According to the WHO, fibromyalgia is a disease of unknown cause characterized by widespread pain that lasts more than 3 months. Other symptoms may also appear, such as fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, headaches and intestinal disorders, among others. There are no objective markers or tests that can accompany the diagnosis. (Sources: Spanish Rheumatology Society, Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians).

Many people who suffer pain finally get the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, for a long time placing the label of psychosomatic, without really the name of the disease being used to deal with it. With no etiology, that is, a known cause, and a lot of apparently unrelated associated symptoms, from pharmacology we can simply try to relieve the pain. Frequently, antidepressants are added to the treatment for fibromyalgia, without knowing if this supposed depression is the cause or effect of the pain. Many patients feel bewildered, alone, and little taken into account. It has been a disease surrounded by misunderstanding.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the picture is much clearer. In his vision it is not possible to separate physical symptoms from psycho-emotional ones, but he considers that any energy imbalance affects different levels.

In this case, the energy of the Spleen-Stomach regulates the muscles, the digestive system and obsessive thinking. If your energy is weak we can feel fatigue and heaviness, muscle pain, gastrointestinal disorders and excessive worry, which can generate anxiety. When this state is prolonged, the weakness of the Earth element (Spleen-stomach) causes the element that controls it, the Liver energy, to remain in excess. This can trigger symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Also menstrual disorders and mood swings.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, each “illness” can be due to different energy imbalances. Therefore, there may be more explanations than this to explain a specific case of fibromyalgia, each person is different, and it is treated from its own peculiarity and unique essence. What all these explanations have in common is a concrete and coherent picture from the way of understanding the energy physiology of traditional Chinese medicine.

This gives us the opportunity to apply effective treatment, in addition to having an understanding of what is happening in us.

Like everyone else, it can be a long road, it is a normally chronic disease, which begins to be treated a long time after it began and with many associated factors.

Even so, from our more than 10 years of experience as therapists in traditional Chinese medicine, we can attest to the effectiveness of acupuncture and Shiatsu in their treatment.