The

FIXFibromyalgia

The Hidden Causes and Natural Cures

That Let You Finally Get Relief Starting Today!

The Fibromyalgia Fix

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Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 5,000,0000 Americans at any given time according to the National Institutes of Health. That’s a conservative estimate. Most experience symptoms for years - even decades - without relief.

Worse, their doctors fail to offer any meaningful solutions. Or fail to recognize it altogether.

But this report isn’t about statistics and bad news. It’s about you. And if you’ll commit to reading this report and putting into practice the suggestions you’ll find inside, you’ll finally find hope for real recovery.

That’s because in these pages you’ll discover proven techniques and solutions beyond what most doctors offer their fibro patients... yet simpler, more natural and gentler on your body. And often, much more effective.

Before we dive in, let me ask you...

If fibromyalgia suddenly disappeared from your daily existence, or symptoms could be greatly lessened without the side effects of drugs like Lyrica, Cymbalta or Savella, what would YOU do first?

Would you dance? Get back to your garden? Walk the dog?

How about enjoying playtime with the kids... or having the desire and energy to be intimate with your spouse again?

Perhaps it would simply allow you to once again plan for a future without pain...

Regardless how long you’ve suffered... even if you’ve seemingly “tried it all” already... I assure you the solutions inside are based on sound science that have brought real results to real people just like you.

So as you read this report, I ask you to keep in mind your greater purpose. The one that looks beyond simply living pain free. And prepare to begin living life abundantly again. It’s now in your grasp.

Yours for a bright future,

Jesse Cannone CEO & Co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute® Publisher & Editor-In-Chief of Live Pain Free®

The Fibromyalgia Fix 1

Diagnosing FibromyalgiaWhen we recently surveyed readers with fibromyalgia, one said her doctor told her

“fibromyalgia is not a real disease.”

Her doctor was incorrect... and far from alone. Perhaps because education on pain

is surprisingly lacking in American medical schools.

Most doctors receive less than 12 hours of training in chronic pain disorders. In

fact, a 2011 review of 117 medical schools in the U.S. and Canada found only 4%

had a pain-specific required course. Five out of six didn’t even offer a pain-related

elective. And few doctors take the time to study pain in depth following med

school, either.

It’s no wonder if your doctor is one who remains unaware of the latest advances -

outside of drugs pushed by pharmaceutical reps or “asked for by name” thanks to

TV commercials.

Obviously, a lack of the latest prescription drugs didn’t cause your fibromyalgia.

They won’t cure it, either. And you certainly don’t need me to run down their long

list potential side effects for you if you’re smart enough to read this report in your

personal search for answers.

That’s the bad news. Now for the good news...

Tremendous advances in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of

fibromyalgia have been made in the past few years. Which means by simply

reading this report, you’re likely to know more than most doctors about this

condition.

Since your doctor may not have heard of much of this information before, you

may want to bring it with you during your next office visit. Everything mentioned

within is backed up with references at the end of this report.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 2

A Brief History of Fibromyalgia DiagnosisFibromyalgia has existed for centuries. Your great-grandmother with fibromyalgia

may have been diagnosed with rheumatism. Fibromyalgia has some similarities,

but rheumatism causes localized symptoms typically centered on one or more joints

while fibromyalgia causes widespread pain centered on tissues throughout the

body.

For much of the last century, fibromyalgia was commonly noted as fibrositis, or

“soft tissue rheumatism.” The root word “fibro” refers to muscle tissue while the

“-itis” suffix indicates an inflammatory condition.

In 1976, “-itis” was officially dropped due to growing recognition that the form

of inflammation present in arthritic diseases was different than that found

in fibromyalgia patients. The condition then became known as fibromyalgia

syndrome - a unique set of muscle pains and other symptoms used to classify the

disorder.

Recently, “syndrome” has also been dropped by many as scientific research has

now established fibromyalgia isn’t merely a common set of related symptoms.

Rather, it’s a unique disease state in its own right, called fibroymalgia, or FM for

short.

Today, FM can be clinically diagnosed using criteria defined by the American

College of Rheumatology and accurately confirmed with a simple blood test. Here

is how your doctor can make that determination.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 3

Is it Fibromyalgia?Just as our understanding of FM has evolved over the years, so has the process of

diagnosis.

The 1990 ACR Method

FM-specific diagnostic criteria was first defined by the American College of

Rheumatology in 1990. First, doctors had to rule out other causes of pain such as

rheumatic arthritis, systemic lupus or gout hypothyroidism. Then patients had to

meet two criteria:

1) History of widespread pain for at least

three months in all four quadrants of

your body (both above and below the

waist and on both sides of the body)

with pain also present in the axial

skeleton (pain in the cervical spine,

anterior chest, thoracic spine or lower

back).

2) During physical examination, pressure

placed on 18 designated tender points

cause pain in at least 11 sites.

If you’ve visited a doctor for FM, chances

are you’re familiar with this criteria already

because it remains the “industry standard”

diagnosis test for FM most doctors continue

to use.

