Fibromyalgia Nutritional Deficiencies

What is actually going on in the body with fibromyalgia (FMS)?

We know that from clinical testing the FMS sufferer has certain deficiencies in their body. The question is how does this impact on the person?

Magnesium

Magnesium is a measurable deficiency in FMS. How does this cause pain?

We are all told that to prevent osteoporosis we should consume more calcium, Fine as far as it goes, but the natural calcium/ magnesium balance is 2:1. Unfortunately with so much dairy food being consumed the ratio in most Americans is more like 10:1.

Magnesium along with vitamin D is necessary to transport calcium into the bones.

It has been said for many years that in sunny countries you get more than enough sun light to make all the vitamin D you need.

Wrong! With all the scare about skin cancer many people just don’t get anywhere enough sun to create sufficient vitamin D. It turns out that the high energy UV present at mid-day is needed to convert the cholesterol in our skin to vitamin D, but we have been told to cover up during that time of day, also with many people trying to lower their cholesterol there is likely not enough of it to make all the D we need. Where does that leave the calcium we’ve been consuming? Not in the bones that’s for sure. Could this be the cause of calcified muscles?

Since ionised calcium (ca ) is used to initiate muscle contractions, its just possible that excess calcium in the soft tissue could be the cause of tight unyielding muscles. Dr Paul St Amand states that the problem with the tissue of fibromyalgics is a build-up of phosphate. He recommends guaifenesin to help expel the phosphorus through the urine. Could it be calcium-phosphate that is the cause of the hard muscles? And we know, chronically tight muscles will eventually develop trigger points and consequent pain ( Travell & Simons)

I have observed that when a person with hard calcified muscles goes on a good magnesium supplement of 350mg daily, that over time, six to twelve months or sometimes more, the hard muscles gradually soften, presumably as the excess calcium is transported to the bones.

* So the first step to relieving FMS is a good magnesium chelate.

* Malic acid is also useful. Tests have shown that FMS sufferers who take malic acid have less pain, possibly because it helps in adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) production for energy, it also facilitates the entry of lactic acid into the Krebs cycle , helping to prevent lactic acid build up.

* Because ATP is the molecule for energy production and people with FMS suffer fatigue they need all the help they can get to produce more ATP.

* The following substances all help in ATP production, thereby increasing energy, and reducing fatigue and brain fog:

Magnesium
Malic acid
Acetyl L Carnitine
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Creatine
Co Enzyme Q 10
Omega 3 oils
Iron
Manganese
Vitamin C
Vitamin B 3
Vitamin B 5

about the author:

Gary A Clark, massage therapist, runs Pain Busters Clinic in Perth Western Australia. He specialises in treating fibromyalgia, chronic pain and myofascial pain sydrome.