fibromyalgia.....techniques to relieve ?

[deteragram]

I have a client who has fibromyalgia and she suffers not only pain but sleepless nights, and fatigue. We have tried massage but that tends to just hurt too much. Also we have tried aromatherapy with a little success. Has anyone had a client with this problem before and what did you do to help them?
Thanks so much

 

[Lil Dude Eats Tinkerbell]

I am not sure these links will give you much for your specific question, but here are a few links in this forum:

• 
  >fibromyalgia massage
  
  >FIBROMYALGIA
  
  >Fibromyalgia

 

[Steve Rogers]

I have several clients with fibromyaliga and they seem to respond well with a combination of Myofascial release and CST.

 

[Harry P]

fibromyalgia.....techniques to relieve ?

I have a client who has fibromyalgia and she suffers not only pain but sleepless nights, and fatigue. We have tried massage but that tends to just hurt too much. Also we have tried aromatherapy with a little success. Has anyone had a client with this problem before and what did you do to help them?
Thanks so much

I have a few of my Fibro clients that start out with this sensitivity. Sometimes it has been linked to something emotional going on that they have had to deal with other times it was just from the lack of sleep. Just a part of the disease.

Some clients take medications for the Fibro, others go the more holistic route. Here are some links for those that I have heard of and know that my clients like.
Elavil
Fibro-X
Threelac

 

[ukfan14]

Thanks Masthera,Lovely_day, and Texas-gal. Each one of your responses helped me greatly!! Thank you again!!
at1withu

 

[Lenneth]

I gave my FMS client some aromatherapy oils to use in the tub before bed...thinking that the warmness of the tub and the oils steaming into her nose would help her to sleep, guess what, it worked. Sure, sure, it took her 10 months to get around to using it...

Swedish/Eselen massage or some MFR will help, the stretching part of the MFR, I think. The great thing about FMS is that it affects each person differently, thus we treat them differently. think "mass customization" of sorts.
Good Luck! mick

 

[edrazeba]

Mick I'd be interested in hearing what oils you felt would be helpful... was it a blend you made or bought?
Any special essential oils you felt were particularly effective?

 

[hownwhy]

I have quite a few Fibro clients (my shorthand, not a real term). When someone has a flare up, I always remind them about dry brushing (lymphatic brushing) and epsom salt baths. As mentioned so many times before, the brushing is gentle (so not uncomfortable), and always towards the heart (if they are very body aware, I use terminology like in the direction of the various concentrations of lymph nodes). Daily dry brushing helps many of them get through their flare ups & the epsom salt soaks is great for the connective tissue pain they suffer. Remind them that the water should be as hot as comfortably tolerable. No soaps or oils, as they occlude the pores & lessen the absorption of magnesium, etc. If they want to soak for the first 15 minutes, then drain the tub & add an oil blend such as Mick suggested to new water, that could be wonderful! Two big handfuls of salt in the tub is close enough for jazz.

I use my cupping massage techniques on adhesions for anyone that is in pain & cannot tolerate the deep thumb pressure of trigger point work. Since it lifts the connective tissue & hydrates those areas by displacing the blood, it is a great adjunct to any connective tissue disfunction work.

Heat is always soothing too.

Lastly, I try like all get out to encourage them to see me as regularly as poss. The cumulative effects are beautifully illustrated with work on those that suffer conditions like this.

Good luck.

Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[medsec]

Actually Mick I have all those oils except for bergamot already... so I think I'm make some up for a friend who has Fibromyalgia and see if it helps her. I'll also mention the epsom salt baths again too Jill. Hopefully that'll help her as she's going through a move this week and I'm sure it'll be hard on her!

