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The
FIXFibromyalgia
The Hidden Causes and Natural Cures
That Let You Finally Get Relief Starting Today!
COPYRIGHT © 2015 The Healthy Back Institute®
Information in this document is the property of The Healthy Back Institute®.
No part of this document can be stored in a retrieval system, reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photographic or mechanical),
recorded, translated, or used to produce derivative works, without written
permission from The Healthy Back Institute®.
All rights reserved.
First Edition Published and COPYRIGHT © 2015
Published by:
The Healthy Back Institute®
2407 S. Congress Ave, Ste E #100
Austin, Texas 78704
Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 5,000,0000 Americans at any given time according to the National Institutes of Health. That’s a conservative estimate. Most experience symptoms for years - even decades - without relief.
Worse, their doctors fail to offer any meaningful solutions. Or fail to recognize it altogether.
But this report isn’t about statistics and bad news. It’s about you. And if you’ll commit to reading this report and putting into practice the suggestions you’ll find inside, you’ll finally find hope for real recovery.
That’s because in these pages you’ll discover proven techniques and solutions beyond what most doctors offer their fibro patients... yet simpler, more natural and gentler on your body. And often, much more effective.
Before we dive in, let me ask you...
If fibromyalgia suddenly disappeared from your daily existence, or symptoms could be greatly lessened without the side effects of drugs like Lyrica, Cymbalta or Savella, what would YOU do first?
Would you dance? Get back to your garden? Walk the dog?
How about enjoying playtime with the kids... or having the desire and energy to be intimate with your spouse again?
Perhaps it would simply allow you to once again plan for a future without pain...
Regardless how long you’ve suffered... even if you’ve seemingly “tried it all” already... I assure you the solutions inside are based on sound science that have brought real results to real people just like you.
So as you read this report, I ask you to keep in mind your greater purpose. The one that looks beyond simply living pain free. And prepare to begin living life abundantly again. It’s now in your grasp.
Yours for a bright future,
Jesse Cannone CEO & Co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute® Publisher & Editor-In-Chief of Live Pain Free®
The Fibromyalgia Fix 1
Diagnosing FibromyalgiaWhen we recently surveyed readers with fibromyalgia, one said her doctor told her
“fibromyalgia is not a real disease.”
Her doctor was incorrect... and far from alone. Perhaps because education on pain
is surprisingly lacking in American medical schools.
Most doctors receive less than 12 hours of training in chronic pain disorders. In
fact, a 2011 review of 117 medical schools in the U.S. and Canada found only 4%
had a pain-specific required course. Five out of six didn’t even offer a pain-related
elective. And few doctors take the time to study pain in depth following med
school, either.
It’s no wonder if your doctor is one who remains unaware of the latest advances -
outside of drugs pushed by pharmaceutical reps or “asked for by name” thanks to
TV commercials.
Obviously, a lack of the latest prescription drugs didn’t cause your fibromyalgia.
They won’t cure it, either. And you certainly don’t need me to run down their long
list potential side effects for you if you’re smart enough to read this report in your
personal search for answers.
That’s the bad news. Now for the good news...
Tremendous advances in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of
fibromyalgia have been made in the past few years. Which means by simply
reading this report, you’re likely to know more than most doctors about this
condition.
Since your doctor may not have heard of much of this information before, you
may want to bring it with you during your next office visit. Everything mentioned
within is backed up with references at the end of this report.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 2
A Brief History of Fibromyalgia DiagnosisFibromyalgia has existed for centuries. Your great-grandmother with fibromyalgia
may have been diagnosed with rheumatism. Fibromyalgia has some similarities,
but rheumatism causes localized symptoms typically centered on one or more joints
while fibromyalgia causes widespread pain centered on tissues throughout the
body.
For much of the last century, fibromyalgia was commonly noted as fibrositis, or
“soft tissue rheumatism.” The root word “fibro” refers to muscle tissue while the
“-itis” suffix indicates an inflammatory condition.
In 1976, “-itis” was officially dropped due to growing recognition that the form
of inflammation present in arthritic diseases was different than that found
in fibromyalgia patients. The condition then became known as fibromyalgia
syndrome - a unique set of muscle pains and other symptoms used to classify the
disorder.
Recently, “syndrome” has also been dropped by many as scientific research has
now established fibromyalgia isn’t merely a common set of related symptoms.
Rather, it’s a unique disease state in its own right, called fibroymalgia, or FM for
short.
Today, FM can be clinically diagnosed using criteria defined by the American
College of Rheumatology and accurately confirmed with a simple blood test. Here
is how your doctor can make that determination.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 3
Is it Fibromyalgia?Just as our understanding of FM has evolved over the years, so has the process of
diagnosis.
The 1990 ACR Method
FM-specific diagnostic criteria was first defined by the American College of
Rheumatology in 1990. First, doctors had to rule out other causes of pain such as
rheumatic arthritis, systemic lupus or gout hypothyroidism. Then patients had to
meet two criteria:
1) History of widespread pain for at least
three months in all four quadrants of
your body (both above and below the
waist and on both sides of the body)
with pain also present in the axial
skeleton (pain in the cervical spine,
anterior chest, thoracic spine or lower
back).
