Favorite Massager: Medirub Massager

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

If you are looking for a great massager - look no further!  The Medi-rub Massager® has been my favorite massage therapy device for over ten years.

My Dad is an Ironman Triathalete and purchased one ten years ago; it’s still going strong. I found myself always dropping by or driving  out specifically to use it, and one day it dawned on me to just purchase my own.

If you are in chronic pain, have fibromyalgia, diabetes, or are a “Weekend Warrior” like me, thinking you can ride some gnarly single track on your mountain bike, you will definitely fall in love with the Medirub Massager too.

The massager is SO powerful you can feel your skin itching within minutes….a great sign that you have increased circulation as red blood cells are forced towards the surface of the skin.

I do a lot of hands on body work with my patients and I find that by recommending the very powerful Medi-rub® massager between appointments addressing chronic back pain, fibromyalgia, and so forth, it drastically reduces the need for office visits. If you have a Medical Assistant you can always have them rub your patients down while they are waiting to see you.

Now of course I want to recommend my way out of a job with this massager and head straight to the Bahamas!

Another benefit that I was excited to find when I talked with Becky at Medirub was that a top Beverly Hills massage therapist uses this massager for treating cellulite! Do you hear that ladies? If you can’t do the Diet and Exercise like fitness trainer Bonnie Pfiester recommends, you can at least rub your full body down with this thing. Increasing circulation to areas with cellulite is one of the best ways to reduce cellulite.

That is really why most massage creams for cellulite work so well. It is likely the daily massaging of the area, and not the actual crème which, we will discuss in a future article. I will be writing a longer article on the cellulite protocol she uses along with the massager for her high end clients so that you can repeat it in your own home!

Uses for the Medi-rub® Massager:

• Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

• Upper Neck Pain

• Back Pain

• Low Back Pain

• Fibromyalgia

• Cellulite

So stop by Medi-Rub® to check out my new (well - not so new, but VERY loved for the past ten years…) favorite thing this week!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen table!

~Dr. Nicole

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™
Are Your Vitamins Safe? Read This Free Report
Whole Food Pops 2 for 1 Special

Fibromyalgia: Latest Research News

By Dr. Jim Tabios, PhD

Fibromyalgia is a widely misunderstood and sometimes misdiagnosed chronic condition, commonly characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, concentration issues, and sleep problems.

According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, it affects an estimated 10 million people, mainly women, in the United States alone.

The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from one person to the next and may fluctuate even in a single individual, depending on such factors as time of day or the weather.

Because it is a chronic condition, in most cases, fibromyalgia symptoms never disappear entirely. The good news is that fibromyalgia isn’t progressive or life-threatening, and treatments can help alleviate many symptoms.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

The symptoms of fibromyalgia and their severity vary widely, although pain and fatigue are nearly always present. Major symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Pain. Some fibromyalgia patients report discomfort in one or more specific areas of their body, while others may experience overall pain in their muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

• Certain areas, such as the back of the head, upper back and neck, elbows, hips, and knees may be particularly sensitive and are described clinically as tender points. The degree and type of pain can range from aching, tenderness, and throbbing to sharper shooting and stabbing sensations. Intense burning, numbness, and tingling may also be present.

• Fatigue. If you’ve ever been knocked off your feet by a bad case of the flu, you have a general idea of how tired some people with fibromyalgia can feel. Though some fibromyalgia patients experience only mild fatigue, many report feeling completely drained of energy, both physically and mentally, to the point that exhaustion interferes with all daily activities.

• Memory problems. Difficulty concentrating and remembering are common cognitive symptoms in people with fibromyalgia.

• Sleep disturbances. Research has shown that the deepest stages of sleep in patients with fibromyalgia are constantly interrupted by bursts of brain activity, causing feelings of exhaustion even after a seemingly good night’s rest. Other problems such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome are also common among fibromyalgia sufferers.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Symptoms of IBS, including diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating, are present in many people with fibromyalgia.

Other common symptoms:

• Headaches, migraines, and facial pain
• Depression, anxiety, or mood changes
• Painful menstrual periods
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth, eyes, and skin
• Heightened sensitivity to noise, odors, bright lights, and touch

Fibromyalgia Symptom Triggers

The following factors can worsen the symptoms of fibromyalgia:

• Changes in weather (too cold or too humid)
• Too much or too little exercise
• Too much or too little rest
• Stress and anxiety
• Depression
• Some patients also report that pain and stiffness are worse in the morning.