 

[Faith S]

at1withu,

Might it be that Your client has another condition along with fibromyalgia that causes pain to them in the receiving of massage. I hope not for the sake of Your client's sake...But something to think on.....maybe mention them to possibly see when they last saw their primary care physcian.

my2cents

Sincerely,
CaringHandsMss

 

[blinky42]

Since this just got bumped & renewed interest: My same fibro clients are realllly enjoying the Wullstone work with the cupping & MFR techniques.
jill/sagetherapist

 

[Vicki <3 my little chubba]

Having fibro myself I have tried the following to help with the sleeplessness -

strong chamomille tea [NO sugar]
warm bath w/ lavender oil
Hyland's Insomnia Remedy [homeopathic]
Stroking head, arms, chest downward before going to bed
Placing a hand on top of my head when I lay in bed to quiet my brain

VERY CAREFULLY MONITORING DIET AND BEVERAGES

Emotional holding patterns play a part in all of this too............

fwiw

J

 

[Jennifer A]

Fibromyalgia?

The first thing I tell my clients is that it does not exist. It's a word for unexplainable pain. So, do a very thorough background (especially the year or two leading up to the diagnosis), and get them on an exescise routine. See an exercise physiologist. Epsom salts, in very hot water and soak there feet in it. Yoga. But get that word out of their vocabulary. And remember that you just massage and are not the key. They have to figure out what works.

 

[sanjana]

Fibromyalgia?

The first thing I tell my clients is that it does not exist. It's a word for unexplainable pain. So, do a very thorough background (especially the year or two leading up to the diagnosis), and get them on an exescise routine. See an exercise physiologist. Epsom salts, in very hot water and soak there feet in it. Yoga. But get that word out of their vocabulary. And remember that you just massage and are not the key. They have to figure out what works.

You might want to be very careful with this approach! I don't know where you live or what the laws are, but professionalism means not stepping across boundaries or scope of practice. Diagnoses are not ours to give or take away, regardless of our belief about conditions.

There is a LOT of evidence that FMS *does* exist. To say that to a client would discount their pain. Why go back to a professional who does not believe they have the symptoms that they DO have? I sure wouldn't.

I do agree that diet, exercise, yoga and hot baths w/epsom salts can be great helps in dealing with fibro.

 

[Bob White]

There are some new research studies that have shown some changes in physiology, proteins in blood, and nervous system differences in segments of people with FMS. This suggests that it does indeed "exist."

Personally, I would be very upset if I went to a MT for FMS related pain and he told me it "didn't exist" and to "get that word out of my vocabulary."

People with chronic pain often have moments when they think they may be going crazy and are making it up, because why won't it go away? These individuals can develop some pretty heavy emotional issues surrounding being told (or thinking) that it's all in their head. Sometimes having a person believe that they are in pain, and that there is a reason for it, is a huge part of the effectiveness of the therapy.

I can see that bearmassage, you don't disbelieve that they are in pain, but if you question the diagnosis, it could easily be taken as dismissive.

 

[Syndicate]

Thank you bearmassage for deciding that the condition my physician diagnosed for me over 20 years ago is nonexistent! Had I not read your post, I would not have learned that the swelling, the unremitting discomfort behind my shoulder blades, the sleeplessness, the drug sensitivities were all in my mind.........

Just had to put my sarcasm out there in response to your presumption.....

If this offends others, my apologies....

 

[Vegas Jimmy]

fibromyalgia

it is hardly a diagnosis. I come from Ohio and we are licensed by the state medical board. Read my reply again with an open mind. When someone is told they have Fibro they stop there. Bad move, go to another doctor, then another until you find out what caused your condition. Doctors are known for labeling people and sending them along. Surgery, pills... I have a very good rep in my field and take what I do seriously. I have'nt been wrong yet. I am not just an LMT either. Not all Doctors deserve to be Md's either, keep that in mind. One last question, what has your Doctor done for you, apparently not that much.
Good Luck to you, see another doc.

 

[Yacajoo]

fibro fibs

By the way Anastasia, true fibro travels to different parts of your body a few times a week. Not like what you have. Drug sensitivity? Diagnosed 20 yrs ago and the same symptons. Your doc is making a lot of money off of you. Too many people use it as a crutch in life and drop out of life. All I do is bring them back. Why is that a bad thing? And a lot of it is in your mind, so use your mind to rid your body of the pain not to hold on to it.

