No fibromyalgia chiropractor in Norton Shores does not know the story of Lady Gaga. In the Netflix documentary entitled “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” singer-composer Lady Gaga opened up about her years of struggle living in pain. The multi-talented performer suffers from a painful ailment called fibromyalgia.

Her courage to be transparent about her personal health problems helped shed light on this disorder that afflicts millions worldwide. In the film, Lady Gaga shared that her bouts of pain were so terrible that, at one point, she had to cancel her concert tours. 

For other people, their difficulties in bearing this disease are not filmed and captured by documentaries, but definitely, their struggles are no less painful.

Fibromyalgia: Risk Factors and Possible Causes

But what exactly is this disease? Why does it cause so much pain and suffering? Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that makes a person experience excruciating musculoskeletal pain. Often this ailment also makes a person suffer from sleeplessness, fatigue, and episodes of cognitive difficulties.

Every fibromyalgia chiropractor in Norton Shores helps people understand more about this condition, which some merely attribute to being tired or anxious. In their talks and lectures, they often cite the following factors why some people acquire or develop this disease:

• Genetics

Based on many research findings, there is evidence to show that fibromyalgia has links to genetics. This means that it could run in families because some genes are passed from parent to child. It means that through heredity, the information or genetic codes that predispose the next generation to this disease are transferred.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and fibromyalgia, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

• Stress

When people are stressed, their immune system is compromised.  This leads to all sorts of emotional, mental, and physical health issues, which include fibromyalgia. In fact, people who are often under stress could also have chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Sleep Problems

People who have fibromyalgia find it hard to sleep because of their pain in various parts of their bodies.  Even when they do get to sleep, any interruption becomes a trigger that unleashes chronic pain. Long periods of sleeplessness results in more health problems, such as hormonal imbalance.

• Physical Trauma or Emotional Distress

Car collisions that cause physical trauma, as well as highly emotional events like a divorce or someone passing away, are also common triggers or factors for developing fibromyalgia.

• Sedentary Lifestyle

People who do not exercise, consume highly processed foods, and those who smoke and engage in many other vices are also at risk of developing fibromyalgia.  Based on research, obesity is also a major risk factor for this disease.

• Problems in the Central Nervous System

Some individuals suffer from problems in their central nervous system. When there is abnormality or interruption in how their brain processes neural impulses, they may experience pain suddenly or for extended periods. Since the pain signals reach the brain through the nerves, it can create discomfort in different parts of the body.    

• Central Sensitization

Some people experience the pain of this ailment because of their low threshold for pain.  According to central sensitization theory, an increase in nerve cells’ reactivity in the brain cavity and spinal column makes certain people more prone or sensitive to pain.

The Pain in Fibromyalgia

While some people are predisposed to this ailment, it can afflict just about anybody. Whether rich or poor, famous like Lady Gaga or anonymous like the next Joe or Jane, fibromyalgia can make anyone suffer.

On a more positive note, one way to better cope with this disease is to accept and understand the role of pain in human life. Pain is actually the body’s way of warning that an anomaly has occurred or an injury was sustained inside or outside the body.  It is the function of the central nervous system to feel these painful sensations. 

For example, an average person would immediately withdraw his hand after accidentally touching something very hot. This reaction to pain helps that person from being exposed too long and suffer a burn. 

However, people with fibromyalgia have an overly sensitive nervous system that seems to have its           “warning bells ringing all the time.”  When the central nervous system has a certain dysfunction, a person must seek out any means available to get pain relief.  As much as possible, the option to be considered must be safe and all-natural.

Fibromyalgia and Upper Cervical Chiropractic

Those needing help to deal with fibromyalgia symptoms can turn to a fibromyalgia chiropractor in Norton Shores.  Here at Zehr Chiropractic, we check the entire body of the person who experiences chronic pain.  We focus our inspection on the head and neck, looking for signs of misalignment.

When the C1 and C2 vertebra are out of position, nerves can become compressed or impinged. The nerve compression may lead to pain directly in the neck or “referred” in other parts of the body.

To begin helping a person in pain, we make gentle adjustments of the atlas (or C1 vertebra).  The upper cervical adjustments result in the normal flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Every fibromyalgia chiropractor in Norton Shores takes precautions to prevent an escalation of pain. We know exactly how to touch and move a person’s neck bones to the proper position and alignment.For more details on how to live pain-free the natural way, visit www.zehrchiropractic.com.

To schedule a complimentary Atlas Orthogonal consultation, call 231-780-9900 or just click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.