Causes of Fibromyalgia

While the exact cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery, doctors do know that patients with the disorder experience an increased sensation of pain due to a glitch in the central nervous system’s processing of pain information.

Studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia also have certain physiological abnormalities, such as elevated levels of a chemical in the spinal cord that helps transmit pain signals (thus amplifying, or “turning up,” the signals in the brain’s pain-processing areas).

In some cases, an injury or trauma, especially to the spinal region, or a bacterial or viral illness, may precede a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, which has caused researchers to speculate that these infections may be triggers as well.

Fibromyalgia Risk Factors

A number of factors can increase the odds that you may develop fibromyalgia. These include:

• Gender. Fibromyalgia is more common among women than men.

• Age. Symptoms usually appear during middle age, but can also manifest in children and older adults.

• History of rheumatic disease. People who have been diagnosed with a rheumatic disorder — conditions affecting the heart, bones, joints, kidney, skin, and lungs — such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and lupus are at increased risk of also developing fibromyalgia.

• Family history. Having a relative who suffers from fibromyalgia puts you at increased risk.

• Sleep problems. Doctors aren’t sure whether sleep disturbances are a cause or a symptom of fibromyalgia — but sleep disorders, including restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea have been cited as possible fibromyalgia triggers.

When to Seek Help for Fibromyalgia?

If you experience pain in your muscles that lasts for several months and is accompanied by significant fatigue, see your doctor.

What causes Fibromyalgia?

While there is a lot of ongoing speculation about what triggers fibromyalgia, its causes have yet to be definitively identified and confirmed. Recent research has generally found that fibromyalgia is most likely a result of what scientists call central sensitization, or unusual responses in the nervous system with regard to pain perception.

Fibromyalgia’s Biochemical Triggers

“The [current] consensus is that fibromyalgia is not a problem with the muscles, joints, or tendons, but rather a problem with the central nervous system,” says Dr. Bruce Solitar, clinical associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at NYU Medical Center/Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York.

While it’s easy to think that pain felt by someone who has experienced no physical damage to the body might be categorized as purely psychosomatic, the sensations that a fibromyalgia patient experiences are as real as any other pain.

This was clearly demonstrated when researchers did MRI imaging of patients with fibromyalgia. When they pressed on certain areas of the participants’ bodies, they found dramatically increased activity in the pain center of the brain.

One theory attributes this phenomenon to an increased release of Substance P, the chemical that activates nerves when there is a painful stimulus.

In fibromyalgia patients, Substance P is being released even in the absence of a painful stimulus. And there seems to be an amplified release when there is a painful stimulus,” explains Dr. Solitar.

In addition, the brain’s regulatory effect, which sends “down signals” to turn off pain, also appears to be abnormal in people with fibromyalgia — so when a painful stimulus does occur, it gets amplified rather than dampened.

Fibromyalgia’s Physical and Emotional Triggers

So what causes the nervous system to malfunction in such a way? Scientists aren’t sure, but a number of conditions have been linked to the development of fibromyalgia. These include:

• Infection. The Epstein-Barr virus, influenza, and hepatitis B and C have all been implicated in the development of fibromyalgia. “These viruses may have [long-term] effects on the immune system. It’s also possible that viral particles attach to glial cells, which are cells within the brain that affect neurotransmission [and influence the pain response],” says Dr. Solitar.

  Additionally, there is a well-established connection between Lyme disease and fibromyalgia: Some patients who have been treated for Lyme — and ostensibly recover from it — continue to experience the unusually high frequency of unprovoked pain that characterizes fibromyalgia.

• Trauma. Sometimes the development of fibromyalgia is linked to physical injury, especially in the upper spinal region. In other cases, it’s associated with great emotional stress, like the death of a family member or the loss of a job. The possible link between these unrelated types of trauma is the neurohormonal change that both physical injury and emotional stress can trigger.
• Psychological processes can change — and can be changed by — alterations in the function of hormone-regulating centers like the hypothalamus and the pituitary and adrenal glands, which in turn affect the nervous system.

Fibromyalgia’s Other Common Threads

“Fibromyalgia has been associated with all age groups, though women between the ages of 30 and 50 have a higher incidence of the disease,” says Dr. Solitar. While this increased prevalence among younger females suggests a hormonal connection, he says it’s also possible that it’s related to diagnosis. “Women tend to [naturally] be more tender [or sensitive to pain] than men, so if you base your diagnosis on tender points, you’re likely to diagnose more women with fibromyalgia than men.”