2) During physical examination, pressure
placed on 18 designated tender points
cause pain in at least 11 sites.
If you’ve visited a doctor for FM, chances
are you’re familiar with this criteria already
because it remains the “industry standard”
diagnosis test for FM most doctors continue
to use.
The 2010 / 2011 Preliminary ACR Method
In 2010, a new method of diagnosing FM without requiring tender point
examination was created.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 4
Updated in 2011 to use exclusively patient-reported symptoms, the new diagnostic
criteria uses a simple questionnaire to measure how widespread and severe
the patient’s pain is, asks about core FM-related symptoms including fatigue,
sleep quality and congnitive issues, then finally a checklist of other common FM
symptoms.
Despite the author’s claims of a 93% accuracy rate in diagnosing FM, it still hasn’t
officially replaced the original 1990 method including tender point examination.
Some fibromyalgia specialists believe elimination of tender point considerations
altogether is a mistake as these painful pressure points remain important in any FM
diagnosis. On the other hand, many
primary care doctors rarely perform
the tender points test at all making
early accurate diagnosis unlikely
under the original criteria.
Now, an Objective Blood Test for FM
Due to the subjective nature of
patient questionnaires, lack of
physician training in tender point
examinations and persistent lack
of knowledge about new research
which has finally found objective
criteria to establish an FM diagnosis,
some doctors refuse to regard FM as
an actual disease or disorder.
That may finally change thanks to
new research out of the University
of Illinois in Chicago and at Cedars-
Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles
documented in BMC Clinical
Pathology.
Not FM or No Relief? Try This...
If your doctor used the 1990 ACR
criteria for your diagnosis or you’re
still not getting relief without drugs
after implementing the suggestions
in this report, ask your doctor to
also test for and rule out these other
possible causes of your symptoms:
● Endometriosis
● Low Vitamin D
● Food Allergies, especially
Candida
● Heavy Metal Toxicity
● Low Essential Amino Acids
● High Organic Acids
● Mineral Deficiencies
The Fibromyalgia Fix 5
In 2012, researchers documented how FM sufferers have an impaired immune
system unique to their condition. Specifically, FM patients’ peripheral blood
mononuclear cells - or the blood cells associated with immune function - produced
significantly less cytokines when stimulated than healthy control subjects whose
blood was tested.
Cytokines are commonly associated with pro-inflammatory processes in the
body. However, they’re also associated with both immune system function
and inflammation regulation, providing the mechanism to shut down chronic
inflammation.
Blood cells drawn from FM patients in the study failed to produce normal levels of
many of these cytokines. Further study in 2013 found the same test could separate
FM sufferers from those with Lupus or Rheumatic Arthritis.
These results give doctors and researchers new criteria to help determine an FM
diagnosis as well as new insights into the disease.
Using these findings, there’s now a clinical diagnostic blood test for fibromyalgia
called FM/a®. You can ask your doctor to order this test to help confirm a diagnosis
of FM as it is considered as much as 99% accurate - roughly equivalent to an AIDS
test. Visit www.thefmtest.com for more information on this test.
However, be aware the original 1990 ACR Method remains sufficient to diagnose
FM and the additional expense of the test may not be warranted in every case
(although many health insurance companies will cover the test).
Either way, the natural methods we’ll outline in the rest of this report can help not
only FM sufferers, but also those with chronic fatigue syndrome and other chronic
pain complaints. So a confirmed diagnosis may not even be necessary to start on
the road to recovery today!
The Fibromyalgia Fix 6
Press Out Fibromyalgia PainYou already know tender points are one of the key diagnostic hallmarks of FM.
What you may not know are many of these 18 potential tender points are
associated with known trigger point sites... tiny “muscle knots” which cause local
and referred pain.
While the jury is still out on whether these FM tender points are hyperactive
trigger points or merely caused by an over-reactive central nervous system, trigger
points are likely the primary cause of the pain you feel. And multiple studies show
virtually all chronic pain patients have trigger points... and they’re the primary
cause of pain in most cases.
While trigger points aren’t a “normal” condition, they are common in most
individuals and are one of the most common sources of pain - FM or otherwise. For
example, a trigger point in the shoulder area at the base of your neck may refer
pain up your neck, to the back of your head or above your eye.
Trigger points were described more than 1,000 years ago by renowned Chinese
physician Sun Ssu-Miao as “tender points not fixed in position or running along
acupuncture meridians but appearing on the body when it is stressed, diseased, or
injured.” Pressing on them would cause the patient to cry out “aah shi,” meaning
“ah yes” or “hurts good.” They continue to be called “aah shi” points in Eastern
medicine today.
Western medicine hasn’t taken notice of them nearly as long, but over 150 years
of medical literature has been published on trigger points, with Travell & Simons’
Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual providing the most
comprehensive treatment of the subject.
