Fibromyalgia, according to Robert Bennett, M.D., of Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon, is a condition where widespread pain is often characterized as muscular, is sometimes felt in the joints and is accompanied with stiffness. The term "fibromyalgia" is a clinical nomenclature used to identify non-specific body pain continuing over a period of three months or longer. Fatigue--mental, physical and emotional--is experienced by most patients. Homeopathic medicine offers various medications (remedies) that help reduce fibromyalgia symptoms.
Rhus Toxicodendron (Rhus Tox)
In a double-blind study reported by the Complementary and Alternative (CAM) Review Board in September 2009, researchers tested the homeopathic remedy Rhus toxicodendron and found statistically significant improvement in 25 percent of fibromyalgia symptoms reported by participants. Use Rhus Tox for symptoms of fibromyalgia. If you experience aching muscles and joint pain that hurts when you first start to move but then feels less painful after continued movement, Rhus Tox may help relieve the pain, says William Boericke in his book, "Materia Medica and Repertory." He goes on to explain that the pain may also be accompanied by stiffness and aggravated by wet, cold weather. You may feel better with warm applications on the sore parts of the body, like a heating pad or warm compress, so apply heat to wherever it hurts. Rhus Tox is indicated if pain is worse in the left side of the body rather than in the right.
Bryonia
The same study also reviewed the effects of homeopathic Bryonia alba, commonly referred to as Bryonia, for treatment of fibromyalgia pain. Use Bryonia, recommends William Boericke in "Materia Medica and Repertory," to relieve severe joint and muscle pain that is aggravated from the least motion and gets worse from continued movement. You probably want to lie still because of the pain and may have a severe headache accompanying body pains. There may be a great deal of swelling along with pain in the joints. These are symptoms that will be relieved with a dose of Bryonia.
Arnica
Homeopathic arnica is indicated for fibromyalgia pains where the body feels bruised all over, similar to the feeling after over-exercising. Deep aching in the muscles and soft tissues may be present and the person may complain that the bed or sofa where she is lying feels hard and hurts her body to lie down on it. The pains may also be felt so severely that the person does not want to be touched, according to Dana Ullman in "Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines."
Gelsemium
If the fibromyalgia pains feel like the flu with your whole body aching and feeling listless, weak and heavy, then gelsemium should help, says Boericke. Some people have head and neck pain in the back of the head and feel so weak they just cannot even open their eyelids.
Cimicifuga
Another homeopathic remedy for fibromyalgia is Cimicifuga for that deep muscle pain often felt in the large muscles of the body like the abdomen. It is also good for pains in the hands. Cimicifuga may also help with the fibromyalgia pains felt in the muscles in the back of the neck and in the tendons on the right side of the neck extending into the right shoulder and upper back on the right side. The patient may feel depressed and complain of feeling trapped.
Hypericum
Hypericum is mentioned by Frans Vermuelen in "Synoptic Materia Medica" for its positive effects on fibromyalgia pain. There may be sharp, cramping pain in the muscles. Sometimes, the muscle pains are accompanied by nerve pains, twinging and sudden stabbing pains. The person feels worse in the damp, cold weather.
Additional Considerations
Homeopathic remedies are FDA approved and available in health food stores and from online pharmacies overseen by the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the United States (HPCUS), an agency of the FDA as stated in an overview by John P. Borneman and Robert I. Field of Hylands Pharmacy (see link in Resources).
A dose of any homeopathic medication should consist of one pill dissolved under the tongue. The dose can be repeated up to four times, every 30 minutes. If you do not find relief after four doses or if you develop new symptoms, another remedy may be indicated. Because dosing is based primarily on a person's individual characteristics, a homeopathic practitioner should be consulted for ongoing treatment.
References
- Chronic Widespread Pain and the Fibromyalgia Construct
- Fibromyalgia Double-Blind Study
- Materia Medica and Repertory; William Boericke; 1987.