• Genes. Found in approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population (3.4 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men), fibromyalgia often develops in multiple members of the same families, although it’s not clear if this is the result of genetic or environmental effects. “Family members of people with fibromyalgia seem to be more tender than others,” says Dr. Solitar, “but there isn’t a lot of conclusive genetic research out there.”

• Still a mystery. In many cases, why fibromyalgia strikes is still largely unknown. “For a lot of patients, we don’t come up with a good explanation for the development of fibromyalgia,” Dr. Solitar notes. “We all get exposed to stress regularly. And while trauma and infections do seem to be a common [fibromyalgia] theme, there are a lot of people who just slowly develop a sense of feeling poorly.”

Fibromyalgia and Sleep

More than 75 percent of fibromyalgia patients complain of sleep disturbances and fatigue, according to the National Fibromyalgia Research Association. Studies have shown that this is often the result of problems fibromyalgia sufferers have falling asleep and staying asleep.

While some people don’t remember waking up frequently, others do recall these disruptions to a good night’s rest. Either way, these abnormal sleep patterns prevent fibromyalgia sufferers from getting a healthy amount of restful, restorative sleep.

Fibromyalgia’s Connection to Impaired Deep Sleep

There are five stages of sleep, and in the course of a normal night’s rest, a person will normally cycle through various stages, from light to deep to dreaming, every 90 minutes or so. Dreaming occurs during what’s called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Interestingly, EEG (brain wave) studies have found that fibromyalgia patients lack the restorative levels of deep, non-REM sleep.

It is during these deepest levels of sleep — also known as stages 3 and 4 — that the body restores and refreshes itself. Stage 3 is characterized by moderately deep sleep and stage 4, the deepest sleep phase, is when certain substances like growth hormones are released for body-tissue repair and replenishment.

Research suggests that people with fibromyalgia are constantly aroused by bursts of “awake” brain activity, which limits the amount of time they spend in these critical deep stages of sleep. “On EEG studies, fibromyalgia patients in deep-sleep stages have been found to have alpha waves, which are signs of arousal or wakening,” says Patrick Wood, MD, chief medical advisor for the National Fibromyalgia Association. One study published in the Journal of Rheumatologyfound that fibromyalgia patients experience at least twice as many arousals per hour as people without the disorder.

Fibromyalgia’s Constant “Fog” and Fatigue

The lack of uninterrupted deep sleep may be the reason why people with fibromyalgia are also plagued by extreme daytime fatigue. In today’s world, many people complain of feeling tired, but the exhaustion associated with fibromyalgia is much more severe. Fibromyalgia patients report feeling as if their bodies have been completely drained of energy, which can lead to limited physical and mental functioning.

It’s also common for people with fibromyalgia to have problems with concentration, thinking, and memory, a condition known as “fibro fog.” A recent University of Michigan study found that people with fibromyalgia exhibit memory impairments on tests that can mimic 20 years of aging. One possible reason: Memories are processed during sleep stages 3 and 4.

Brain Chemicals: The Root of the Problem?

While the causes of sleep problems in those with fibromyalgia are not yet completely understood, new findings are uncovering possible links. One theory is that brain chemicals may be out of whack. “There’s very good evidence that fibromyalgia is associated with abnormal amounts of dopamine, which is an energy-related neurotransmitter, or brain chemical,” says Dr. Wood.

“During these two stages of sleep, the brain sorts through information accumulated during the day, taking it out of short-term memory and putting it into long-term memory,” says Dr. Wood. When the amount of deep sleep is reduced, experts speculate that the body may have a limited ability to repair and replenish the brain’s functioning, affecting memory as well as energy.

Norepinephrine, another energizing neurotransmitter, and cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, have also been found to be abnormal in fibromyalgia patients. In addition to interfering with restful sleep, neurochemical and hormonal imbalances may exacerbate the pain associated with fibromyalgia, in the opinion of some experts. Others researchers believe that it’s the constant pain that triggers deep-sleep abnormalities.

More studies are currently underway that may help uncover more definitive causes of sleep difficulties associated with this painful, life-altering condition. It is hoped that in the next five years or so scientists will have more answers about the connection between fibromyalgia and disordered sleep.