The 2010 / 2011 Preliminary ACR Method

In 2010, a new method of diagnosing FM without requiring tender point

examination was created.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 4

Updated in 2011 to use exclusively patient-reported symptoms, the new diagnostic

criteria uses a simple questionnaire to measure how widespread and severe

the patient’s pain is, asks about core FM-related symptoms including fatigue,

sleep quality and congnitive issues, then finally a checklist of other common FM

symptoms.

Despite the author’s claims of a 93% accuracy rate in diagnosing FM, it still hasn’t

officially replaced the original 1990 method including tender point examination.

Some fibromyalgia specialists believe elimination of tender point considerations

altogether is a mistake as these painful pressure points remain important in any FM

diagnosis. On the other hand, many

primary care doctors rarely perform

the tender points test at all making

early accurate diagnosis unlikely

under the original criteria.

Now, an Objective Blood Test for FM

Due to the subjective nature of

patient questionnaires, lack of

physician training in tender point

examinations and persistent lack

of knowledge about new research

which has finally found objective

criteria to establish an FM diagnosis,

some doctors refuse to regard FM as

an actual disease or disorder.

That may finally change thanks to

new research out of the University

of Illinois in Chicago and at Cedars-

Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles

documented in BMC Clinical

Pathology.

Not FM or No Relief? Try This...

If your doctor used the 1990 ACR

criteria for your diagnosis or you’re

still not getting relief without drugs

after implementing the suggestions

in this report, ask your doctor to

also test for and rule out these other

possible causes of your symptoms:

● Endometriosis

● Low Vitamin D

● Food Allergies, especially

Candida

● Heavy Metal Toxicity

● Low Essential Amino Acids

● High Organic Acids

● Mineral Deficiencies

The Fibromyalgia Fix 5

In 2012, researchers documented how FM sufferers have an impaired immune

system unique to their condition. Specifically, FM patients’ peripheral blood

mononuclear cells - or the blood cells associated with immune function - produced

significantly less cytokines when stimulated than healthy control subjects whose

blood was tested.

Cytokines are commonly associated with pro-inflammatory processes in the

body. However, they’re also associated with both immune system function

and inflammation regulation, providing the mechanism to shut down chronic

inflammation.

Blood cells drawn from FM patients in the study failed to produce normal levels of

many of these cytokines. Further study in 2013 found the same test could separate

FM sufferers from those with Lupus or Rheumatic Arthritis.

These results give doctors and researchers new criteria to help determine an FM

diagnosis as well as new insights into the disease.

Using these findings, there’s now a clinical diagnostic blood test for fibromyalgia

called FM/a®. You can ask your doctor to order this test to help confirm a diagnosis

of FM as it is considered as much as 99% accurate - roughly equivalent to an AIDS

test. Visit www.thefmtest.com for more information on this test.

However, be aware the original 1990 ACR Method remains sufficient to diagnose

FM and the additional expense of the test may not be warranted in every case

(although many health insurance companies will cover the test).

Either way, the natural methods we’ll outline in the rest of this report can help not

only FM sufferers, but also those with chronic fatigue syndrome and other chronic

pain complaints. So a confirmed diagnosis may not even be necessary to start on

the road to recovery today!

The Fibromyalgia Fix 6

Press Out Fibromyalgia PainYou already know tender points are one of the key diagnostic hallmarks of FM.

What you may not know are many of these 18 potential tender points are

associated with known trigger point sites... tiny “muscle knots” which cause local

and referred pain.

While the jury is still out on whether these FM tender points are hyperactive

trigger points or merely caused by an over-reactive central nervous system, trigger

points are likely the primary cause of the pain you feel. And multiple studies show

virtually all chronic pain patients have trigger points... and they’re the primary

cause of pain in most cases.

While trigger points aren’t a “normal” condition, they are common in most

individuals and are one of the most common sources of pain - FM or otherwise. For

example, a trigger point in the shoulder area at the base of your neck may refer

pain up your neck, to the back of your head or above your eye.

Trigger points were described more than 1,000 years ago by renowned Chinese

physician Sun Ssu-Miao as “tender points not fixed in position or running along

acupuncture meridians but appearing on the body when it is stressed, diseased, or

injured.” Pressing on them would cause the patient to cry out “aah shi,” meaning

“ah yes” or “hurts good.” They continue to be called “aah shi” points in Eastern

medicine today.

Western medicine hasn’t taken notice of them nearly as long, but over 150 years

of medical literature has been published on trigger points, with Travell & Simons’

Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual providing the most

comprehensive treatment of the subject.

No ordinary doctor, Dr. Janet Travell was President Kennedy’s personal physician

from 1955 through his death in 1963. Her treatments of Kennedy’s pain-causing

The Fibromyalgia Fix 7

trigger points are largely credited with helping keep Kennedy in politics when

chronic back pain following back surgery threatened to sideline his political career.

