"Dear woman
Grandmother Growth's voice seems to float in the deepening twilight, echoing, reverberating, ringing in your ears.
Bring me your soreness. Bring me your pain. Bring your aches to me. Bring your burdens. Bring all you can no longer stand
can no longer bear
can no longer carry
can no longer shoulder
can no longer be responsible for. Give it to me. Put it down. Let us sit in council together and listen to the stories your pain tells. Menopause is a journey which requires you to pack light. Heavy things - bitterness
regret
vengeance
clinging to pain - will make your travels wearisome and bring you down. Take only the stories. Leave the rest behind. Burn the soreness in your hot flashes. Let it leave you. This is the Change. Let it change you
dear woman; let it change you."
Step 0: Do Nothing
Women dealing with fibromyalgia have less pain if they sleep in a completely dark room. If that's impossible
wear a sleep mask.
Step 1: Collect Information
The chronic pain disorder I called "sore all over" when I wrote this section ten years ago is now big news. Ninety percent of the 4 million Americans dealing with this debilitating
frustrating condition - known as fibromyalgia - are white women
and many of them are menopausal.
Neither cause nor cure for fibromyalgia is known. It is not a disease but a range of symptoms characterized by chronic
widespread pain on both sides of the body
above and below the waist. (As one of my apprentices put it: "But I don't hurt in all those places at once. The pain moves around. I never know where it will be next.") Some women have a low fever in addition to pain. More than half of those with fibromyalgia also suffer from headaches
endometriosis
and/or irritable bowel syndrome.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are quite variable
making diagnosis difficult. (Orthodox diagnosis is predicated on finding soreness at specific trigger points.) Fibromyalgia mimics aspects of multiple sclerosis
Parkinson's disease
arthritis
hepatitis C
hypothyroidism
lupus
polymyalgia rheumatica
and early dementia. Many women with fibromyalgia are told their distress is "all in your mind."
It isn't in your mind (alone). Menopause can leave you feeling like you've been beaten on. Muscles respond to hormonal changes by feeling sore and cranky. Sleep loss can make you ache. (Non-restorative sleep is a hallmark of fibromyalgia.) Lack of calcium (and other minerals) can make your bones ache. Whether you are dealing with these challenges
or the greater problem of fibromyalgia
why not give Wise Woman Ways a try? The remedies listed here have been remarkably successful in helping many women.
"People with fibromyalgia aren't just sensitive to pain; they also find loud noises
strong odors
and bright lights aversive." - Daniel Clauw
MD
Director: Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center
Georgetown University
Step 2: Engage the Energy
• Having a support group is one of the strongest factors in keeping fibromyalgia under control.
• Homeopathic Arnica is an amazing remedy for sore and aching muscles. Daily use of homeopathic Rhus toxicodendron reduced pain by 25 percent in those with fibromyalgia.
• Make a list of things you are sore (upset
angry) about. Where do these things live in your body? With the help of an experienced bodyworker
loosen those places. Women with fibromyalgia are very likely to be survivors of trauma (sexual or domestic violence
alcoholism).
• Go back to your Mother. Float in the ocean. Lie belly down on the earth. Naked. Let her ease you. Let her heal you.
• Listen to a relaxation tape. Have someone show you how to do the yoga position called the "Corpse Pose". Learn how to bring yourself to a deep state of inner quiet and peaceful mind.
• Hypnotherapy can help you gain some degree of mental control over their symptoms. Cognitive behavior therapy is also helpful.
Step 3: Nourish and Tonify
• Consistent use of nourishing herbal infusions
especially comfrey leaf and stinging nettle
in place of coffee
tea
and sodas is the single most effective thing I know for mitigating and overcoming fibromyalgia.
• Gentle exercise - walks
yoga or tai chi practices - keeps muscles from weakening and becoming more painful. Experts suggest starting with as little as three minutes a day
and gradually building to at least four sessions of five minutes each per day. Persist; the reward is worth it.
• Regular consumption of yogurt also proves very helpful for those with fibromyalgia. Perhaps it is due to yogurt's ability to strengthen and nourish immunity; some suspect fibromyalgia is a result of immune system malfunction.