No ordinary doctor, Dr. Janet Travell was President Kennedy’s personal physician
from 1955 through his death in 1963. Her treatments of Kennedy’s pain-causing
The Fibromyalgia Fix 7
trigger points are largely credited with helping keep Kennedy in politics when
chronic back pain following back surgery threatened to sideline his political career.
Why Trigger Points Cause a Cascade of PainResearch shows many factors including a
compromised immune system, inflammation,
stress, allergies, nutritional deficiencies and
environmental toxins associated with the onset
of FM also can lead to trigger points. So can
trauma, overuse of the muscle or unnatural
muscle movement.
Whatever the initial cause, low ATP cellular
energy caused by failed circulation in the local
muscle tissue causes an energy crisis which
prevents muscle fibers from relaxing. The
muscle fibers then get stuck in a contracted, or shortened, state. They are sensitive
to pressure and often feel like a small ball of hardened tissue.
In the area of the muscle knot, nerve sensors called nociceptors in nearby muscle
tissue and fascia monitor your tissues for stress, damage or inflammation. When
they sense these signs of an injury or the threat of one, they begin to fire electrical
pain impulses to your brain. The abnormal state of trigger point tissue is perceived
as an injury, causing nociceptors to go on high alert and frequent (or non-stop)
pain until the trigger point is resolved.
Unlike other sensors, such as olfactory sensors used to smell, nociceptors never
adapt to continuous stimulus. If you walk into a room with a bad odor, eventually
you stop noticing it. However, nociceptors grow more sensitive the longer they are
stimulated. Which means the longer a trigger point goes uncorrected, the more
readily pain signals are fired - at the slightest stimulus or none at all - while the
pain continues to grow worse.
Weird!It sounds counterintuitive,
but it’s actually low
cellular energy in your
muscle fibers that cause
them to lock up in a
contracted muscle knot.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 8
Not only will the pain around the trigger point and the referred pain site increase,
the longer trigger points are active the more likely you will develop increased
pain sensitivity, a chronic pain memory, in your spinal cord and brain. Just like
unresolved trigger points can become increasingly sensitive over time, continual
pain increases your risk of hypersensitivity to pain throughout your nervous system
due to neural plasticity.
And then you have an entire cascade of pain growing from localized, to regional,
to pain throughout all areas of your body such as in FM.
Besides pain, the tightened muscle fibers in trigger points lead to stiffness and
restriction, eventually weakening the involved muscle. As the muscle weakens, your
body compensates by altering patterns of movement - which can lead to major
physical dysfunction and the creation of additional trigger points.
Trigger points can cause an entire host of other health ailments besides myofascial
pain, too:
● Dizziness
● Earaches
● Sinusitis
● Heartburn
● Numbness in
hands or feet
● Heart arrhythmia
● Restless leg
● Toothache
The Fastest Way to Relieve Trigger Point PainAddressing trigger points should be a primary focus for relieving the pain and
other symptoms of FM. The good news is the process is simple once you know how.
I won’t go into the full biochemistry of the trigger point creation, but again,
trigger points are basically formed by oxygen deprivation due to failed local
circulation.
This prevents mitochondria in your cells from producing and releasing the energy
molecule, ATP, required for your muscle fibers to move and release the tension.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 9
This energy crisis sets up a local cascade of biochemical reactions which lowers cell
pH and releases biochemicals which further inhibits oxygen delivery. Meanwhile,
nearby nociceptors send out their warning pain signals.
This process, called central sensitization, feeds into a cycle of other side effects that
together increase overall pain sensitivity and prolong other FM symptoms such as
poor sleep, emotional stress and concentration-busting brain fog.
Deactivating a trigger point in very simple terms means restoring proper circulation
to that area, which resupplies oxygen and increases energy to the “stuck” muscle
fiber cells. And the most effective, non-invasive way to do that is through direct
pressure or massage of the actual trigger point. About 90 seconds of direct
pressure to a trigger point may be all it needs to release.
Massage therapists, chiropractors or physical therapists who have been trained in
trigger point therapy can locate and press out these trigger points. However, it
may take weeks of daily visits to find and work through all of your trigger points as
some trigger points require multiple sessions to fully deactivate and others are only
discovered after the trigger points they created are deactivated.
If you know where to look, you can find trigger points on your own and press them
out using a tennis ball, a Theracane, or even your thumb in some spots. No office
visit or waiting required... only your commitment and persistence.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 10
Or you can use a comprehensive do-it-yourself alternative we call the Trigger
Point Self-Treatment System. The one we recommend (previously pictured) was
developed by a board-certified neurological chiropractor who studied Dr. Travell’s
work.
Using a simple board and peg system to use your own body weight to provide the
pressure needed to release any trigger point, the system includes a pictorial chart
to help you locate each of your trigger points and a DVD demonstrating how to
use the system to find and deactivate each trigger point you have.