Why Trigger Points Cause a Cascade of PainResearch shows many factors including a

compromised immune system, inflammation,

stress, allergies, nutritional deficiencies and

environmental toxins associated with the onset

of FM also can lead to trigger points. So can

trauma, overuse of the muscle or unnatural

muscle movement.

Whatever the initial cause, low ATP cellular

energy caused by failed circulation in the local

muscle tissue causes an energy crisis which

prevents muscle fibers from relaxing. The

muscle fibers then get stuck in a contracted, or shortened, state. They are sensitive

to pressure and often feel like a small ball of hardened tissue.

In the area of the muscle knot, nerve sensors called nociceptors in nearby muscle

tissue and fascia monitor your tissues for stress, damage or inflammation. When

they sense these signs of an injury or the threat of one, they begin to fire electrical

pain impulses to your brain. The abnormal state of trigger point tissue is perceived

as an injury, causing nociceptors to go on high alert and frequent (or non-stop)

pain until the trigger point is resolved.

Unlike other sensors, such as olfactory sensors used to smell, nociceptors never

adapt to continuous stimulus. If you walk into a room with a bad odor, eventually

you stop noticing it. However, nociceptors grow more sensitive the longer they are

stimulated. Which means the longer a trigger point goes uncorrected, the more

readily pain signals are fired - at the slightest stimulus or none at all - while the

pain continues to grow worse.

Weird!It sounds counterintuitive,

but it’s actually low

cellular energy in your

muscle fibers that cause

them to lock up in a

contracted muscle knot.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 8

Not only will the pain around the trigger point and the referred pain site increase,

the longer trigger points are active the more likely you will develop increased

pain sensitivity, a chronic pain memory, in your spinal cord and brain. Just like

unresolved trigger points can become increasingly sensitive over time, continual

pain increases your risk of hypersensitivity to pain throughout your nervous system

due to neural plasticity.

And then you have an entire cascade of pain growing from localized, to regional,

to pain throughout all areas of your body such as in FM.

Besides pain, the tightened muscle fibers in trigger points lead to stiffness and

restriction, eventually weakening the involved muscle. As the muscle weakens, your

body compensates by altering patterns of movement - which can lead to major

physical dysfunction and the creation of additional trigger points.

Trigger points can cause an entire host of other health ailments besides myofascial

pain, too:

● Dizziness

● Earaches

● Sinusitis

● Heartburn

● Numbness in

hands or feet

● Heart arrhythmia

● Restless leg

● Toothache

The Fastest Way to Relieve Trigger Point PainAddressing trigger points should be a primary focus for relieving the pain and

other symptoms of FM. The good news is the process is simple once you know how.

I won’t go into the full biochemistry of the trigger point creation, but again,

trigger points are basically formed by oxygen deprivation due to failed local

circulation.

This prevents mitochondria in your cells from producing and releasing the energy

molecule, ATP, required for your muscle fibers to move and release the tension.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 9

This energy crisis sets up a local cascade of biochemical reactions which lowers cell

pH and releases biochemicals which further inhibits oxygen delivery. Meanwhile,

nearby nociceptors send out their warning pain signals.

This process, called central sensitization, feeds into a cycle of other side effects that

together increase overall pain sensitivity and prolong other FM symptoms such as

poor sleep, emotional stress and concentration-busting brain fog.

Deactivating a trigger point in very simple terms means restoring proper circulation

to that area, which resupplies oxygen and increases energy to the “stuck” muscle

fiber cells. And the most effective, non-invasive way to do that is through direct

pressure or massage of the actual trigger point. About 90 seconds of direct

pressure to a trigger point may be all it needs to release.

Massage therapists, chiropractors or physical therapists who have been trained in

trigger point therapy can locate and press out these trigger points. However, it

may take weeks of daily visits to find and work through all of your trigger points as

some trigger points require multiple sessions to fully deactivate and others are only

discovered after the trigger points they created are deactivated.

If you know where to look, you can find trigger points on your own and press them

out using a tennis ball, a Theracane, or even your thumb in some spots. No office

visit or waiting required... only your commitment and persistence.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 10

Or you can use a comprehensive do-it-yourself alternative we call the Trigger

Point Self-Treatment System. The one we recommend (previously pictured) was

developed by a board-certified neurological chiropractor who studied Dr. Travell’s

work.

Using a simple board and peg system to use your own body weight to provide the

pressure needed to release any trigger point, the system includes a pictorial chart

to help you locate each of your trigger points and a DVD demonstrating how to

use the system to find and deactivate each trigger point you have.

For more information about the Trigger Point Self-Treatment System we

recommend visit losethebackpain.com/triggerpointselftreatment

Preventing Future Trigger Point PainKeeping trigger points from getting established again should involve more than

continually pressing them out. You’ll also want to eliminate the stressors that cause

increased sensitivity and pain to return.

