fibromyalgia and inspiring patient continuity

[Guest guest]

Hi Anne and all,

 

I know your post specified what you see from a 5E perspective, so this post may

not address your thoughts directly. And I hope you don't feel " torpedoed " ! :

-)

 

Not all people who have fibromyalgia are the same. While many are damp, some

are not. I do think it is possible, however, that the ones who tend to be drawn

to TCM are more damp, so this is more of what we get to see - it is part of the

psycho-emotional makeup of that constitution. Some are damp and cold, some are

damp and hot. Some have kidney qi and/or yang deficiency, in addition to spleen

qi xu, and some do not. I see kidney and spleen qi xu as the most common

constitutional type among the fibromyalgia patients I see.

 

However, many of the ones who are not damp tend to be woody and blood deficient

(deficient liver blood failing to nourish tendons). If they also have stagnant

liver qi, these are the folks who are not inclined to try TCM until they have

exhausted every other option, including especially ignoring their pain for a

long time until it becomes unbearable. They are more driven to " overcome " their

pain on their own, and are more impatient with " processes " in general, even

though they might be drawn to them. They simultaneously want to sit still

(rest) and bolt out the door (move), and this makes it hard for them to commit

to an extended treatment plan.

 

A great deal of the fibromyalgia patients I see have stagnant liver qi, and

often this appears as a result of living with chronic pain, rather than as a

cause of the pain (though often both are true). They describe becoming " always

irritable " as a result of their condition, and how this was previously an

unfamiliar emotional state for them. A large number who have had fibromyalgia

for a long time also have blood stagnation. Some are quite yin deficient, a

more common feature in post-menopausal and older women. I observe

constitutional and symptomatic changes as women with fibromyalgia go through

menopause. Like with every other condition we treat, we need to look at the

constitution of the individual and let that guide our treatment. This focus of

Chinese medicine, of fine-tuning the treatment to address what we see in each

individual patient, and tweaking it to match what the patient presents each and

every time they come in, is what I love best about working with

this medicine.

 

In an earlier post, I listed a simple treatment protocol I use with those who

have fibromyalgia. I use this as a base, and modify according to what else I

see. One of the greatest challenges I find where I live, is that people here

want symptomatic relief, and few are interested in the " long haul " process of

treating the root. Educating patients about this and inspiring them to " buy in "

is indeed one of my greatest challenges. In most cases, patients move on when

they feel " better enough " . This is true regardless of what condition patients

are seeking care for. Some come back, but most don't after a while. As it is

the goals of the patient that must dictate our actions, I have learned to take

pride in the accomplishment of improving their lives to their satisfaction, even

when this is less than I would wish for them.

 

I'd love to hear from others who have something to say about how they inspire

patient continuity - what works and what doesn't.

 

Thank you,

 

 

anne.crowley wrote: Don't Torpedo me, but from a 5E perspective I

see a lot of earth in these patients. Even if I don't classify them as an Earth

Constitutional type, I see dampness in the muscles, and of course I treat the

dampness.

 

Anne

 

 

 

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