The fibromyalgia symptoms your doctor will look for…

Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be challenging for the physician and frustrating for the patient. This is because fibromyalgia symptoms vary from person to person and can be similar to those of many other common conditions. Fibromyalgia’s classic chronic pain symptoms, for instance, can mimic those related to arthritis, depression, and even multiple sclerosis.

In addition, there is no specific diagnostic laboratory test for fibromyalgia. In fact, blood tests and X-rays are often normal. This means that a diagnosis has to be based on a patient’s report of his or her symptoms and on a physician’s physical exam. Because so many complicating factors are involved, it often takes a specialist, usually a rheumatologist, to make a firm diagnosis.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Who Is at Risk?

Fibromyalgia affects 2 to 4 percent of the U.S. population, and it predominantly affects women. “Fibromyalgia affects three times as many women as men,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers of America and the author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery) although some studies suggest that this number may be closer to ten times as many women, most of whom are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. But the condition can also affect men, and it can occur in people of all ages.

Other risk factors for fibromyalgia include having a family history of the condition, having a sleep disorder such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea, and suffering from a rheumatic disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Common Symptoms

“Fatigue, aches, brain fog (meaning difficulty with short-term memory, word finding, and word substitution), and insomnia sum up the hallmark symptoms of fibromyalgia,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “If you can’t sleep, even though you’re exhausted, and you have widespread chronic muscle pain lasting longer than three months, you may have fibromyalgia.”

Complicating the diagnosis further, many fibromyalgia sufferers also have a related condition called chronic fatigue syndrome, which is considered a separate disorder, according to Dr. Teitelbaum. Between 50 and 70 percent of people with fibromyalgia fit the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome, and vice versa. The pain patients experience in fibromyalgia is also similar to the joint pain of arthritis, though fibromyalgia does not cause actual joint damage like arthritis.

Sufferers often say that the muscular aches and pains of fibromyalgia are similar to the body aches associated with the flu. The pain — variously described as throbbing, shooting, stabbing, and aching — and the stiffness may be worse in the morning.

To determine whether you have fibromyalgia, your doctor will ask you questions regarding the degree to which you experience the following symptoms.

Pain: In fibromyalgia, muscle pain encompasses the entire body — above and below the waist, and on both the right and left sides of the body. Muscles used repeatedly tend to hurt more. Patients feel stiff and find it difficult and painful to move. Although their joints are not visibly swollen, patients often report a sensation of swelling in their joints along with joint pain.

• Fatigue: Symptoms of fatigue can range from mild to incapacitating in patients with fibromyalgia; many report feeling “drained” of energy. Brain fog and an inability to concentrate often go hand in hand with the fatigue.

• Sleep disruptions: Fibromyalgia sufferers often fall asleep normally but wake up frequently during the night. And even when they get plenty of sleep, people with fibromyalgia report waking up exhausted.

• Digestive problems: Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain occur in 40 to 70 percent of fibromyalgia patients, along with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or acid reflux.

• Weight gain: Many people with fibromyalgia experience weight gain because of metabolic changes that occur as a result of the disease. “We’ve found an average weight gain of 32.5 pounds among fibromyalgia sufferers, which may happen within six months or over the course of several years,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

• Decreased physical functioning: This important feature of fibromyalgia can be measured with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), developed by clinicians at Oregon Health & Science University.

• Other changes in health: Many patients with fibromyalgia experience light-headedness or dizziness, anxiety, and depression. Irritable bladder, noncardiac chest pain, and migraine headaches may also occur and can become more severe during times of stress, in cold or drafty environments, or when infections, allergies, hormonal fluctuations, depression, or anxiety are present.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Will Look For

Since no diagnostic lab test for fibromyalgia currently exists, your doctor’s physical exam plays a key role in determining whether you have the condition. Your doctor will probably start by taking a health history.

Blood tests and X-rays may then be ordered to help rule out other possibilities, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis, whose symptoms can be similar to those of fibromyalgia. “Testing may also include hormonal tests (thyroid, adrenal, estrogen, testosterone, and so on), tests for immune function and for dietary deficiencies (most often iron and B12),” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

According to guidelines created by the American College of Rheumatology in 1991, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires that you have experienced widespread, aching pain for at least three months and have a minimum of 11 locations on your body that are abnormally sensitive to pain when touched with relatively mild but firm pressure.