Minimizing systemic inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, stress, and

environmental toxins while improving sleep quality and exercise all play vital roles

in managing or eliminating FM pain, in large part due to their influence in trigger

point hypersensitivity. But the same strategies can help FM and other chronic pain

on their own.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 11

Inflammation: Friend or Foe?Contrary to common misperception, inflammation really isn’t the “bad guy” for

your health. In fact, it plays a vital role in healing. The problem begins when

inflammation lingers.

The normal inflammatory response to an injury or infection looks like this:

1) Immediate increase of blood flow to damaged tissue (this is why an injured

area swells and feels warm to the touch). This rush of blood to the area begins

the repair process.

2) Within the first hour, white blood cells are recruited to help assist the healing

process, such as cleanup of cellular debris and removal of invading bacteria

and viruses.

3) Within 48 hours, inflammation should begin to recede as tissues are sealed

off with a fibrous mesh of protein-based tissue called fibrin and tissue repairs

begin. Some tissues like tendons and ligaments may take several weeks to heal

fully.

As new research points out, those with FM have an altered immune system which

interferes with the normal inflammatory and healing process. Low-grade, chronic

systemic inflammation which persists for months or years sets in, causing continued

pain and possibly further tissue damage.

Many FM sufferers take pain killers just to make it through the day, but this has

proven to be a risky proposition.

Prescription drugs and over-the-counter NSAIDs which interfere with the

inflammatory response greatly increase your risk of death. Even general NSAIDs

like over-the-counter ibuprofen are associated with well over 16,500 deaths per

year - and that figure was based only on arthritis patients using them for pain

relief.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 12

In order to prevent some of the deadly gastrointestinal side effects of general

NSAIDs, COX-2 enzyme-inhibiting drugs were introduced in the late 90s. But these

may be even deadlier, with drugs like Vioxx taken off the market after causing over

100,000 heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening complications.

A better approach is to provide your body the tools and environment it needs to

eliminate systemic inflammation without overriding your body’s basic immune

response to injuries and invaders.

Start by asking your doctor to run a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)

blood test. This is the same test your doctor may run to assess your risk of heart

disease.

C-reactive protein is produced by your liver in response to inflammation in your

body. This workup will give you a benchmark of the level of systemic inflammation

you’re dealing with. Healthy levels are below 1.0mg/L.

Periodically get this workup again as you make improvements to track your

progress at lowering inflammation in your body. Chances are as your C-reactive

protein numbers improve, so will your quality of life.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 13

Cleaning Up Your Body’s Internal Environment

When it comes to runaway systemic

inflammation, you may discover

you’re your own worst enemy.

Knowing the major contributors to it

will allow you to make the lifestyle

changes needed to continue your

recovery.

The foods you eat and environmental

toxins you allow yourself to be

exposed to on a daily basis contribute

greatly to continued inflammation. So

do your personal stress levels.

You may never be able to completely

eliminate these contributors, but

if you’ll follow the simple tips in

this section you can make dramatic

improvements with minimal effort.

Dietary DetoxDiet may play the largest role in

maintaining - or eliminating - chronic

systemic inflammation. That’s why

you’ll want to start here first when

preparing your body for recovery

from FM.

Foods to Avoid

Sugar, from any source

Processed foods

French Fries

Fast Foods

White bread

Pasta

Ice Cream

Cheddar Cheeses

Snack Foods

Oils such as vegetable and corn

Soda, caffeine and alcohol

Better Choices

Alaskan Salmon (wild)

Fresh whole fruits, vegetables

Bright multi-colored vegetables

Green tea

Water

Olive oil

Lean poultry

Nuts, legumes and seeds

Dark green leafy vegetables

Old fashioned oatmeal

Spices, especially Turmeric and Ginger

The Fibromyalgia Fix 14

First of all, cut back or eliminate as many highly inflammatory foods as possible

from your diet and replace them with healthier alternatives.

Besides making better food choices, the source of your foods should also be

considered. Avoid GMO foods and choose organic whenever possible.

Despite large food corporations’ claims to the contrary, genetically modified foods

carry many known health risks and can be pro-inflammatory. And toxic pesticide

residue found on much of the non-organic produce you’ll find at your local grocery

store poses a significant risk to your health and may cause an inflammatory response.

For an up-to-date list of the biggest offenders you should replace with organic

alternatives first, check the Environmental Working Group’s current Shopper’s

Guide at www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php.

Your drinking water is important, too. Consider investing in a high-quality water

filtration system. Look for a filtration system that will remove chlorine, fluoride

and other chemical contaminants from your water.

Environmental DetoxEvery day you’re exposed to external toxins through the air you breathe and

directly through your skin. You won’t be able to eliminate them all, but just

like you can improve your diet you can also improve the level of toxicity in your

environment.

Since the air you breathe likely contains inflammatory allergens and other particles,

use HEPA or ULPA air filters for your air conditioning and heating systems and

consider using an in-room HEPA or ULPA air filtration system in rooms you spend

the majority of your time in.

Obviously, if you smoke, quitting the habit will make a dramatic improvement in

the amount of toxins you breathe in on a daily basis, too.

