsforever@yahoo.com
myspace URL: myspace.com/fibrofriendsforever
health. Along with informational services, we
provide email support group services. Soon
to include a monthly, interactive support
change, grow and become strong group meeting.

H e a t t h e r a p y :
Whirlpool Baths
Whirlpool baths are also very popu-
lar among fibromyalgia sufferers.
This is because they offer deep heat
penetration and help to relieve emo-
tional stress. If you don’t have one,
you could try contacting your local
spa or gym to see if you can use
theirs. I do believe that our local “In
Shape” has a Jacuzzi. Whirlpools
are particularly effective because
they circulate water all around the
affected muscle. This increases cir-
culation better than other forms of
heat therapy. Some whirlpools
also have jet massagers, which use
water to work out tense muscles.
Tanning Beds
Recently I have gone back to a
method of heat that I stumbled upon
one winter when I was feeling blue.
That was the use of the local tanning
facility. The combination of the
light and the heat makes my body
tolerate the pain better. I spoke with
Timmi at The Tannery, and she
mentioned that I am not the only one
that does this kind of therapy. “We
have a number of clientele that come
in for some kind of light or heat
therapy. The benefits of which in-
clude good blood circulation, better
bone health, good mood stabilizers,
and this type of therapy also helps in
the prevention of heart disease and
strokes. Who’d a thought???
I use the lowest wattage bed, so that
c o n t i n u e d
I can go for the longest amount of
time. I have started at 7 minutes of
warmth and am now at 20 minutes of
bliss….The Tannery would like to
welcome you to come in and experi-
ence indoor tanning (or heat therapy)
at its finest.
Other Methods
Hot packs and paraffin wax have been
other successful methods of heat ther-
apy. If you have any successful heat
therapies that you have tried shoot me
an email. I would love to know about
it.
Precautions
Although heat therapy can be helpful
in the treatment of fibromyalgia, there
are also precautions to follow.
Heat sensitivity in each person is dif-
ferent. Test your sensitivity first.
Check your skin after treatment for
any irritations. Heat therapy should
not be used for a lengthy period of
time which may result in tissue dam-
age, blisters or burns. Always check
with your doctor to make sure that this
type of therapy is ok for you.
In the next Alternative Care Article:
Acupressure & Acupuncture
f r o m p a g e 2
Q&A
Q - Are there alternative ways
to deal with the pain of Fi-
bromyalgia?
A - Most definitely! Over the
next few months, our main arti-
cle will discuss many different
ways in which to do so. Next
month: Acupressure & Acupunc-
ture.
Email your questions to:
fibrofriendsforever@yahoo.com
All material in this newsletter is provided for
information only and may not be construed
as medical advice or instruction. No action
or inaction should be taken based solely on
the contents of this newsletter. Instead
readers should consult their physician or
other qualified health professionals on any
matter relating to their health and well-
being. Readers who fail to consult with
appropriate health authorities assume the
risk of any injuries. The publisher is not
responsible for errors or omissions.