Fibromyalgia, also known as fibrositis, is a pain syndrome that affects your bones and muscles. It is a long term, chronic condition. You will feel fatigued and have sleep, cognitive, and memory issues. The pain and tenderness might spread around the body. It is quite irregular as it will come and go.

There is no complete cure for this. However, medications will help you in controlling the pain. However, Ayurvedic treatment for Fibromyalgia can give you great benefits. 

Fibromyalgia is one of the most chronic pain conditions. It affects about 4-6% of the total world population. While more than 80% of the cases are with women, men are also affected by this. You are more prone to get it during your middle age.

Many people who have this disorder tend to have depression, headaches, IBS, anxiety, and TMJ disorder.

We do not know what exactly causes fibromyalgia. The way your brain and spinal cord process pain sensations is different when you have fibromyalgia. There is an abnormal increase in the levels of chemicals in the brain that identify and signal pain. 

Your brain's pain receptors also start to become more sensitive towards the pain. Your nerves start to overreact to pain signals. All of this makes you feel the pain more. 

Fibromyalgia causes the pain from any given source to be much more intense and amplified. For example, you will find massages to be more painful than being pleasant if you have this disorder. 

Studies have shown that there are a variety of factors working together that may result in fibromyalgia.

These include:

Family history - It often runs in families. You would be at a higher risk if your family members had Fibromyalgia

Gender - Women are more than four times at risk than men

Infections - Flu, lung, and stomach infections can be a trigger 

Trauma - People who go through physical or emotional trauma are more prone to developing this disorder

Stress - Stress has been linked to sudden hormonal changes. These could trigger Fibromyalgia

Inactive lifestyle - If you are some who rarely exercise, you are more prone to develop this condition. 

Fibromyalgia can sometimes feel similar to osteoarthritis and tendinitis. But instead of hurting in a specific area, the pain occurs throughout your body. Some of the main symptoms include:

Chronic pain all over the body

Sleep problems 

Stomach pain and bloating 

Nausea

Dizziness 

Breathing problems

Vision problems

Jaw pain and stiffness 

Headaches 

Sensitivity to cold, heat and sound 

Numbness in your feet, hands, arms, and legs

Draining fatigue 

Trouble focusing and concentrating on simple tasks 

There are no lab tests or scans that can detect fibromyalgia. Your doctor will ask for some blood tests to rule out other disorders that have similar symptoms. These tests include:

Thyroid function tests

Blood count 

ESR and CCP tests 

Rheumatoid factor

  

Ayurveda is an old medical system in India with a history of more than 5000 years. It is very popular in India and has treatments for almost all diseases. The ancient texts of Ayurveda refer to a condition 'Mamsavrut Vata', which is similar to Fibromyalgia. 

Ayurveda considers that all of us have three doshas or energy forces within us. These are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Your health depends on the balance of these three doshas. Whenever there is an imbalance, you will feel sick. 

Fibromyalgia is a Vata disorder, which means that it is mainly due to the Vata dosha imbalance in your system. Vata, which has air and ether elements, deals with the circulation in the body. Age, improper food habits, lack of movement can all cause Vata to go wrong. 

Ayurveda views digestion to be the main cause of all illness. When your digestion is not proper, the food that you get does not get converted to nutrients that the body needs. Instead, it gets converted to toxins or 'Ama' in Ayurveda. 

These toxins block the channels affecting the circulation, thus causing Vata disturbance. It affects the central nervous system in your body. You will start being sensitive to even minor pains due to this. 

The disturbed Vata weakens the tissues as well. These will not get enough nourishment without circulation. It thus impacts the other two doshas Pitta and Kapha. So while Fibromyalgia is mainly a Vata disorder, on a longer run the other two doshas are also affected.

As the main causes are Vata disturbance and the formation of Ama (toxins), the focus of treatment is to correct these. It will also address the weak digestion, lack of nourishment, and stress issues. 

'Snehana' and 'Swedana' therapies form the first part of the treatment. Snehana is the application of medicated hot oil massage over your body. Swedana makes you sweat using medicated steam baths. After these therapies, there will be detox programs like medicated enemas, laxatives etc. to help in removing the toxins, clearing the channels, and thus enhancing the circulation. They also rejuvenate the central nervous system. 

Yoga and meditation are also part of the program as they help in reducing your stress. 

You will need to stay in the hospital for 21-28 days for the treatment.  Your doctor will provide tips to change your diet and lifestyle. There will be some foods that you may need to avoid. There will also be some which you may need to add to your diet. Some general tips that will be of help are listed below.

Drink plenty of water. Warm water would be ideal.

Have meals at regular intervals. You should never have too much or too little gap between the meals.

Do some physical activities. Yoga and meditation can be of great help.

As of now, there is no cure for this disorder. So the main goal of treatment is to help relieve the pain and reduce symptoms. Your doctor may give medicines to relieve your pain and help you sleep better. Antidepressants will help ease the pain and fatigue involved with Fibromyalgia. 

Therapy is also another part of the treatment process. Physical therapy will help you improve your strength and flexibility. The exercises will help you lead a healthy lifestyle. 

Your diet is also an important part of the treatment process. You must eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. You should reduce eating meat during this period. Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated. Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet will help reduce the pain and symptoms. 

There are a lot of complications that come with fibromyalgia, If not treated properly. 

These include

Depression, anxiety 

Abdominal pain and conditions like IBS

Dry eyes 

Chest wall pain

Dry mouth 

Heart palpitations

Weight gain 

Allergies