Finally, clean up your cleaning and medicine cabinets by replacing toxic cleaners

and personal care products with less toxic, or green, equivalents.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 15

6 Pounds of Bacteria Between You and Pain Relief

Besides trigger points and a compromised immune system, researchers have

found yet another common thread among FM sufferers: dysbiosis, or a microbial

imbalance in the digestive tract.

This makes even more sense when you understand that your immune system is

directly linked to the flora in your intestinal tract - a medical discovery recognized

with a Nobel Prize over a century ago. And we’ve learned much more since...

Inside every healthy adult’s intestines resides six pounds of living, “good” bacteria.

Commonly called probiotics, they help maintain the health of your GI tract, fight

off bad microbes, support your immune system, absorb nutrients from your food

and much more.

These vital good bacteria can be killed off through use of antibiotics (one round

of prescription antibiotics can wipe them all out), silver (which has antibiotic

properties) whether as a colloidal silver supplement or general use of silver utensils,

or exposure to heavy metals and toxins such as mercury (including from amalgam

dental fillings).

Prolonged bouts of diarrhea can flush many of them out of your system. Excess

acidity in the intestines (not the stomach), excess dietary fiber, or protein

deficiencies can also harm your level of good gut bacteria. This leads to the

condition known as dysbiosis, when a shortage of good bacteria in your digestive

tract allows a buildup of bad bacteria, candida (yeast) and protozoa.

This causes increased permeability along the lining of the small intestine, allowing

your body to absorb bacterial debris, endotoxins and partially digested proteins.

Your body sees these particles as foreign invaders and stimulates an allergic

reaction and chronic inflammation.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 16

And guess what... there’s the link between your gut health and pain. Only most

are surprised to learn how significant this link is. Such as the similar gut flora

imbalance known as small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Using a lactulose breath test which measures hydrogen produced by SIBO in a

double blind study, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found about 20% of

their control population had this imbalance. This compared to 84% of those with

irritable bowel syndrome testing positive.

But when it came to those diagnosed with fibromyalgia, every single person tested

positive for an abnormal hydrogen reading. More importantly, they discovered

a direct correlation between the amount of hydrogen measured and severity of

reported pain. It could also explain much of the common occurrence of irritable

bowel syndrome in those with FM.

Restoring healthy gut flora is a relatively simple two-step process.

Step 1: Reduce Bad BacteriaWhile antibiotics can kill off bad bacteria in your intestinal tract, the downside is

they tend to kill off both good and bad bacteria indiscriminately. Antibiotic use

may cause dysbiosis itself by wiping out good flora if care is not taken to restore

balance soon after. That’s why two steps are required.

Colloidal silver is a good alternative to prescription antibiotics for fighting bacterial

overgrowth as silver is a natural antibiotic. Another great alternative is oregano oil

which you can take in supplement capsules to help reset your gut bacteria.

Turmeric and ginger are two more herbs you should add to your daily regimen

to help fight pathogens in your gut. They also carry the added benefit of helping

fight inflammation.

Finally, eliminate the environment bad bacteria love to grow in by removing all

sugars from your diet. Bacteria feed on sugar so starve them out at least until

your gut health gets back in control... and then reintroduce any sugar slowly and

The Fibromyalgia Fix 17

carefully. Also consider removing all yeasted and fermented foods from your diet

during this step.

Step 2: Reintroduce Good BacteriaYou’re likely to find yogurt at your local grocery store touting included probiotics

on the label. Just don’t count on it to restore your gut health. The amount of

live probiotics left in the servings you eat aren’t likely to make a significant

improvement in your health alone.

Getting enough probiotics to help recover from FM requires a quality probiotics

supplement, meaning a wide spectrum of probiotic strains with a large number of

active probiotic cells. You’ll want to take no less than 6 billion live probiotic cells

daily but may need to take 30 billion or more a day to correct a major deficiency as

often associated with FM. You should feel the difference in weeks if not days.

Once FM symptoms have lessened, continue taking a “maintenance” dose of

probiotics on a daily basis at the low end of the range and consider taking more

anytime your immune system is challenged - especially after taking any antibiotics.

By restoring good gut flora, you’ll boost your immune system, lower inflammation

and improve digestion. As a side benefit you may also notice improvements in

conditions like asthma, eczema and allergies.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 18

The Enzyme Solution to FM Pain and Stiffness

Enzyme supplementation may be the

most important whole-body natural

treatment you can use to recover from

FM - and literally hundreds of other

diseases, disorders and pain conditions.

Enzymes are literally one of the most

important requirements for life,

ranking as high as oxygen and water.

Not only do they help digest your

food, they’re responsible for every

biochemical reaction in all 100 trillion

cells in your body. Without them, you’re

dead.

When young and in good health, our

bodies produce sufficient quantities

of these life sustaining enzymes. But

starting around puberty, our bodies

produce from 10% to 13% fewer

enzymes with each passing decade.

