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Fibromyalgia
Diagnoses which are frequently made mistakenly instead of fibromyalgia are:
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder, cervical and lower back degenerative diseases, backache, protrusive intervertebral disks (which are not "yet" worth operating on, because it is not a "real" dislocation of an intervertebral disc, but merely protrusions), facet syndrome, hip joint and knee joint osteoarthritis, trochanterodynia, achillodynia, calcaneal spur, flat and spread foot. And even osteoporosis, pseudo Parkinson, atypical Parkinson of one extremity, and multiple sclerosis! The diagnosis most hated and feared by the patients is "somatoform disorder", translated in the patient's colloquial language and particularly the language of his milieu as "Nothing, but the psyche!" Patients are exposed to humiliation continuously, despite the fact that depression should be understood as a reactive neurosis to pain.
Which are the Causes of Fibromyalgia?
In general, physicians hold the following view: pathogenesis is unclear, diagnosis is difficult, treatment is symptomatic. Fibromyalgia is incurable. For the first time, the realization that in the case of fibromyalgia, the acupuncture points are recognized as acupuncture holes which glue up breaks new ground concerning the accuracy of diagnostics as well as the causal treatment. As a result of physical and/or mental stress, the free nerve endings are enclosed by protein, which clots on the spot and seals up the openings. The clotted openings can be cleaned surgically in such a way that they possibly do not glue up again. The stress occurring within the fibrous bundles can be relieved. Relief incisions make sense, in a word, the subtleties of hand surgery and peripheral neurosurgery including microsurgical techniques are necessary. The realization that there are real "switch boxes of meridians" on the arms and the legs allows to perform an operation in the course of which the 6 – 8 acupuncture points dominating one quadrant are examined requiring one single incision. The stress theory includes without the slightest difficulty, all the common factors which can worsen an existing fibromyalgia or cause a latent FMS to break out. Weather, draught, cold, a too rigorous training, house-construction, renovation, hormonal changes, strokes of fate, and mental stress. However, illnesses, virus and bacterial infections, injuries, real rheumatism, lupus, thyroid diseases should be considered as well. Many factors, but only one mechanism!
Treatment of Fibromyalgia
During the first months, the classical treatment is advisable: anti-inflammatory, decongestant, myorelaxant and antidepressant drugs are appropriate, careful remedial gymnastics, physiotherapy, cryo-applications and nutritional advice in case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The usual therapeutical approach, however, should not impede our awareness of the disturbed meridians. It is possible for patients to learn to massage the right spot in the right direction, according to the Chinese proverb saying that success will come gradually. In the cases in which the disease has reached an advanced stage, the surgical cleaning of the clotted acupuncture points can hardly be avoided. The success rates are high. In 90% of the operations, the patients become and stay symptom-free (1,2).