Base-Line Healing logo. Stick figure with arms outstretched above shoulder height, legs apart. Rainbow of colours up midline. Red at pelvic floor Base then a line of orange, yellow, green blue extending to the head. Showing the body aligned and balanced, the natural way to treat fibromyalgia. Use your body better slogan.

An Explanation For The Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a covering term used for idiopathic (the cause is not known) chronic, widespread pain, fatigue and other associated symptoms.

When all the tests come back negative, and no reason for all the pain is found, it is labelled "fibromyalgia". Often described as "poorly understood", a diagnosis of fibromyalgia really means:

"We don't know why you have all these pains but a lot of other people have them too".

textbook symptoms of fibromyalgia

So What Is Fibromyalgia?

The following is based on my recovery, the anatomy of the human body and how it reacts to damage.

my fibromyalgia story

I offer an explanation for all the pain and weird sensations, the fatigue and myriad of other symptoms (both physical and mental) that are associated with fibromyalgia - and how to fix it!

Fibromyalgia is aptly named:

Fibromyalgia:

  • fibro ≃ of fibrous tissue (connective tissue)
  • myo ≃ of muscle tissue
  • algia ≃ pains

Muscle and connective tissue pain.

Muscle Pain - Myalgia.

If you are not using the right muscles you are using the wrong muscles.

Using the wrong muscles makes them prone to spasm and fatigue.

When muscle fibres become exhausted and/or painful, the body adjusts to use other areas of muscle. The body attempts to avoid pain and distribute the efforts of daily life by shifting the burden around and around. These adjustments put the body off-balance, and out of physical alignment. Over time, more and more muscle becomes strained and sore, resulting in widespread myalgia (muscle pain) and an imbalanced body.

myalgia of imbalance

The right muscles for a healthy body are the 5 main muscles of movement.

5 main muscles of movement

Connective Tissue - Restrictions & Pain.

In a response to inflammation (triggered by injury, infection, trauma, stress etc.), and as an attempt to compensate for the lack of central support that should be provided by the 5 main muscles of movement, physical restrictions form in our body-wide web connective tissues. These physical restrictions literally stiffen us over time.

physical restrictionsconnective tissue

Restrictions in connective tissues generate tensions that radiate throughout the whole body, from head to fingers to toes. The sensory information produced by these tensions and restrictions are, I believe, the source of many pains and weird sensations associated with fibromyalgia.

pains and weird sensationssensory information

Stored Trauma.

Restrictions in connective tissue are a physical record of what our body has been through and can be thought of as 'stored trauma' when they remain (and are not released through movement). This stored trauma creates our unique 'individual trauma imprint' and explains why everyone's experience of fibromyalgia is a bit different.

individual trauma imprints

Cumulative damage and the body's reponse to a long-term lack of central support from the main muscles of movement, can result in layers upon layers of restrictions. Chains of tension - zig-zagging from left to right, inside to out, and front to back, throughout the whole of the body, from head to fingers to toes. These restrictions vastly reduce our range of movement, even if we don't appreciate how much we have lost over the years.

full range of movement

Fibromyalgia: A progression of pain when the body is unbalanced and misaligned.

Traumas are stored rather than released. The body becomes increasingly restricted and tense.

More and more pain and weird sensations over the years.

Mental Effects & Sleep Disturbances.

Long-term pain affects our sleep and cognitive functioning, leading to "fibro fog", anxiety, and (especially when compounded with unexplained long-term, painful symptoms) depression.

A constant feedback to your brain.

Your body's restricted and in pain.

Fibromyalgia: The Pain Of Stored Trauma And A Body That Is Imbalanced And Misaligned.

Fibromyalgia is NOT something that will be fixed by a magic pill or new medication. It is a physical problem that needs to be corrected by learning to use your body better.

Ask Yourself:

  • How is your physical condition?
  • Do you use your muscles correctly?
  • Or are your muscles stressed and sore? Aches, spasms, burning sensations?
  • Do you have a full range of natural movement?
  • Or are parts of your body (or you whole body!) restricted resulting in stiffness, reduced range of movement and pain?
  • Is your posture (the position of your body) good?
  • Or do you sit/stand/move awkwardly?
  • Do you feel balanced and comfortable in your body?
  • Or is your body a bit of a wreck?
  • Have you fully recovered from past traumas?
  • Or has the damage stayed with you ("stored trauma")?
  • How much damage are you carrying around? Pains that have never really heal, things you can't let go of?

