I have been doing Bowen therapy (a specific type of massage) to reset my nervous system after being diagnosed with CFS/borderline fibro. (See Dr. Edelberg's books The Triple Whammy Cure and Healing Fibromyalgia.)
After only one treatment my flu-like symptoms went away. This in itself is huge. Previously, for many years, when I got less than 9-10 hours of sleep I experienced all-over pain like the flu which was difficult. Many days I needed 11-12 or more hours of sleep. Now with Dr. Edelberg's help as well as getting Bowen Therapy, I need an average of 9, sometimes 10. Over time the pain should be totally eliminated as well as the fatigue.
Bowen therapy resets the nervous system, and I go once a month, with no kind of massage in between due to the nervous system working on itself the whole month.
The day after Bowen therapy, my fascia barks at me, and I experience some heightened pain (only a pain scale of 7-8)--but then it subsides the next day. The therapy has worked overall, and is reducing the pain in my upper back, lower back and legs that I have had for many years in the fascia (which then pinches the nerves.)
Yoga, stretching, and working out cause flair ups in pain, so although I work out and stretch some, I have to take it easy. Right now, for me, walking articulates the muscles in the spine and gives a slight twist to the back, warming up the fascia and thereby loosening it.
The best way for me to eliminate pain is heat. As much as I can comfortably take, and that loosens up the fascia in a specific area.
I wish there were more dialogue on how to reduce pain, but since millions of women (according to Dr. Oz) currently have fibro but aren't diagnosed, there is still a lot of dialogue that hasn't taken place. Not everybody wants to or needs to take pain killers, and some people are over medicated depending on the severity of their fibro.
I understand that the "day-after-effect" in Bowen may be too painful for some people who have severe fibro, but have also read that it has miraculously helped many. For me, having borderline fibro, or as I was told by Dr. E, "being on the foothills of fibro," has not been easy. For those with severe fibro, I wish you the absolute best, and hope you can find answers in Dr. Edelberg's books or with Bowen therapy.
A Votre Sante (Here's To Your Health), Alix
