Fibromyalgia and the role of Chiropractic

This white paper discusses the significance of the 2014 study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Practice called “Effects of poster anterior thoracic mobilization on heart rate variability and pain in woman with fibromyalgia”.

The amount of fibromyalgia sufferers increases steadily each year. A disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues, fibromyalgia inhibits the ability to live a normal life. No cure currently exists for the disease, but many doctors and researchers spend time, money, and resources in search for the antidote.

In 2014, a study evaluated changes that occurred in the health of fibromyalgia sufferers after receiving spinal adjustments. The findings were remarkable and as follows:

·       The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of one session of spinal adjusted care on both autonomic modulation and pain in women with fibromyalgia. The study was 20 women, half with diagnosed fibromyalgia.

·       Upper thoracic spinal adjective care was able to improve heart rate variability and improve autonomic profile through increased vagal activity. In women with fibromyalgia and impaired cardiac autonomic modulation, one session of spinal mobilization was able to acutely improve heart rate variability.

·       It was noted that manual techniques improve quality-of-life and symptomatology in patients with fibromyalgia.

·       Manual therapy was effective in improving pain intensity, the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms.

·       Spinal adjusted care in females with fibromyalgia was able to raise the pain threshold, improve comfort levels, affect components related to chronic illness, and increase perceived functional capacity.

·       Manual therapy protocols are effective at improving pain intensity in fibromyalgia patients.

·       According to the authors, "The main finding of our study was that patients with fibromyalgia presented with important deleterious alterations in heart rate variability at rest suggesting increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic activity."

·       The significant impact of our findings demonstrate that only one session of this manual intervention to the thoracic spine was able to modify heart rate variability in women with fibromyalgia.

·       Considering that there is a correlation between autonomic dysfunction and symptom severity or quality-of-life, these results may represent clinical benefits to patients who suffer from this condition.

·       Studies have shown that spinal manipulation is able to modulate autonomic nervous activity.

·       This study showed a significant increase in parasympathetic activity after one session of manual mobilization in the fibromyalgia subject.

·       After fibromyalgia subjects underwent one session of spinal adjustive care to the thoracic spine, a significant improvement in their autonomic profile through increased vagal activity.

·       It is plausible to hypothesize that the spinal adjustment technique utilized in the study may significantly contribute to reducing the debilitating signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia, improve quality-of-life, and reduce cardiovascular risk when applied for more than one session.

Genetics, infections, physical or emotional trauma, or a combination of all these are thought to be the causes of fibromyalgia by the best experts and medical institutions in the world. Some debates even persist on whether fibromyalgia is an actual disease or more of a catch-all diagnosis based on vague clinical criteria. Some researchers also believe that fibromyalgia may be due to problems with the neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous systems. This research from 2014 connects fibromyalgia with autonomic nervous system dysfunction through abnormal spinal health and function. This study explains how Chiropractors achieve results for fibromyalgia sufferers without the use of drugs or surgery.

As much of the medical world continues to focus on the search for more drug and surgery solutions, Chiropractors provide unique solutions and hope to people suffering with conditions like fibromyalgia.