 

[HandsAbove]

The pain between my shoulder blades is my chief fibro complaint. The drug sensititivties are real, are related to the fibro and the doctor who diagnosed my condition was the 15th person to see me and the first to take me seriously. I do know what does well for me because I have spent a considerable amount of time, money, research and just plain old trial and error in finding out what will and won't work for me. Today, when I checked in w/ my body to determine how it really feels, the pain level was only a 4... I'm loving that! Yesterday, it ranked right up there at a 9.... my R ankle and foot were swollen beyond recognition, my neck ached like hell wouldn't have it, and just for kicks, my hands decided to manifest a lot of cramping while I was vacuuming the rugs. But, you're probably right, it's just some manifestation of my mind and not a true medical condition.... and I'm going to be elected governor tomorrow morning! LOL

Try reading Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome - A Survival Guide by Starlanyl and Copeland. The first author is an MD the second a pyschologist. BOTH authors suffer both conditions and offer the book as anecdotal evidence and advice for those individuals with these conditions. It's a helpful place for those of us with either condition to start with regaining our lives and our sense of usefulness. The hints on handling the cycles of depression alone were well worth the price of the book. And, there are references to other research and literature that supports their anecdotal materials. Just FYI.

And, bearmassage, if I had really dropped out of life, I wouldn't be enjoying my world so much, in spite of the interesting challenges my body provides for me. Again, I want to thank you for deciding for me that what I have isn't what it is. And as for your professional credentials and reputation, I am glad that you enjoy them as much as I enjoy mine. For ten wonderful years I have thoroughly enjoyed being one of the best LMTs in my county in Ohio. The fibro clients I have in my practice appreciate the fact that I personally understand what is going on with their bodies, accept it as a fact and meet them where they are at the particular moment in time they are in my office. When they inquire about things that will aid their everyday activities I am able to share with them exercises that have worked for me, and those that didn't - they might work for them. I am able to vary their massages to suit their particular needs that day. I can tell them that for me things like eating corn, white potatoes, white bread, and taking meds with certain ingredients set me off in a flare-up of enormous proportions while eating brown rice and roasted root veggies seems to take things down to unbelievably comfortably levels. I even try to help them learn the wonderful pain control methods of biofeed back as best I can. When I stated earlier that I checked in w/ my body, I meant just that. I have trained my body to keep the pain notifications down to a dull roar so that I can function w/o bitching about it every second..... the chronic stuff between my shoulders is always there [some days more, other days less] reminding me to drop my shoulder blades off my ears if I want relief and to let go of the daily stresses and old emotional crud that I tend to keep. The swelling of my ankles and feet is harder to tune out, but, with effort I can and do on a regular basis because life is too short and way to sweet to sit on my butt bellyaching because I have fibro. I encourage my clients to do the same and for the most part, many of them have learned to take charge of their care and get on with living and have decreased their dependency on "outside influences" as one of the termed it to take care of them physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.

One final word about the chronic pain in the shoulder blades - caused by an old injury from training harness horses. Many cases of fibro are initiated by injuries to certain areas of the body - according to the dear doctor who gave me the diagnosis and believed I wasn't crazy when I said, "Today I hurt here, yesterday, it hurt worse over here, ....." - and according to research studies and other anecdotal evidence. And, personally, I could care less if you believe what I, or anyone else has is fibromyalgia. That's not for you to decide for me, your clients, or anyone else in the world whether you are an LMT alone, or with whatever other credentials you hold.

Good luck with your career.
J

 

[Fenny]

Anastasia, I have that book. It was one of my first purchases after graduating MT school. I had a dear friend who died at age 25, the year previous to my starting MT school and her mother was diagnosed with FMS then. Her father was later diagnosed with it too. It's always been a subject of interest to me as I have several dear friends and a couple relatives who have been diagnosed with it.