For more information about the Trigger Point Self-Treatment System we
recommend visit losethebackpain.com/triggerpointselftreatment
Preventing Future Trigger Point PainKeeping trigger points from getting established again should involve more than
continually pressing them out. You’ll also want to eliminate the stressors that cause
increased sensitivity and pain to return.
Minimizing systemic inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, stress, and
environmental toxins while improving sleep quality and exercise all play vital roles
in managing or eliminating FM pain, in large part due to their influence in trigger
point hypersensitivity. But the same strategies can help FM and other chronic pain
on their own.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 11
Inflammation: Friend or Foe?Contrary to common misperception, inflammation really isn’t the “bad guy” for
your health. In fact, it plays a vital role in healing. The problem begins when
inflammation lingers.
The normal inflammatory response to an injury or infection looks like this:
1) Immediate increase of blood flow to damaged tissue (this is why an injured
area swells and feels warm to the touch). This rush of blood to the area begins
the repair process.
2) Within the first hour, white blood cells are recruited to help assist the healing
process, such as cleanup of cellular debris and removal of invading bacteria
and viruses.
3) Within 48 hours, inflammation should begin to recede as tissues are sealed
off with a fibrous mesh of protein-based tissue called fibrin and tissue repairs
begin. Some tissues like tendons and ligaments may take several weeks to heal
fully.
As new research points out, those with FM have an altered immune system which
interferes with the normal inflammatory and healing process. Low-grade, chronic
systemic inflammation which persists for months or years sets in, causing continued
pain and possibly further tissue damage.
Many FM sufferers take pain killers just to make it through the day, but this has
proven to be a risky proposition.
Prescription drugs and over-the-counter NSAIDs which interfere with the
inflammatory response greatly increase your risk of death. Even general NSAIDs
like over-the-counter ibuprofen are associated with well over 16,500 deaths per
year - and that figure was based only on arthritis patients using them for pain
relief.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 12
In order to prevent some of the deadly gastrointestinal side effects of general
NSAIDs, COX-2 enzyme-inhibiting drugs were introduced in the late 90s. But these
may be even deadlier, with drugs like Vioxx taken off the market after causing over
100,000 heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening complications.
A better approach is to provide your body the tools and environment it needs to
eliminate systemic inflammation without overriding your body’s basic immune
response to injuries and invaders.
Start by asking your doctor to run a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)
blood test. This is the same test your doctor may run to assess your risk of heart
disease.
C-reactive protein is produced by your liver in response to inflammation in your
body. This workup will give you a benchmark of the level of systemic inflammation
you’re dealing with. Healthy levels are below 1.0mg/L.
Periodically get this workup again as you make improvements to track your
progress at lowering inflammation in your body. Chances are as your C-reactive
protein numbers improve, so will your quality of life.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 13
Cleaning Up Your Body’s Internal Environment
When it comes to runaway systemic
inflammation, you may discover
you’re your own worst enemy.
Knowing the major contributors to it
will allow you to make the lifestyle
changes needed to continue your
recovery.
The foods you eat and environmental
toxins you allow yourself to be
exposed to on a daily basis contribute
greatly to continued inflammation. So
do your personal stress levels.
You may never be able to completely
eliminate these contributors, but
if you’ll follow the simple tips in
this section you can make dramatic
improvements with minimal effort.
Dietary DetoxDiet may play the largest role in
maintaining - or eliminating - chronic
systemic inflammation. That’s why
you’ll want to start here first when
preparing your body for recovery
from FM.
Foods to Avoid
Sugar, from any source
Processed foods
French Fries
Fast Foods
White bread
Pasta
Ice Cream
Cheddar Cheeses
Snack Foods
Oils such as vegetable and corn
Soda, caffeine and alcohol
Better Choices
Alaskan Salmon (wild)
Fresh whole fruits, vegetables
Bright multi-colored vegetables
Green tea
Water
Olive oil
Lean poultry
Nuts, legumes and seeds
Dark green leafy vegetables
Old fashioned oatmeal
Spices, especially Turmeric and Ginger
The Fibromyalgia Fix 14
First of all, cut back or eliminate as many highly inflammatory foods as possible
from your diet and replace them with healthier alternatives.
Besides making better food choices, the source of your foods should also be
considered. Avoid GMO foods and choose organic whenever possible.
Despite large food corporations’ claims to the contrary, genetically modified foods
carry many known health risks and can be pro-inflammatory. And toxic pesticide
residue found on much of the non-organic produce you’ll find at your local grocery
store poses a significant risk to your health and may cause an inflammatory response.
For an up-to-date list of the biggest offenders you should replace with organic
alternatives first, check the Environmental Working Group’s current Shopper’s
Guide at www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php.
Your drinking water is important, too. Consider investing in a high-quality water
filtration system. Look for a filtration system that will remove chlorine, fluoride
and other chemical contaminants from your water.
Environmental DetoxEvery day you’re exposed to external toxins through the air you breathe and
directly through your skin. You won’t be able to eliminate them all, but just
like you can improve your diet you can also improve the level of toxicity in your
environment.