• Magnesium is a critical nutrient for preventing pain in muscles and connective tissues. Legumes
whole grains
leafy greens and nourishing herbal infusions - like nettle and oatstraw - are the best sources.
• Moxibustion is also known as needleless acupuncture. Safe and easy to do at home by yourself
moxibustion gives fast relief from sore joints and aching muscles. It not only relieves pain but tonifies
decreasing future pain and gradually effecting a "cure." You can buy a moxa "cigar" at an Oriental pharmacy or health food store. Bring the glowing end of the moxa (after lighting it) near the painful area and move it around in small slow spirals until the heat becomes too intense. (This may take a few minutes or many.) Pain relief is usually immediate and often lasts for twelve or more hours.
Step 4: Stimulate/Sedate
• Tinctures of willow bark or spirea (1-2 dropperfuls/1-2 ml is a dose) are highly recommended as important green allies by women dealing with fibromyalgia.
• St. Joan's wort tincture - not capsules
not the tea - is a powerful ally for women with fibromyalgia. It is one of the best muscle relaxants I have ever used. A 25-30 drop dose not only stops but also prevents muscle aches. I have used it as frequently as every twenty minutes (for ten doses) when the occasion has necessitated it. St. Joan's wort prevents soreness when taken after exercise; and even better if taken before. I take a dose every hour while on an airplane to prevent muscle aches and jetlag.
• Regular massage from an experienced therapist stimulates the circulation of blood and energy
relieves pain
reduces fatigue
and eases stiffness. Avoid deep tissue massage; it increases pain. Light strokes and gentle myofascial releases are more helpful. Chiropractic manipulations are of little benefit.
• Massage with heated stones and other heat treatments works wonders for some women. For others
cold treatments work better (but not too cold
and not for too long either
please).
• Ginger compresses
hot or cold
stir up circulation and mobilize the body's own healing agents to take action and ease your pain. I grate several ounces of fresh ginger into simmering water
cook it gently for ten minutes
then soak a cloth in the liquid and use that as an application to the sore area.
• The National Institute of Health lists fibromyalgia as one of the few conditions that acupuncture can relieve.
• If lying down sleep makes the pain worse
slip into something relaxing: valerian
skullcap
or St. Joan's wort tinctures
up to a dropperful/1 ml of any one
repeated twice if needed.
Step 5a: Use Supplements
• A study found little benefit from those with fibromyalgia taking either SAM-e or 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan - a precursor to serotonin). Do not use 5-HTP if you are taking St. Joan's/John's wort.
• Lack of sleep can quickly aggravate symptoms of fibromyalgia. (See Step 0.) If sleep confounds you
melatonin at bedtime
the lowest dose you can get
may help.
Step 5b: Use Drugs
• Essential oil of lavender was recommended by several women who have dealt with fibromyalgia for many years. Dilute with jojoba or olive oil and use as a rub.
• Orthodox treatment of fibromyalgia relies heavily on drugs
primarily antispasmodics
antidepressants and muscle-relaxants. But Celebrex
Vioxx
Valteran
amitriptyline (Elavil)
fluoxetine (Prozac)
vanlafaxine (Effecor)
trazadone (Desyrel)
alprazolam (Xanax)
and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) can adversely affect the liver and disrupt the immune system.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen do not reduce fibromyalgia pain for most women.
• Tramadol (Ultram) is a drug which addresses both the altered brain chemicals and the pain signals of those with fibromyalgia.
Step 6: Break and Enter
• Beware invasive diagnostic tests. Many women report enduring endless rounds of tests trying to put a name to their pains with no success and at the price of physical
mental
and emotional distress.
• Injections of lidocaine
a drug that temporarily numbs nerves
are effective in relieving fibromyalgia pain for some women. Injections of capsaicin (from cayenne) relieve pain by destroying nerve endings.
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you will want New Menopausal Years
the Wise Woman Way available from http://www.ashtreepublishing.com.
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Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose
treat
cure or prevent any disease
condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.
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Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock
NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081