Called tender points, these spots are found in 18 specific places on the head, upper body, and certain joints. People with fibromyalgia have very strong reactions to even mild pressure on these tender points; your physician may also use the same level of pressure on nontender points (called control points) to compare your reaction.

Linking Fibromyalgia to Depression and Anxiety

Chronic, widespread muscular pain and tenderness, sleep problems and fatigue, morning stiffness and headaches, concentration and digestive irregularities: All these symptoms can make daily functioning very difficult for those with fibromyalgia.

But equally challenging are the depression and anxiety that often accompany the disorder. Each occurs in approximately 8 percent of those with fibromyalgia, according to Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of The Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. In people with fibromyalgia, he says, anxiety often manifests itself as rapid shallow breathing (hyperventilation), and depression (as a decrease in normal interests).

While it is not unexpected to have an emotional or psychological response to a chronic illness, there may be other physiological reasons that explain why anxiety and depression occur in fibromyalgia patients consistently enough that they are listed as symptoms of the condition. “Biochemically, depression is very different in [people with] fibromyalgia than otherwise,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “In fibromyalgia, it is often associated with an underactive adrenal function [a low cortisol level], whereas depression [in a non-fibromyalgia population] is associated with a high cortisol level.”

According to some doctors who routinely treat fibromyalgia, there are a number of factors that appear to increase the likelihood of developing anxiety and/or depression if you have this condition. These include:

Dr. Smith says that low cortisol levels related to stress often do not show up on standard blood tests, and she has found they are best measured by saliva testing. “Many physicians only measure cortisol levels as related to Addison’s Disease or Cushing’s disease. They do not look at what happens when the body makes only enough cortisol to stay alive but not to function well (adrenal fatigue),” she explains. Cortisol levels can be normalized by reducing stress. She says, adding, “it may take one to two years to fully normalize the body’s stress system.”

As cortisol levels are restored, fibromyalgia-related anxiety and depression generally lessen.

Dr. Jim Tabios, PhD is a PhD Bay Area (CA) Resident specializing in Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Tabios is currently working on a virtual anatomy portal to examine the human body through the use collaborative data from universities and medical imaging databases. Dr. Tabios is also Vice President of the Knowl Project and MENSA International Member since 2007.

Have an article you would like to share with the Kitchen Table? Simply Contact Us.

Read More: Fibromyalgia Category

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™
Are Your Vitamins Safe? Read This Free Report
Whole Food Pops 2 for 1 Special

Etiquette: Disease and Dating

No, no, no… this is not a nag about STD’s and dating today, people!

This is a guest post from my favorite Relationship Columnist, and dear friend, “Miss Matchmaker” herself.

She has worked as a social worker, therapist, and has been a professional Matchmaker for the largest Matchmaking company on the Gulf Coast for the past 13 years, and her advice is always spot on.

When I heard this story, I was baffled and asked her to share it at the kitchen table.

Frankly, your health condition is no one’s business but your own, and if you are privileged to be privy of someone’s health condition you should never gossip about it, nor scapegoat it.

Please respect confidentiality with the same professionalism that doctors, nurses and HCPs everywhere kindly maintain thanks to The Hippocratic Oath which I highly recommend everyone in need of a little inspiration reads. ~Dr. Nicole

“The Etiquette of Disease and Dating”

By Denise Paravate, Missmatchmaker

Disease is a very serious component in the life of anyone who must deal with it on a daily basis. We have doctors who dictate treatment and therapy, and sometimes there are people who step in to help with the emotional aspects of disease, but how often is there someone at your side explaining to you the social components of disease when it comes to dating?

Several months ago I was involved in a relationship in which I had kept my physical history private. I did so for several reasons. Number one, I don’t look sick. Number two, I didn’t want to scare him away. This being the most popular route for people in the same situation as myself, I felt it worthy of discussion.

After dating for 6 weeks and spending several nights under the same roof, the inevitable happened. We had been out with friends, and previous to our social engagement we had a bit of a tat, so to speak. After a few cocktails, he pipes up with “well at least I don’t have to drug myself down every night before bed.” In front of all of our mutual friends, I explained to him that I had been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis as a child, Fibromyalgia in college, and Peri-Menopause at the age of 35.