Since the air you breathe likely contains inflammatory allergens and other particles,
use HEPA or ULPA air filters for your air conditioning and heating systems and
consider using an in-room HEPA or ULPA air filtration system in rooms you spend
the majority of your time in.
Obviously, if you smoke, quitting the habit will make a dramatic improvement in
the amount of toxins you breathe in on a daily basis, too.
Finally, clean up your cleaning and medicine cabinets by replacing toxic cleaners
and personal care products with less toxic, or green, equivalents.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 15
6 Pounds of Bacteria Between You and Pain Relief
Besides trigger points and a compromised immune system, researchers have
found yet another common thread among FM sufferers: dysbiosis, or a microbial
imbalance in the digestive tract.
This makes even more sense when you understand that your immune system is
directly linked to the flora in your intestinal tract - a medical discovery recognized
with a Nobel Prize over a century ago. And we’ve learned much more since...
Inside every healthy adult’s intestines resides six pounds of living, “good” bacteria.
Commonly called probiotics, they help maintain the health of your GI tract, fight
off bad microbes, support your immune system, absorb nutrients from your food
and much more.
These vital good bacteria can be killed off through use of antibiotics (one round
of prescription antibiotics can wipe them all out), silver (which has antibiotic
properties) whether as a colloidal silver supplement or general use of silver utensils,
or exposure to heavy metals and toxins such as mercury (including from amalgam
dental fillings).
Prolonged bouts of diarrhea can flush many of them out of your system. Excess
acidity in the intestines (not the stomach), excess dietary fiber, or protein
deficiencies can also harm your level of good gut bacteria. This leads to the
condition known as dysbiosis, when a shortage of good bacteria in your digestive
tract allows a buildup of bad bacteria, candida (yeast) and protozoa.
This causes increased permeability along the lining of the small intestine, allowing
your body to absorb bacterial debris, endotoxins and partially digested proteins.
Your body sees these particles as foreign invaders and stimulates an allergic
reaction and chronic inflammation.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 16
And guess what... there’s the link between your gut health and pain. Only most
are surprised to learn how significant this link is. Such as the similar gut flora
imbalance known as small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Using a lactulose breath test which measures hydrogen produced by SIBO in a
double blind study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found about 20% of
their control population had this imbalance. This compared to 84% of those with
irritable bowel syndrome testing positive.
But when it came to those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, every single person tested
positive for an abnormal hydrogen reading. More importantly, they discovered
a direct correlation between the amount of hydrogen measured and severity of
reported pain. It could also explain much of the common occurrence of irritable
bowel syndrome in those with FM.
Restoring healthy gut flora is a relatively simple two-step process.
Step 1: Reduce Bad BacteriaWhile antibiotics can kill off bad bacteria in your intestinal tract, the downside is
they tend to kill off both good and bad bacteria indiscriminately. Antibiotic use
may cause dysbiosis itself by wiping out good flora if care is not taken to restore
balance soon after. That’s why two steps are required.
Colloidal silver is a good alternative to prescription antibiotics for fighting bacterial
overgrowth as silver is a natural antibiotic. Another great alternative is oregano oil
which you can take in supplement capsules to help reset your gut bacteria.
Turmeric and ginger are two more herbs you should add to your daily regimen
to help fight pathogens in your gut. They also carry the added benefit of helping
fight inflammation.
Finally, eliminate the environment bad bacteria love to grow in by removing all
sugars from your diet. Bacteria feed on sugar so starve them out at least until
your gut health gets back in control... and then reintroduce any sugar slowly and
The Fibromyalgia Fix 17
carefully. Also consider removing all yeasted and fermented foods from your diet
during this step.
Step 2: Reintroduce Good BacteriaYou’re likely to find yogurt at your local grocery store touting included probiotics
on the label. Just don’t count on it to restore your gut health. The amount of
live probiotics left in the servings you eat aren’t likely to make a significant
improvement in your health alone.
Getting enough probiotics to help recover from FM requires a quality probiotics
supplement, meaning a wide spectrum of probiotic strains with a large number of
active probiotic cells. You’ll want to take no less than 6 billion live probiotic cells
daily but may need to take 30 billion or more a day to correct a major deficiency as
often associated with FM. You should feel the difference in weeks if not days.
Once FM symptoms have lessened, continue taking a “maintenance” dose of
probiotics on a daily basis at the low end of the range and consider taking more
anytime your immune system is challenged - especially after taking any antibiotics.
By restoring good gut flora, you’ll boost your immune system, lower inflammation
and improve digestion. As a side benefit you may also notice improvements in
conditions like asthma, eczema and allergies.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 18
The Enzyme Solution to FM Pain and Stiffness
Enzyme supplementation may be the
most important whole-body natural
treatment you can use to recover from
FM - and literally hundreds of other
diseases, disorders and pain conditions.
Enzymes are literally one of the most
important requirements for life,
ranking as high as oxygen and water.
Not only do they help digest your
food, they’re responsible for every
biochemical reaction in all 100 trillion
cells in your body. Without them, you’re
dead.