Researchers have pegged a noticeable

difference in enzyme activity in adults

by about age 27.

Yes, you can get enzymes in your diet.

The problem is most foods we consume

are devoid of active enzymes as they

Another Hidden Cause of Inflammation

Enzymes HelpCirculating Immune Complexes

(CICs) are another significant,

yet often overlooked, cause of

FM-related inflammation and

muscle pain. CICs are larger,

undigested proteins seen by your

body as an outside invader when

found outside your digestive

tract, triggering an inflammatory

immune response.

Normally, systemic proteolytic

enzymes in healthy individuals

break down these CICs so white

blood cells can discard them. But

individuals with compromised

immune systems, including those

with FM, don’t.

Continued...

The Fibromyalgia Fix 19

are destroyed by heat and processing.

And while raw foods include active

enzymes (they’re why your fresh

produce “goes bad” as they break

down the food), there aren’t nearly

enough enzymes in anyone’s diet for

therapeutic use.

That’s why for relief from FM pain

and stiffness, you’ll want to take both

digestive and systemic proteolytic

enzyme supplements.

Digestive EnzymesWe’ve already examined how your

immune system is tied to your

digestion. And many with FM have

concurrent digestive disorders. Taking

a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme

supplement with every meal will help

restore good digestion.

Many with FM have particular

difficulty digesting starches and fats.

Digestive enzyme supplements with

carbohydrases and lipases will help you

break these down to get maximum

nutritional benefit from the food you

eat.

Use digestive supplements which

include these types of enzymes

designed to work in a variety acidity,

or pH, ranges. This helps ensure the

Here’s what’s actually happening

when CICs run amok...

1) Larger proteins your body

cannot fully break down and

digest, like gluten, may pass

through the small intestine

walls (leaky gut) into your

bloodstream.

2) Your immune system responds

to these proteins (called

antigens) by binding them with

antibodies. Once bound, these

are called immune complexes.

3) These continue to circulate

(therefore, a Circulating

Immune Complex) in your

bloodstream and are deposited

in tissue if your body doesn’t

break them down.

4) Once attached to muscle tissue,

a self-sustaining inflammatory

cycle can begin as more CICs are

generated from the inflamed

site, leading to chronic pain and

possible tissue damage.

Hidden Cause Cont.

Continued...

The Fibromyalgia Fix 20

supplement will work regardless of the

current acidic state of your digestive

tract.

And, taking a good digestive enzyme

supplement with each meal along with

a daily probiotic supplement can help

eliminate irritable bowel syndrome,

leaky gut, constipation and other

common digestive maladies associated

with FM.

Systemic Proteolytic EnzymesIf taking a digestive enzyme

supplement is important for beating

FM, taking a systemic proteolytic

enzyme one is essential. You simply

cannot overestimate the importance

of systemic proteolytic enzymes in your

overall health - and recovery from FM.

Proteolytic enzymes, or proteases, help

break down proteins in your digestive

tract when taken with food. But these

same enzymes taken on an empty

stomach (at least a half hour before and an hour after eating) pass through the

lining of your small intestine into your bloodstream. This makes them “systemic,”

meaning they are available for special work throughout your body.

Let’s examine a few of the major benefits of taking a proteolytic enzyme

supplement for those with FM.

Digestive protease enzymes

break down proteins in your

digestive tract and systemic

proteolytic enzymes break down

CICs and enable white blood

cells to discard the debris. That’s

another reason both digestive

and systemic proteolytic enzyme

supplements should be used

together as a comprehensive

approach in treating FM.

Blood and tissue tests are

available to test for CICs.

However, the hs-CRP test which

measures C-reactive protein

inflammation markers may be

suitable enough to monitor

progress in lowering chronic

inflammation for most.

Hidden Cause Cont.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 21

Reduces Inflammation

Earlier we discussed the normal inflammatory response and how chronic

inflammation contributes to the pain of FM. Systemic proteolytic enzymes are key

to signaling your body to shut off the inflammation once repairs are complete.

However, when your body has insufficient quantities of systemic proteolytic

enzymes, the inflammation process can go on and on. In the meanwhile, excess

fibrin is laid down as your body doesn’t know to shut off the repair process,

leading to internal scar tissue build up. This fibrosis is a major contributor to long-

term pain, stiffness and lack of mobility.

When systemic proteolytic enzymes are low, even bumping your arm into a wall

may lead to chronic inflammation and long-term pain. Restoring adequate levels of

systemic proteolytic enzymes through supplementation helps your body shut down

painful, runaway inflammation.

Removes Tissue Fibrosis

Chronic inflammation - associated with FM and most other painful conditions -

leads to fibrosis, or excessive scarring, during injury repair.

During digestion, proteolytic enzymes break down proteins in your food. But when

they’re used by your body as metabolic enzymes after becoming systemic in your

bloodstream, they break down this excess scar tissue and plaques - such as those

lining your blood vessels - created at least in part by fibrin.

