Fibromyalgia- Ayurvedic Cure

Chronic muscle pain accompanied by lack of sleep and a consequent feeling of constant tiredness is often a sign of stress. However, it may be indicative of another lesser known condition – fibromyalgia. This is a syndrome that affects muscles as well the surrounding soft tissues and can be responsible for the unexplained feeling of muscle pain you experience for no specific reason.

What Causes Fibromyalgia

Experts are divided in their opinion of what causes fibromyalgia. While some say it is due to improper nerve signals that arise from chemical imbalance or because of hormonal disturbance, others say it is related to deep-seated trauma or stress; a few experts believe fibromyalgia to be an inherited problem that runs in families. But most experts agree that emotional disturbances appear to trigger or aggravate the attacks of muscle pain.

Treating Fibromyalgia

Modern systems of medicine have no cure for fibromyalgia; the treatment therefore focusses only on managing the symptoms of pain and discomfort by the use of painkiller medication. Doctors will also advise some form of exercise and a diet that helps overweight people lose weight to reduce the strain on the muscles.

Ayurvedic Concept of Fibromyalgia

Ayurveda says that fibromyalgia is because of an improper functioning of the nerves that carry impulses to and from the muscles. The nervous system is governed by the Vata dosha and therefore, an imbalance in this dosha is responsible for fibromyalgia. Therefore, treatment of this condition in Ayurveda depends on correcting this Vata imbalance by ridding the body of the toxins and impurities that have built up within the tissues.

Ayurvedic Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Herbs that help to detoxify the body, eliminate vata dosha and remove excess of pitta are said to be good for fibromyalgia. Amla (Emblica officinalis) is a classic example of such a drug and it is a part of formulations such as Chyavanprash and Triphala that your Ayurvedic physician may recommend.

Besides this, regular massage therapy with medicated oils such as Mahanarayan Oil can help to relieve the stiffness and sore feeling in the muscles and the joints that is typical of fibromyalgia. This oil is specially prepared from herbs that increase blood circulation to the muscles and therefore, it exerts an analgesic effect.

Ayurvedic Panchakarma therapies such as Pizichili and Shirodhara combine the effects of massage therapy with the medicinal effects of specially formulated oils and have been found highly effective in reducing the painful symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Shashti Shali Pinda Swedana for Fibromyalgia

Many neurological ailments have been found to respond well to a unique form of Ayurvedic therapy called Shasti Shali Pinda Swedana. The word “Shasti” refers to the rice that is made to grow in 60 days and swedana is therapy that induces perspiration. 

Thus, this is a process in which the affected part is treated by applying medicated boluses made by combining rice with different medicinal herbs tied in a cloth bag; when this method is used, it induces perspiration that helps to rid the body of toxins.

Depending on the specific symptoms of fibromyalgia that you experience, an Ayurvedic physician will be able to get an idea of the root cause of your problem. Using this information, he or she will then design a therapy protocol that is tailor-made to suit your particular constitution to help you get relief from the pain and discomfort of fibromyalgia.