I explained that my evening cocktail of medications helps me to function as a “normal” person and that I was the kid who saw Disney for the first time in a wheel chair. I then went on to explain that I may not be able to ever have another child and that without my hormone pills, I would be the psycho woman throwing chairs out windows between hot flashes as I attempt to stand up from my wheelchair (of which I would be in because I didn’t take my RA meds) and I didn’t think that was a person he would enjoy meeting.

Lesson learned, maybe I should have told him sooner. People have preconceived notions about medications and what “sick” really is. As a matchmaker, I preach to my clients to always be honest with their dates, but at what point is too much information just too much information…

When it comes to dating I believe that yes, honesty is the best way, but “TMI” (too much information) can sometimes scare the potential suitor away. So what is the best policy? From my own experiences I must say that it is probably best to keep things on a need to know basis. I don’t necessarily believe that it is something that should be shared on a first or second date. When it gets to the point where you are seeing someone on a regular basis and they are learning your daily routine, then it may be time to fill them in.

I don’t like the idea of keeping secrets and that is not what I am trying to imply. All I am saying is that if you live with chronic disease, life is hard enough and if you plan on sharing your life with someone, they have the right to know just how hard it is. I think now looking back that the best way to handle the situation would be to talk about it first and educate the other person about your particular issues.

Some people may be scared to do so because they would not want to discourage a blooming relationship, but understand that if you try to keep it a secret, chances are it will blow up in your face at some point later anyway. If that person chooses to not be with you because of the challenges you face, then that just means it was not the person for you and maybe it is best you move on.

Dating is hard enough. Disease is even harder. Combining the two can be a challenge!

~Denise Paravate

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™
Are Your Vitamins Safe? Read This Free Report
Whole Food Pops 2 for 1 Special

Pain and Positive Mental Attitude

Do You Think Positive Mental Attitude Can Heal Pain?

In the case of Jennifer Mannion it did.

I am very grateful that Jennifer found Kitchen Table Medicine so that she could share her story with us. The following is a case report on how positive thinking was used to heal chronic pain.

Below is Jennifer’s personal account on how she cured her fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome with a change in her thinking.

If this story doesn’t support the naturopathic model of mind/body/spirit holistic healing, I am not sure what else will. Since no pharmaceutical company can patent “positive thinking” and sell and promote it, I will do my best to be the spokesperson (not the poster child) for positive mental attitude.

Please welcome to the kitchen table Jennifer Mannion, the author of the website Heal Pain Naturally!

I had been chronically ill and in chronic pain for 6 years and had received several diagnoses including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Mono and Benign Hypermobility Syndrome. The doctors told me I would always be in chronic pain and would most likely be in a wheelchair. They told me to manage my pain with prescription drugs. Being a mom in her mid thirties with two young children this did not sit right with me but I did not know what else to do.

Upon seeing the movie “The Secret” I knew I would learn all I could about the mind/body connection and that I WOULD heal myself. I did not agree with 100% of the material in The Secret but the parts on health really struck a chord. The fact that our bodies are constantly creating cells and we have a new body every couple of years was new to me. It woke me up to the fact that I could in fact possibly control the type of cells my body was producing “sick” cells or “healthy” cells depending on what I was telling myself.

I surrounded myself with audios, books, ebooks and immediately started putting into practice what I was learning. Within 2 weeks I was off of pain killers. Within a month I felt better than I had in 10 years. Now 18 months later I am still pain and pain pill free. I KNOW how powerful the mind is and I KNOW it is possible to shift from a reality of sickness to a healthier you.

I adopted a method to healing that I call the PAGING ME SYSTEM. It is about “waking up” your subconscious and using tools to put you in the right frame of mind. I have found so many great teachers in the last year and a half and continue to learn every day. I am grateful for my illnesses because they brought me to this point of my life. I have found my passion which is to empower others to realize their own power within to heal. Paging Me is an acronym for the methods I adopted to heal myself.

PAGING ME SYSTEM

Forgiveness of others and self-forgiveness was a key part of my healing. It is something that people often have trouble dealing with. But how therapeutic it is when you let go of all the reasons you have been upset with yourself, all the mistakes you made or bad timed things you might have said.

After this was forgiveness of others/circumstances as I could spend hours saying well if “he hadn’t done this….” or if “this hadn’t happened”. I realized I had spent enough time being angry and whoever/whatever circumstance I was angry at and that it had taken enough of my energy. I was going to let that go as well and try and think of a reason why I encountered that person/thing and how I grew from the experience. I needed to PARDON myself, situations and other people from the anger, resentment and blame that I had held onto for so long.

