Fibromyalgia and Muscle Pain: Your Self-Treatment Guide : What Causes It, How It Feels and What to Do About It (Thorsons Health Series)

Rating:
Summary: An intelligent person's guide to dealing with fibromyalgia
Review: I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (meeting chronic fatigue syndrome criteria as well) several years ago, and I've read many books on the subject. This one is written for the intelligent lay person or healthcare practitioner; it's fairly easy to read and contains loads of useful information on diagnosing and treating fibromyalgia. I refer to it often for self-treatment and have ordered copies for several members of my healthcare team. The emphasis here is on treatments that have actually worked for patients, not on speculative causes and effects. Included are questionnaires on allergies, hyperventilation, candida, thyroid, food intolerances, anxiety, and low blood sugar, along with specific suggestions for treating these problems.

Of particular interest to me were the sections on breathing patterns and fibromyalgia. Dr. Chaitow discusses the chain reaction that takes place when you stop breathing deeply and regularly (because of pain, in most cases). Among other things, shallow and irregular breathing actually increase your perception of pain.

An excellent, fairly short reference volume for your fibromyalgia library (if you have fibromyalgia, you probably have one)... I recommend it highly.