By eliminating excess fibrin throughout your body, much of the stiffness associated

with FM may be eased. You may even begin to experience improved range of

motion you haven’t enjoyed for years as the enzymes continue to break down

excess scar tissue.

Boosts Your Immune System - And Your Energy

Protease may be the most important enzyme associated with your immune system.

When traveling through your body as systemic proteolytic enzymes, protease works

hand in hand with your white blood cells to break down the proteins protecting

numerous pathogens including viruses and cancer cells.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 22

When you eat large meals, your body focuses on production of digestive enzymes,

your body feels more tired as it works to digest your food and your natural supply

of systemic proteolytic enzymes plummets. If you seem to constantly feel sick

or tired, cutting back your food intake and taking both digestive and systemic

proteolytic enzyme supplements can help both.

Again, because enzymes are catalysts for every biochemical reaction in your body,

ensuring your body has a sufficient supply through supplementation can boost

your energy, too.

Other Benefits

Systemic proteolytic enzymes offer numerous other health benefits as well,

including:

● Cleans blood and lymph systems of organic debris (which helps improve

oxygen and nutrient delivery to painful tissues and helps reduce swelling in

extremities)

● Dissolves blood clots and helps clear plaque from blood vessels (and teeth!)

which helps reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow

● Reduces excess scarring (even old scar tissue from surgeries or other injuries

may be helped)

● Decreases recovery time and pain from exercise and injuries while improving

wound healing

As you see, systemic proteolytic enzymes help relieve most major symptoms of FM

and help address some of the causes, too. They can be one of the most powerful

supplements you’ll ever take for relieving the pain and other symptoms of FM and

improving the quality of your health.

Is FM Really an Enzyme Deficiency?Research from a highly respected doctor suggests a deficiency of these protease

enzymes could actually be the root cause of fibromyalgia.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 23

Dr. Patrick B. Wood is the scientific director of The Fibromyalgia Association of

America. He has found that fibromyalgia patients have spinal cord changes, low

dopamine and lack iron.

But what does this have to do with protease enzymes?

Remember how I said proteolytic enzymes break down protein when taken with

food? They’re the enzymes your body uses to break down meats like steak, chicken

and fish in your diet into components your body can put to use.

Well, according to the National Institutes of Health, spinal cord degeneration is

caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is ONLY found attached to dietary

animal protein. Likewise, dopamine is “manufactured” in your body from an amino

acid found in high protein food. And iron is plentiful in meat too.

With this in mind, your fibromyalgia pain could simply be a result of poor protein

digestion due to a lack of protease enzymes.

Buyer BewareOne word of caution on enzyme supplements. Be aware that quality enzyme

supplements use measurements of enzyme activity such as FCCPU, HUT and USP.

Those using weight measurements such as mg may actually have low enzymatic

activity which is unhelpful - and a waste of your money.

We originally developed what we believe is the world’s most powerful systemic

proteolytic enzyme and natural anti-inflammatory supplement, Heal-n-Soothe®

to help those with back pain. However, it works just as well for all the other

conditions like FM which benefit from reduced inflammation and increased

systemic proteolytic enzymes.

If you’d like to give it a try you can request a free sample bottle at

losethebackpain.com/healnsoothefreetrial

The Fibromyalgia Fix 24

More Strategies for Taking Back Control of Your Life

By pressing out trigger points, detoxifying your body and reducing chronic

inflammation you will likely experience dramatic improvements in your health and

FM symptoms. Yet there’s still more you can do to recover faster.

Here you’ll find several of our best tips, both proven scientifically and confirmed by

our own readers in our recent survey of FM sufferers.

Heat TherapyIn our own survey of readers with FM we discovered cold increased pain in 74% of

respondents while heat relieved pain in 56%. By comparison heat increased pain in

only 39% and cold decreased pain in only 10%.

It stands to reason that heat therapy will help the majority of FM sufferers. Some

prefer wet heat such as a sauna or hot bath. When taking a hot bath, add epsom

salt to replenish magnesium to help relieve muscle aches.

Heating pads can also help, but for maximum penetration choose a far infrared

model which uses the same, safe far infrared heat wavelength as sunshine to

penetrate bone deep rather than standard heating pads which only warm your skin

surface.

If you find heat doesn’t help, you may be in the small minority of FM sufferers who

find a cold pack relieves pain.

We recommend the far infrared heating pads found at losethebackpain.com/

farinfraredheatingpad. The Small model also serves a dual purpose - you can place

it in the freezer then use it as an ice pack.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 25

ExerciseWhen you’re aching all over you may not want to get out of bed much less

exercise. However, even simple movement like walking on a regular basis can help

relieve pain and improve physical function.

One recent study reported in Arthritis Care & Research showed a direct correlation

between number of daily steps and improvement in pain and function in FM

patients. As little as 1,000 steps more each day led to significant improvements.

