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FIGURING OUT FIBROMYALGIA

My sister has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She was wondering if there were any herbs or supplements she could take. She is on the drugs baclofen (20 mg) and clonazepam (1 mg). Could you please tell me more about fibromyalgia and what might help her?
D.G.
Raeford, North Carolina

Keville responds: Holistic practitioners always want to treat the cause of a condition, yet no one knows exactly what causes fibromyalgia or, for that matter, how to cure it. Fortunately, your sister can do several things to ease her symptoms.

Compounds derived from two Ayurvedic herbs reduce inflammation: curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) and boswellia from Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata). Both are available as capsules and tinctures, either individually or in formulas. Follow the dosage directions on the bottle.

Heat brings relief to most fibromyalgia sufferers. Toss 1/4 cup Epsom salts with five drops of lavender essential oil into a hot bath. Lavender is an anti-inflammatory that soothes the mind as well as the body.

Recommending natural remedies for someone who’s taking prescription drugs is tricky. If your sister has her doctor’s blessing, she can try switching from the sedative drugs to herbal muscle relaxants, such as chamomile (Matricaria recutita), skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). She will need professional guidance if she chooses to take the drugs and herbs together.

Sedative herbs won’t offer much direct pain relief, but they will ease the tension that contributes to pain and will help improve the balance of pain-related substances in the brain. If your sister is one of the many people with fibromyalgia who suffer from insomnia, she will sleep better, too. Sedative and anti-inflammatory herbs are good to use before bed, but she should also use small amounts during the day to fend off stiffness and pain.

The symptoms of pain and insomnia point to possible underlying nervous system and adrenal gland problems. Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) and nettles (Urtica dioica) are tonics for these systems. St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is thought to repair an injured nervous system and also will help if she tends to get depressed — another possible symptom of fibromyalgia.

People with fibromyalgia should avoid caffeine. They also tend to have low levels of magnesium and find it helpful to eat dark green, leafy vegetables and to take daily doses of 300 to 600 mg of magnesium malate, a very absorbable form.

Khalsa responds: Fibromyalgia is one disorder where every day will be an adventure. There are so many chemical, physiological, psychological and environmental factors that symptoms can wax and wane wildly, and progress back toward health will be quite variable. But progress can, and does, happen. With a well-organized plan, unswerving discipline and consistent follow through, this disorder can be managed, and in the best outcomes, become a thing of the past.

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