As many as one in fifty people develop a condition known as fibromyalgia. Women are seven times more likely to fall victim to this problem than men. Onset is generally between the ages of twenty and fifty-five. As many as five million Americans have fibromyalgia. The name comes from three words: Algia for pain; My referring to the muscle; Fibro for tissues such as ligaments and tendons. With symptoms that go beyond just pain, sufferers refer to their fibromyalgia syndrome. Hypnotherapy seems to be reasonably successful in treating the pain associated with fibromyalgia.
Those suffering from fibromyalgia report an abundance of issues. Topping the list of symptoms are muscle pain, fatigue, and tenderness. Tiredness during the day can increase after the expenditure of little effort. After a day of fighting fatigue, a night of solid sleep would be welcome, but many report sleep issues, as well. Upon awakening, sufferers often report unexplained muscle soreness. The cycle repeats itself. With such physical issues, it is not surprising that anxiety and depression often follow. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) will often accompany this devastating health challenge.
The cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery today. Medical professionals will only identify a person suffering from this condition when they have ruled out every other possible physical cause. Having a formal diagnosis of fibromyalgia by a physician is a pre-requisite for an ethical hypnotherapist to treat a suffering client. The therapist needs to make sure the hypnotherapy does not mask a treatable physical ailment. Unfortunately for fibromyalgia clients, the condition is long term with a lifetime of health issues.
Since cause and cure remain mysteries, managing symptoms is the goal. Hypnotherapy has proven effective in test after test for reaching several key relief goals. The National Institute for Health states that of those suffering from fibromyalgia, those receiving hypnotherapy reported an outstanding 89% fewer pain symptoms. Fewer sleep problems, decreased morning fatigue, and decreased overall muscle pain were also noted by the study.
With such physical results, anxiety and depression can be expected to decrease, as well. This change would naturally occur, but as we discussed in Part II, the hypnotherapy augments these results with therapy specifically for anxiety and depression. No wonder fibromyalgia sufferers report with joy the success of their hypnotherapy.