When young and in good health, our
bodies produce sufficient quantities
of these life sustaining enzymes. But
starting around puberty, our bodies
produce from 10% to 13% fewer
enzymes with each passing decade.
Researchers have pegged a noticeable
difference in enzyme activity in adults
by about age 27.
Yes, you can get enzymes in your diet.
The problem is most foods we consume
are devoid of active enzymes as they
Another Hidden Cause of Inflammation
Enzymes HelpCirculating Immune Complexes
(CICs) are another significant,
yet often overlooked, cause of
FM-related inflammation and
muscle pain. CICs are larger,
undigested proteins seen by your
body as an outside invader when
found outside your digestive
tract, triggering an inflammatory
immune response.
Normally, systemic proteolytic
enzymes in healthy individuals
break down these CICs so white
blood cells can discard them. But
individuals with compromised
immune systems, including those
with FM, don’t.
Continued...
The Fibromyalgia Fix 19
are destroyed by heat and processing.
And while raw foods include active
enzymes (they’re why your fresh
produce “goes bad” as they break
down the food), there aren’t nearly
enough enzymes in anyone’s diet for
therapeutic use.
That’s why for relief from FM pain
and stiffness, you’ll want to take both
digestive and systemic proteolytic
enzyme supplements.
Digestive EnzymesWe’ve already examined how your
immune system is tied to your
digestion. And many with FM have
concurrent digestive disorders. Taking
a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme
supplement with every meal will help
restore good digestion.
Many with FM have particular
difficulty digesting starches and fats.
Digestive enzyme supplements with
carbohydrases and lipases will help you
break these down to get maximum
nutritional benefit from the food you
eat.
Use digestive supplements which
include these types of enzymes
designed to work in a variety acidity,
or pH, ranges. This helps ensure the
Here’s what’s actually happening
when CICs run amok...
1) Larger proteins your body
cannot fully break down and
digest, like gluten, may pass
through the small intestine
walls (leaky gut) into your
bloodstream.
2) Your immune system responds
to these proteins (called
antigens) by binding them with
antibodies. Once bound, these
are called immune complexes.
3) These continue to circulate
(therefore, a Circulating
Immune Complex) in your
bloodstream and are deposited
in tissue if your body doesn’t
break them down.
4) Once attached to muscle tissue,
a self-sustaining inflammatory
cycle can begin as more CICs are
generated from the inflamed
site, leading to chronic pain and
possible tissue damage.
Hidden Cause Cont.
Continued...
The Fibromyalgia Fix 20
supplement will work regardless of the
current acidic state of your digestive
tract.
And, taking a good digestive enzyme
supplement with each meal along with
a daily probiotic supplement can help
eliminate irritable bowel syndrome,
leaky gut, constipation and other
common digestive maladies associated
with FM.
Systemic Proteolytic EnzymesIf taking a digestive enzyme
supplement is important for beating
FM, taking a systemic proteolytic
enzyme one is essential. You simply
cannot overestimate the importance
of systemic proteolytic enzymes in your
overall health - and recovery from FM.
Proteolytic enzymes, or proteases, help
break down proteins in your digestive
tract when taken with food. But these
same enzymes taken on an empty
stomach (at least a half hour before and an hour after eating) pass through the
lining of your small intestine into your bloodstream. This makes them “systemic,”
meaning they are available for special work throughout your body.
Let’s examine a few of the major benefits of taking a proteolytic enzyme
supplement for those with FM.
Digestive protease enzymes
break down proteins in your
digestive tract and systemic
proteolytic enzymes break down
CICs and enable white blood
cells to discard the debris. That’s
another reason both digestive
and systemic proteolytic enzyme
supplements should be used
together as a comprehensive
approach in treating FM.
Blood and tissue tests are
available to test for CICs.
However, the hs-CRP test which
measures C-reactive protein
inflammation markers may be
suitable enough to monitor
progress in lowering chronic
inflammation for most.
Hidden Cause Cont.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 21
Reduces Inflammation
Earlier we discussed the normal inflammatory response and how chronic
inflammation contributes to the pain of FM. Systemic proteolytic enzymes are key
to signaling your body to shut off the inflammation once repairs are complete.
However, when your body has insufficient quantities of systemic proteolytic
enzymes, the inflammation process can go on and on. In the meanwhile, excess
fibrin is laid down as your body doesn’t know to shut off the repair process,
leading to internal scar tissue build up. This fibrosis is a major contributor to long-
term pain, stiffness and lack of mobility.
When systemic proteolytic enzymes are low, even bumping your arm into a wall
may lead to chronic inflammation and long-term pain. Restoring adequate levels of
systemic proteolytic enzymes through supplementation helps your body shut down
painful, runaway inflammation.
Removes Tissue Fibrosis
Chronic inflammation - associated with FM and most other painful conditions -
leads to fibrosis, or excessive scarring, during injury repair.
During digestion, proteolytic enzymes break down proteins in your food. But when
they’re used by your body as metabolic enzymes after becoming systemic in your
bloodstream, they break down this excess scar tissue and plaques - such as those
lining your blood vessels - created at least in part by fibrin.
