Fibromyalgia affects approximately 1 in 50 people, so in our country the total is about 6 million people suffering from this condition. It is manifested by chronic musculoskeletal pain and symptoms such as depression, brain fog, cognitive impairment, painful points within the body, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The root cause of fibromyalgia is still not determined. And because of that the conventional medicine prescribes drugs that only soothe the symptoms, but do not solve the actual problem.
However, functional medicine strives to underline the root cause of fibromyalgia, thus treating it in the right way and reversing the condition. A functional medicine physician specifies the main 10 root causes of fibromyalgia.
10 Root Causes of Fibromyalgia
- Thyroid
This disease affects many people, but many of them are not even aware that they have it, and 90% of them suffer from hypothyroidism. The function of the thyroid gland is commonly being measured by 6 different blood markers. However, when thyroid disorders are diagnosed the physicians commonly focus on the standard reference range than on the optimal range of thyroid levels. Getting the thyroid levels in the optimal range commonly alleviates fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and depression.
- Candida Overgrowth
Candida is the most present yeast in the body and a small amount of it also thrives in the intestines. It causes greater problems when it overgrows and breaks down the wall of the intestines thus entering the bloodstream. Once it is in the blood stream releases toxic mater within the system and causes symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and brain fog. Most patients suffering from fibromyalgia have experienced Candida overgrowth.
- Gluten Intolerance
Gluten is considered to be the “big masquerader” because it is linked to more than 55 diseases. The symptoms of this condition are commonly neurological issues, including behavioral issues, cognitive impairment, depression, pain, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.
- Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Leaky Gut
Bacteria outnumber the human cells in the body, so when the balance is disturbed due to antibiotics and diet high in sugar the body loses its ability to digest and absorb nutrients, specifically vitamin B12. Therefore, if you have a fibromyalgia diagnosis or any similar chronic disease, the gut is the first thing to be fixed, because if you do not do this you will enter the vicious cycle thus making your healing process difficult.
- Nutrient Deficiencies
Patients with fibromyalgia lack magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. According to many doctors enhancing magnesium levels can help in reversing the patient`s condition. Therefore, if you suffer from fibromyalgia, measure the red blood cell magnesium levels which can be done in any laboratory.
- Adrenal fatigue
Chronic stress, no matter if it is real or not, is the main cause of adrenal fatigue. Furthermore, the chronic pain stresses out the adrenal glands, even though in many cases it is not the initial adrenal stressor. The most common adrenal stressors are Candida, vitamin deficiencies, food intolerances, and mercury toxicity. It is advised to support the adrenals with adaptogenic herbs till science finds out the root cause and as well as the method to efficiently treat it.
- Mercury Toxicity
Mercury is extremely toxic for our bodies and it is believed to be the potential cause of fibromyalgia and other chronic diseases such as neurological disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and even cancer. For that reason, many doctors advise their patients to remove their mercury amalgam fillings and look for a biological dentist.
- Mycotoxins
Toxic mold produces mycotoxins, and approximately 25% of the population carries the gene that makes one prone to the detrimental effects of mycotoxins. These toxic compounds need to be tested, but the conventional environmental mold testing tests only the levels of mold spores.
- MTHFR Mutations
Methylation is an important metabolic process which requires the presence of the enzyme MTHFR. When this process goes on, both folate and folic acid are changed into active forms in order for the body to use them.
The mutation of MTHFR makes the body less immune to methylate and impedes the detoxification of toxins such as lead and mercury. So, if there are more mutations to this gene, the higher are the requirements for folinic acid, methyl-B6 and methyl-B12 so that the detoxification process is kept running normally.
- Glutathione Shortage
Glutathione is a vital antioxidant that takes a crucial role in the detoxification process of the body. It is successfully recycled in the body, but this process is hampered if the toxic matter exceeds the normal amounts or if the body is short of enzymes needed for the production and recycle of glutathione. It has been discovered that taking glutathione or the precursors such as mill thistle and NAC help in the treatment of fatigue.