If your physical condition is not good, then no wonder you suffer pain.

At What Point Does Something Become Something You Do Something About?

I believe the pain sets in early when the body becomes imbalanced.  Stressed areas of muscle and restrictions in the connective tissue causing various painful symptoms.

If you were pain free, then it's likely the pains are considered significant (and frightening) enough to seek medical advice, leading to an early diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Or has it been a long, slow progression of pain? You consider your list of painful symptoms and old injuries as separate problems and you've ignored (or got used to) the twinges, aches, spasms and weird sensations as they increase over the years - after all a bit of pain is to be expected as you get older, right?

get to know your pain

The damage is cumulative, the body becoming more and more imbalanced as it tries to cope by adjusting and stiffening.

Test Yourself:

  • Can you stand up tall, aligning your midline anatomy?
  • 5 midline markers

  • Can you bend your knees and lower your body from standing?
  • Can you stand up from sitting without effort?
  • Can you balance on one leg?
  • Can you spread your arms out wide, fully extending from mid back to fingertips without tension?
  • Can you easily turn your head from side to side, keeping your head level, without tension in your neck?

If your answers are "no" then your body is not balanced, your tissues are restricted and your posture is not good.

Fibromyalgia: Pain and weird sensations from a body that is stiff and restricted, unbalanced and misaligned.

The '5 main muscles of movement' provide the central support needed for healthy, balanced and pain-free body. When the main muscles of movement are adequately functioning, the rest of body 'falls into line' so that it is correctly positioned (has a good posture), for whatever it is doing.

People who use the 5 main muscles of movement correctly are able to shake off old injuries and trauma they experience, releasing the restrictions and maintaining a good posture with a body that is balanced and aligned. But for those of us that don't, the body becoming increasingly tense, unbalanced and misaligned.

body alignment and balance

Recovery From Fibromyalgia Is Possible.

Fibromyalgia can be reversed but it takes time and focus to learn to use your body correctly, little by little regaining movement and releasing the pain. How many years - or decades, of accumulated pain do you have to work through?

Everyone has their own individual trauma imprint and their unique set of symptoms but the key to healing is the same:

key to healing

Focus on your Base-Line muscles becoming stronger and longer and develop your conscious proprioception skills. Learn to feel how to move through the tension and release the pain, working towards aligning and balancing your body.

conscious proprioception

Try the exercise of breathing with your Base-Line.

breathing technique

Close your eyes and focus on your Base-Line muscles activating.

Be aware how the pains and weird sensations move around your body as you move. We are interconnected from head to fingers to toes and restrictions in one area can have distant sensations.

What kind of connection have you got to your Base-Line?

Base-Line muscles. pelvic floor at the base of the torso like a basket between the legs. The rectus abdominis muscles from pelvis to chest up the front of the abdomen. Two parallel muscles, made up of panels of muscle side by side, to be activated in sequence from base to chest. Connecting with these muscles is how I learned to release the pains of fibromyalgia and other chronic pains.

Base-Line muscles

Focus on your 5 main muscles of movement. Try activating them in different positions during your normal daily activities.

the main muscles of movement in a human outline. The 5 paired muscles with the Base-Line pelvic floor and rectus abdominis muscles the central pillar of strength. The trapezius muscles from the back of the head to midback, shoulder to shoulder, a curved blanket expanding over the neck and back. The rectus femoris a strong pole from hip bone to shin.   The gluteus maximus - big ass muscles.

5 main muscles of movement

  • How much of each of the main muscles of movement do you use? Some, most, none?
  • Can you feel a balance between left and right sides?
  • How free are these muscles to move?

More questions to ask yourself:

For how long have you not fully used my main muscles?

Is this life-long problem or an acquired dysfunction that may have developed over time or been triggered by a specific incident?

The longer the dysfunction, the wider the range of symptoms experienced.

What has your body been through over the years?"

TRAUMA → Injury, accident, abuse, surgery. Stress, fear, the things that make us tense, flinch, freeze-up. Awkward positions, shocks, strains, exertions.

Think back. As you connect with your Base-Line you may become aware of earlier and earlier mis-usage of your muscles.

How long to heal?

This is not a magic quick fix.

It takes time and effort to release the pain.

Heal yourself. Use you body better.

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