By eliminating excess fibrin throughout your body, much of the stiffness associated
with FM may be eased. You may even begin to experience improved range of
motion you haven’t enjoyed for years as the enzymes continue to break down
excess scar tissue.
Boosts Your Immune System - And Your Energy
Protease may be the most important enzyme associated with your immune system.
When traveling through your body as systemic proteolytic enzymes, protease works
hand in hand with your white blood cells to break down the proteins protecting
numerous pathogens including viruses and cancer cells.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 22
When you eat large meals, your body focuses on production of digestive enzymes,
your body feels more tired as it works to digest your food and your natural supply
of systemic proteolytic enzymes plummets. If you seem to constantly feel sick
or tired, cutting back your food intake and taking both digestive and systemic
proteolytic enzyme supplements can help both.
Again, because enzymes are catalysts for every biochemical reaction in your body,
ensuring your body has a sufficient supply through supplementation can boost
your energy, too.
Other Benefits
Systemic proteolytic enzymes offer numerous other health benefits as well,
including:
● Cleans blood and lymph systems of organic debris (which helps improve
oxygen and nutrient delivery to painful tissues and helps reduce swelling in
extremities)
● Dissolves blood clots and helps clear plaque from blood vessels (and teeth!)
which helps reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow
● Reduces excess scarring (even old scar tissue from surgeries or other injuries
may be helped)
● Decreases recovery time and pain from exercise and injuries while improving
wound healing
As you see, systemic proteolytic enzymes help relieve most major symptoms of FM
and help address some of the causes, too. They can be one of the most powerful
supplements you’ll ever take for relieving the pain and other symptoms of FM and
improving the quality of your health.
Is FM Really an Enzyme Deficiency?Research from a highly respected doctor suggests a deficiency of these protease
enzymes could actually be the root cause of fibromyalgia.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 23
Dr. Patrick B. Wood is the scientific director of The Fibromyalgia Association of
America. He has found that fibromyalgia patients have spinal cord changes, low
dopamine and lack iron.
But what does this have to do with protease enzymes?
Remember how I said proteolytic enzymes break down protein when taken with
food? They’re the enzymes your body uses to break down meats like steak, chicken
and fish in your diet into components your body can put to use.
Well, according to the National Institutes of Health, spinal cord degeneration is
caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is ONLY found attached to dietary
animal protein. Likewise, dopamine is “manufactured” in your body from an amino
acid found in high protein food. And iron is plentiful in meat too.
With this in mind, your fibromyalgia pain could simply be a result of poor protein
digestion due to a lack of protease enzymes.
Buyer BewareOne word of caution on enzyme supplements. Be aware that quality enzyme
supplements use measurements of enzyme activity such as FCCPU, HUT and USP.
Those using weight measurements such as mg may actually have low enzymatic
activity which is unhelpful - and a waste of your money.
We originally developed what we believe is the world’s most powerful systemic
proteolytic enzyme and natural anti-inflammatory supplement, Heal-n-Soothe®
to help those with back pain. However, it works just as well for all the other
conditions like FM which benefit from reduced inflammation and increased
systemic proteolytic enzymes.
If you’d like to give it a try you can request a free sample bottle at
losethebackpain.com/healnsoothefreetrial
The Fibromyalgia Fix 24
More Strategies for Taking Back Control of Your Life
By pressing out trigger points, detoxifying your body and reducing chronic
inflammation you will likely experience dramatic improvements in your health and
FM symptoms. Yet there’s still more you can do to recover faster.
Here you’ll find several of our best tips, both proven scientifically and confirmed by
our own readers in our recent survey of FM sufferers.
Heat TherapyIn our own survey of readers with FM we discovered cold increased pain in 74% of
respondents while heat relieved pain in 56%. By comparison heat increased pain in
only 39% and cold decreased pain in only 10%.
It stands to reason that heat therapy will help the majority of FM sufferers. Some
prefer wet heat such as a sauna or hot bath. When taking a hot bath, add epsom
salt to replenish magnesium to help relieve muscle aches.
Heating pads can also help, but for maximum penetration choose a far infrared
model which uses the same, safe far infrared heat wavelength as sunshine to
penetrate bone deep rather than standard heating pads which only warm your skin
surface.
If you find heat doesn’t help, you may be in the small minority of FM sufferers who
find a cold pack relieves pain.
We recommend the far infrared heating pads found at losethebackpain.com/
farinfraredheatingpad. The Small model also serves a dual purpose - you can place
it in the freezer then use it as an ice pack.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 25
ExerciseWhen you’re aching all over you may not want to get out of bed much less
exercise. However, even simple movement like walking on a regular basis can help
relieve pain and improve physical function.
One recent study reported in Arthritis Care & Research showed a direct correlation
between number of daily steps and improvement in pain and function in FM
patients. As little as 1,000 steps more each day led to significant improvements.