Being in pain it became easy and a habit to wake up every day and say “ow my back hurts” or “oohhww my leg”. When I woke, my mind was on alert for what part of my body hurt and that is where my attention went. Instead I had to shift my attention to the one part of me that didn’t hurt. Even if it was my little finger that is where my whole conscious mind went as I said repeatedly in my mind “I am so happy and grateful I am so healthy – I know how good my finger feels and that means my whole body is healthy”. Shifting the ATTENTION to what was working and feeling good and away from what was bad and negative did wonders for helping me to feel better.

My next tool was being GRATEFUL. When you are in chronic pain or have been diagnosed with illnesses it is easy to feel ungrateful. I needed to concentrate on what I DID have and who and what I WAS grateful for. I LOVE the house and community where I am living. I have a wonderful husband and 2 beautiful, very smart and healthy children. I have always had a lot of friends and consider myself to be a very good friend to others. I have wonderful parents and extended family. This tool worked wonders for me in the morning and at night right before bed.

Then there were the INFLUENCES (people & media) that I was surrounding myself with. I was watching or listening to the news a few times a day. I was around people who would constantly complain but did not want to listen to me. I was reading violent fiction novels. When I shifted to reading personal development, law of attraction and mind/body connection books and STOPPED watching the news I noticed a HUGE shift in my mood. I also surrounded myself with my more positive friends and limited my time with what James Ray calls “Energy Vampires”.

The next tool was being conscious of my self-talk. Was I telling myself I was sick because the doctors had told me that for years? Was I saying “can’t and “won’t” more than “can” and “will”? I was honestly appalled when I stopped and listened to my subconscious mind. I discovered just how NEGATIVE it was and was very happy to change the messages I was sending myself. If I was waiting in line at a store and someone in front of me was “holding it up” I would get angry – now I stop, relax, realize the person in line isn’t doing it on purpose nor are they happy about the situation. I think about what I can do to pass the time and feel good – think of a happy memory, prioritize the stuff to do later, think of a blog post I want to write about….. Your time is only wasted if you tell yourself it is – there is always a place to go in your mind to make the use of time more positive.

It was also imperative for me to set some GOALS. My life had become wrapped around the kids and my illnesses and I felt I had no time for goals – you ALWAYS have time for goals. If you don’t know WHAT you want – how are you ever going to get it? I did some soul searching and realized while I had pursued my invention I was not putting my all into it or setting obtainable goals in the road to getting a manufacturer. I was exercising here and there but wasn’t setting goals as to how far I could walk or how many times I would exercise that week or what jeans I wanted to fit me…..

Goal setting for my physical and mental wellness was key. I broke them into smaller steps so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. I felt so great when I crossed something off of my list that brought me one step closer to my final goal. In time I found it necessary to set goals in a bunch of different areas: mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and financial. I started with concentrating on 1 or 2 at a time but felt if I didn’t have goals set for all these areas – how could I hope to grow in all these areas? Any small step crossed off is a HUGE boost in self esteem and gives you something to add to your gratitude list!

Being a mom and wife at times I felt that I had lost some of myself. I was always mommy, wife or daughter but I needed to find out who Jenny was again. I feel the best tool that helped me do this was MEDITATION. To take 10 minutes during the day and lock myself in my bedroom and either play Deepak Chopra’s Guided Soul Healing Meditations or to sit in silence and let my mind go and concentrate on my breathing. It allowed me to see what I was focusing on and it allowed me to relax. I loved the feeling of peace I achieved after just sitting for 10 minutes. With 2 young kids, noise and movement are pretty much par for the course…..

To know what you are passionate about and continually EDUCATE yourself in it boosts your self confidence. Whether it is music, social causes, wherever your passion lies – the more you know about it the better you will be at achieving goals with it. There are tons of free resources online and in libraries to learn about almost anything… take advantage of it and nurture what you love. It is only by really knowing about a topic that you can teach others and figure out a way to work doing something that involves a passion. Make sure when you are educating yourself you find a teacher/author who really speaks to you and resonates. This will make learning seem effortless and will ensure your interest will keep growing.

I think of these tools like “PAGING ME” (your subconscious). Waking it up so you can be the difference in your life and the world around you.

