While only an estimate, fibromyalgia affects 1 in 50 people, totaling up to 6 million. It is characterized by chronic musculoskeletal pain accompanied by symptoms such as brain fog, cognitive impairment, depression, painful spots throughout the body, fatigue and sleep disorders. The root cause of fibromyalgia still remains uncertain, and conventional medicine currently addresses its symptoms using painkillers and antidepressants.
On the other hand, functional medicine aims to determine the root cause of fibromyalgia by treating the underlying problem and thereby reverse the condition. According to a functional medical doctor, the issues below are the top 10 causes of fibromyalgia.
10 causes of fibromyalgia
1. gluten intolerance
Gluten is often referred to as the “big masked” as it has been associated with more than 55 diseases. Its symptoms rarely manifest as digestive problems, but as neurological problems such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, behavioral problems, cognitive impairment and pain.
2. Overgrowth of Candida
Candida is a genus of yeast, a small amount that thrives in the intestines. The problem arises when it overcomes and breaks the wall of the intestine. Consequently, it enters the bloodstream, releasing toxic matter into the system and causes symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and brain fog. Overall, most fibromyalgia patients had Candida overgrowth.
3. Thyroid
Most people with thyroid problems do not know they have one, and up to 90% of them suffer from hypothyroidism. To measure the function of the thyroid gland, the doctor should check 6 different blood markers. When evaluating and diagnosing thyroid disorders, the physician needs to focus on the optimal range instead of the standard reference range. Getting thyroid levels in the ideal range usually relieves fatigue, sleep disorders, depression and brain fog.
4. Nutritional deficiencies
Patients with fibromyalgia are often deficient in magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Interestingly, many physicians claim that increasing magnesium levels has helped reverse the condition of the patient. The best way to measure your magnesium level is to measure the magnesium level of the red blood cells that can be tested in any laboratory.
5. Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine (SIBO) and leaky gut
Did you know that bacteria outnumber human body cells? When they become imbalanced, typically as a result of antibiotics and sugar-rich diet, one may lose their ability to digest and absorb nutrients, especially vitamin B12. Anyone diagnosed with fibromyalgia or any similar chronic illness needs to fix the bowel first, as this is a vicious cycle in which everything is closely related.
6. Adrenal Fatigue
Chronic stress, real or not, is the main cause of adrenal fatigue. Chronic pain stresses the adrenal glands, although in most cases it is not the initial adrenal stressor. Vitamin deficiencies, Candida, food intolerances and mercury toxicity are the most common adrenal stressors and it is recommended to support the adrenal glands with adaptogenic herbs until science comes with the root cause and the way it can be corrected.
7. Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by toxic fungi. It is estimated that about 25 percent of the population carries the gene that makes it susceptible to the harmful effects of mycotoxins. Unfortunately, the conventional environmental mold test does not test mycotoxins, but only fungal spore levels.
8. Mercury Toxicity
Mercury is highly toxic to our body and is considered as potential cause of fibromyalgia and other chronic diseases such as neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome and even cancer. This is the reason why many doctors advise their patients to seek out a biological dentist and get their mercury amalgam fillers removed.
9. Glutathione deficiency
Glutathione is an important antioxidant that plays a critical role in the body’s detoxification process. It is recycled into the body unless the toxic matter exceeds normal amounts or the body lacks the enzymes needed to produce and recycle glutathione. It has been found that taking glutathione or precursors such as thistle and NAC help treat fatigue.
10. MTHFR mutations
MTHFR is an enzyme necessary for methylation, an important metabolic process. During this process, both folate and folic acid are converted into active forms so that the body can use them. Any MTHFR mutation makes the body less able to metabolize and detoxify toxins such as lead and mercury. The more mutations in this gene, the greater the requirements for folic acid, methyl-B6 and methyl-B12 in order to keep the detoxification process running normally.
