Happy Valentine’s Day to all you Fantastic and Strong Fibromyalgia CFS Survivors!

Many of you may have already visited (maybe are a member) but tonight was my first experience with   BraveHeartWomen.com.  I am so delightfully excited after listening to a discussion on the website I hurried to FMSurvior so you may take the opportunity to review the Braveheart Women Global Community website also!

The BraveHeart Women’s Community is for everyone!  It provides empowerment for all!  That means YOU!  Physicians and myself provide tips on my blog to help you in your daily living with critical pain.  BraveHeartWomen.com helps you with providing inspirational information  you can use even if you are stuck in bed or bound to the sofa.  Go take a look at the website and get back here and leave a comment on what you thought!  I have learned a new closing salutation tonight. It’s Peace In… so              

 Peace In,

Your fibro friend,

Cheryl

Dr. Mike is Back with Research Completed Indictating A Link Between Fibromyalgia/CFS and Vitamin D!  

Fibromyalgia sufferers should be tested for a vitamin D deficiency.  According to research that appeared in the publication, Clinical Rheumatology, researchers linked anxiety and depression experienced by fibromyalgia patients to vitamin D levels.  They concluded that low vitamin D levels were associated with fibromyalgia and that depression and anxiety that is associated with fibromyalgia may be linked to low vitamin D levels in the body. 

Also, according to the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (December 2003), vitamin D deficiency is one possible cause of persistent and vague musculoskeletal pain. 

When you experience a Vitamin D deficiency, you can suffer from brittle bones, high blood pressure, poor insulin sensitivity, inflammation and even muscular diseases or discomfort (which might contribute to muscle pain related to fibromyalgia).

 A vitamin D deficiency can be linked to higher risks of cancer, depression (another symptom of fibromyalgia) and problems like arthritis, diabetes and recently there has been a lot of discussion involving proper Vitamin D intake and improving cardiovascular health.

We get vitamin D from sunshine.  Basically what happens is this; sun reaches our skin and the rays are “absorbed.”  This allows our bodies to synthesize or make Vitamin D.   Of course, there is a problem with that now due to the scare of skin cancer. People are either going out into the sun less often than they used to or they are wearing protective clothing like long sleeves and hats or they are slathering on sunscreen.  All this inhibits the synthesis of Vitamin D in our bodies. 

Other forms of vitamin D are available.  Foods like milk, tuna, cheese, eggs and salmon all have Vitamin D but in small amounts.  Your best bet is to get vitamin D in supplement form. 

In my office, part of my fibromyalgia treatment is to put the fibromyalgia sufferer on a one to two month dose of Vitamin D to see if we can get a positive changes in their fibromyalgia symptoms, especially muscle pain. 

Dr. Mike Swierczynski, DC, MS

P.S.  I also take Vitamin D Supplements and along with my other supplements they defintely  help. I would not go without them!  A healthy non-Fibromyalgia CFS person’s nutritional needs are different and they wouldn’t need the full supplement cabinet I have.  I also realize supplements are expensive, so for my readers I am researching high quality/low price supplements that help me BEST! If you’d like my supplemental guide list leave a comment indicating so and I’ll add them as on this blog JUST FOR YOU! Because I Love You!

Your Friend,

Cheryl