Fibromyalgia is chronic disorder which includes widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and tenderness.

Between three and six million people in the United States suffer from fibromyalgia. Ninety percent of those who develop fibromyalgia are women. If this pain affects more than 11 points in all four quadrants (both the right and left sides plus above and below the waist) of the body lasts more than 3 months, it is diagnosed as fibromyalgia. Other symptoms include:

• sleep disturbances
• morning stiffness
• headaches
• irritable bowel syndrome
• painful menstrual periods
• numbness or tingling of the extremities
• restless legs syndrome
• temperature sensitivity
• cognitive and memory problems (sometimes referred to as "fibro fog")

Research indicates that fibromyalgia is stress related. Treatment often requires utilizing chiropractic care, trigger point therapy, massage, dietary changes, exercise and stretching along with spinal adjustments 3 – 4 times a month.

Cold laser therapyis one of the newest innovations to treat fibromyalgia. It stimulates tissue healing and decreases pain sensation. A 1997 study of 846 people with fibromyalgia reported in the Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery demonstrated that two-thirds of the patients experienced improved pain and mobility with cold laser therapy. Another study published in Rheumatology International in 2002, showed that those who received laser therapy had a significant improvement in pain, fatigue and morning stiffness. Higher Health Chiropractic offers Cold Laser therapy treatment onsite. Sleep, exercise, diet, nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes can help you battle fibromyalgia. Ask the Doctor for her recommendations.