• Pardon yourself and others
• Attention shifting to health instead of feeling pain
• Gratitude
• Influences (people, news, reading – make them predominantly positive)
• No Negative self talk! Turn it around and Make it positive
• Goal Setting
• Meditation or quiet time for self.
• Education – am I continually learning about what I am passionate about?

I use the PAGING ME method to be in the moment and to help me keep focused. If things don’t go my way I use it to figure out why what happened did and how I can use it to move forward and learn from it. I use these tools daily to ensure my health. I have not taken a pain pill or been in pain for over 18 months.

I am now teaching my children to believe they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Once you know where your mind is and WHAT you want to accomplish it is a whole lot easier to make a plan to achieve it. I never doubted I would heal myself and here I am – feeling better than I have in years! I know the belief was integral in my healing. I believe if you use these tools you will heal what ails you or maintain your health and become more self aware in the process.

~Jenny

Jennifer Mannion was chronically ill and in chronic pain for over 6 years. Her prognosis was that her condition would only get worse. After studying the mind/body connection she was able to heal herself of all pain and illness. She is now a coach as a mind/body mentor and also maintains the blog Heal Pain Naturally that is about natural ways to heal emotional and physical pain.

If you have more questions you may leave them in the comments of this post, or you may personally contact Jennifer at jennymannion@yahoo.com and SKYPE: Jennifer.mannion

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™
Are Your Vitamins Safe? Read This Free Report
Whole Food Pops 2 for 1 Special

Fibromyalgia and Vegan Diet

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

“Can the Kitchen Table Cure Fibromyalgia?”

When implementing the vegan diet it just might!

Research listed below shows dramatic and promising improvement for those with fibromyalgia by simply adopting a whole foods vegan diet that emphasizes increased fruits and vegetables and the elimination of all animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs.

From my clinical experience, eating an Anti-inflammatory diet is extremely beneficial for those with chronic pain. Vegan diets are probably beneficial because they are free of the evil kitchen table culprit “arachidonic acid” found in animal fats that most traditional prescription and over the counter pharmaceutical agents work to block.

To spare you all the biochemistry blah blah blah, let’s just say that arachidonic acid becomes inflammation. By implementing an anti-inflammatory eating plan or vegan diet, those challenged by the chronic debilitating pains of fibromyalgia just might experience a dramatic increase in pain relief, as well as less overall need for using medications.

Remember that less medicines, means less side effects. Less side effects means less medicine needed to address side effects of medications. Don’t get caught up in the snowball down spiraling effect of chronic prescription drug use if you can achieve similar if not better results with diet.

The kitchen table is truly the heart of medicine. If you are chronically ill, please consider giving yourself the gift of a healthy whole foods diet!

Going vegan may just be the answer to this painful condition. At the very least do your best to eliminate McInflammation. Be sure to always check with your physician before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Other researched therapeutics that may be helpful for fibromyalgia:

• Eliminate MSG, aspartame, and other “Kitchen Table Villains”.
• Allergy Elimination Diet.
• Reduce stress.
• Gentle exercise, especially swimming.
• Fish Oil
• Magnesium malate and malic acid.

Research on Vegan Diet and Fibromyalgia:

1. PMID: 11093597; Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms.Scand J Rheumatol. 2000;29(5):308-13.
2. PMID: 11602026; Fibromyalgia syndrome improved using a mostly raw vegetarian diet: an observational study.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2001;1(1):7. Epub 2001 Sep 26.
3. PMID: 11508070; Vegetarian diet in the treatment of fibromyalgia.Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull. 2000 Aug;26(2):41-7.
4. PMID: 11093597; Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms.Scand J Rheumatol. 2000;29(5):308-13.
5. PMID: 11408989; Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins.Ann Pharmacother. 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6.
6. PMID: 1802495; Diet and disease symptoms in rheumatic diseases–results of a questionnaire based survey.Clin Rheumatol. 1991 Dec;10(4):401-7.
7. PMID: 2049586; Primary fibromyalgia and the irritable bowel syndrome: different expressions of a common pathogenetic process.Br J Rheumatol. 1991 Jun;30(3):220-2.
8. PMID: 11156742; Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders.Toxicology. 2000 Nov 30;155(1-3):45-53.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen table!

~Dr. Nicole

Naturopathic Physician

www.KitchenTableMedicine.com

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™
Are Your Vitamins Safe? Read This Free Report
Whole Food Pops 2 for 1 Special