Interestingly, interleuken-6 (IL-6), which serves as both a pro-inflammatory cytokine
and an anti-inflammatory mytokine, is one of those found by the researchers
behind the FM/a® test at much lower levels in FM patients. But another recent
study found prolonged exercise causes your muscles to release more IL-6 where it
functions as an anti-inflammatory mytokine... which could explain why exercise
helps FM sufferers feel better.
Besides walking, one of the best exercises when you’re already in pain is simple
water movement. Swimming is alright, but simply moving around in water or
water play where your body gets the effect of gentle water resistance is sufficient.
But avoid cold water which can cause additional muscle tension. Heated swimming
pools or other warm bodies of water are best.
Improve Sleep PatternsInsomnia and waking feeling unrested are two common complaints of FM
sufferers. You’re probably aware of many of these good sleep tips published by the
National Institutes of Health for FM sufferers... but are you practicing them?
Keep regular sleep habits. Try to get to bed at the same time and get up at the
same time every day—even on weekends and vacations.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. If consumed
too close to bedtime, the caffeine in coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and some
medications can keep you from sleeping or sleeping soundly. Even though it can
make you feel sleepy, drinking alcohol around bedtime also can disturb sleep.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 26
Time your exercise. Regular daytime exercise can improve nighttime sleep. But
avoid exercising within 3 hours of bedtime, which actually can be stimulating,
keeping you awake.
Avoid daytime naps. Sleeping in the afternoon can interfere with nighttime sleep.
If you feel you cannot get by without a nap, set an alarm for 1 hour. When it goes
off, get up and start moving.
Reserve your bed for sleeping. Watching the late news, reading a suspense novel,
or working on your laptop in bed can stimulate you, making it hard to sleep.
Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
Avoid liquids and spicy meals before bed. Heartburn and late-night trips to the
bathroom are not conducive to good sleep.
Wind down before bed. Avoid working right up to bedtime. Do relaxing activities,
such as listening to soft music or taking a warm bath, that get you ready to sleep.
(A warm bath also may soothe aching muscles.)
If you still feel you need help getting restful sleep, a non-habit forming natural
sleep aid may be in order. Our Sleepzyme® supplement gives you 10 natural sleep
aids in each capsule without the groggy side effects of prescription drugs. You can
get a bottle to try at losethebackpain.com/free-sleep.
Laugh MoreYou probably know stress places an unnatural strain on your body. It leads to
chronic inflammation which in turn can lead to tissue damage. That’s why chronic
inflammation is associated not only with painful conditions like FM but also with
most mortal diseases such as heart disease.
But there’s more to the story. When under emotional stress, your muscles tense and
stress hormones are created. The nociceptors in your muscle tissue respond to these
stress indicators similar to direct injury and begin to fire pain signals.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 27
Eliminate stress and you could literally feel the difference right away. Perhaps the
easiest way we’ve found yet to de-stress - and relieve pain - is to simply laugh. A
lot.
This unusual method of improving health first came to the public spotlight when
Norman Cousins wrote about his experience using laughter along with vitamin C
and rest to heal himself from a severe connection tissue disorder - considered a
terminal disease by his doctors.
After as little as 10 minutes of hearty laughter while watching old Marx Brothers
movies and episodes of Candid Camera, Norman’s systemic inflammation
measurably dropped and he was able to get a couple hours of sound sleep.
Scientists now know laughter relaxes your body, relieves physical tension and stress,
and boosts your immune system. Laughing also triggers the release of endorphins,
your body’s natural pain-relieving feel-good medicine.
Sound Frequency TherapyYou may have to hear this to believe it. But I encourage you to check it out for
yourself.
It turns out some sound frequencies have healing characteristics... and several of us
here at the Healthy Back Institute® swear by it.
Recently introduced to the world by musician Michael Tyrrell, he has unearthed
and recorded several specific healing frequencies which are set with pleasant
listening music. Many, including some who were terminally ill, have experienced
significant healing simply by listening.
You really can’t describe the experience in words. So visit Michael’s website and
listen to the sample tracks for yourself on his page at www.wholetones.com.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 28
Is This All Too Much?After reading this report, you may think overcoming FM using natural methods
sounds like a lot of work. True, it’s more complex than popping a pill. It’s also far
more effective.
Masking symptoms with a pill is like covering up the warning signal on your car’s
dashboard. You may not see the warning anymore but the underlying trouble
remains... and you run the risk of a complete breakdown. Similarly, the effort to
control or overcome FM requires a greater investment of effort than masking
symptoms, but pays you back with a lifetime of better health.
Just remember, you don’t have to do everything at once to benefit. Try introducing
one new change per week. Small, consistent changes over time add up to major
improvements.
Ultimately, you must decide what your health is worth to you. You only have one
life to live. Make it the healthiest you can.
If you have any questions about any of the options discussed in this report, feel
free to call our office at 1-800-216-4908 (1-240-780-5977 outside the U.S.). We look
forward to helping you return to a vibrant, pain-free life.
The Fibromyalgia Fix 29
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