Interestingly, interleuken-6 (IL-6), which serves as both a pro-inflammatory cytokine

and an anti-inflammatory mytokine, is one of those found by the researchers

behind the FM/a® test at much lower levels in FM patients. But another recent

study found prolonged exercise causes your muscles to release more IL-6 where it

functions as an anti-inflammatory mytokine... which could explain why exercise

helps FM sufferers feel better.

Besides walking, one of the best exercises when you’re already in pain is simple

water movement. Swimming is alright, but simply moving around in water or

water play where your body gets the effect of gentle water resistance is sufficient.

But avoid cold water which can cause additional muscle tension. Heated swimming

pools or other warm bodies of water are best.

Improve Sleep PatternsInsomnia and waking feeling unrested are two common complaints of FM

sufferers. You’re probably aware of many of these good sleep tips published by the

National Institutes of Health for FM sufferers... but are you practicing them?

Keep regular sleep habits. Try to get to bed at the same time and get up at the

same time every day—even on weekends and vacations.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. If consumed

too close to bedtime, the caffeine in coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and some

medications can keep you from sleeping or sleeping soundly. Even though it can

make you feel sleepy, drinking alcohol around bedtime also can disturb sleep.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 26

Time your exercise. Regular daytime exercise can improve nighttime sleep. But

avoid exercising within 3 hours of bedtime, which actually can be stimulating,

keeping you awake.

Avoid daytime naps. Sleeping in the afternoon can interfere with nighttime sleep.

If you feel you cannot get by without a nap, set an alarm for 1 hour. When it goes

off, get up and start moving.

Reserve your bed for sleeping. Watching the late news, reading a suspense novel,

or working on your laptop in bed can stimulate you, making it hard to sleep.

Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.

Avoid liquids and spicy meals before bed. Heartburn and late-night trips to the

bathroom are not conducive to good sleep.

Wind down before bed. Avoid working right up to bedtime. Do relaxing activities,

such as listening to soft music or taking a warm bath, that get you ready to sleep.

(A warm bath also may soothe aching muscles.)

If you still feel you need help getting restful sleep, a non-habit forming natural

sleep aid may be in order. Our Sleepzyme® supplement gives you 10 natural sleep

aids in each capsule without the groggy side effects of prescription drugs. You can

get a bottle to try at losethebackpain.com/free-sleep.

Laugh MoreYou probably know stress places an unnatural strain on your body. It leads to

chronic inflammation which in turn can lead to tissue damage. That’s why chronic

inflammation is associated not only with painful conditions like FM but also with

most mortal diseases such as heart disease.

But there’s more to the story. When under emotional stress, your muscles tense and

stress hormones are created. The nociceptors in your muscle tissue respond to these

stress indicators similar to direct injury and begin to fire pain signals.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 27

Eliminate stress and you could literally feel the difference right away. Perhaps the

easiest way we’ve found yet to de-stress - and relieve pain - is to simply laugh. A

lot.

This unusual method of improving health first came to the public spotlight when

Norman Cousins wrote about his experience using laughter along with vitamin C

and rest to heal himself from a severe connection tissue disorder - considered a

terminal disease by his doctors.

After as little as 10 minutes of hearty laughter while watching old Marx Brothers

movies and episodes of Candid Camera, Norman’s systemic inflammation

measurably dropped and he was able to get a couple hours of sound sleep.

Scientists now know laughter relaxes your body, relieves physical tension and stress,

and boosts your immune system. Laughing also triggers the release of endorphins,

your body’s natural pain-relieving feel-good medicine.

Sound Frequency TherapyYou may have to hear this to believe it. But I encourage you to check it out for

yourself.

It turns out some sound frequencies have healing characteristics... and several of us

here at the Healthy Back Institute® swear by it.

Recently introduced to the world by musician Michael Tyrrell, he has unearthed

and recorded several specific healing frequencies which are set with pleasant

listening music. Many, including some who were terminally ill, have experienced

significant healing simply by listening.

You really can’t describe the experience in words. So visit Michael’s website and

listen to the sample tracks for yourself on his page at www.wholetones.com.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 28

Is This All Too Much?After reading this report, you may think overcoming FM using natural methods

sounds like a lot of work. True, it’s more complex than popping a pill. It’s also far

more effective.

Masking symptoms with a pill is like covering up the warning signal on your car’s

dashboard. You may not see the warning anymore but the underlying trouble

remains... and you run the risk of a complete breakdown. Similarly, the effort to

control or overcome FM requires a greater investment of effort than masking

symptoms, but pays you back with a lifetime of better health.

Just remember, you don’t have to do everything at once to benefit. Try introducing

one new change per week. Small, consistent changes over time add up to major

improvements.

Ultimately, you must decide what your health is worth to you. You only have one

life to live. Make it the healthiest you can.

If you have any questions about any of the options discussed in this report, feel

free to call our office at 1-800-216-4908 (1-240-780-5977 outside the U.S.). We look

forward to helping you return to a vibrant, pain-free life.

The Fibromyalgia Fix 29

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