"Dear woman," Grandmother Growth's voice seems to float in the deepening
twilight, echoing, reverberating, ringing in your ears. "Bring
me your soreness. Bring me your pain. Bring your aches to me. Bring
your burdens. Bring all you can no longer stand, can no longer bear,
can no longer carry, can no longer shoulder, can no longer be responsible
for. Give it to me. Put it down. Let us sit in council together and
listen to the stories your pain tells. Menopause is a journey which
requires you to pack light. Heavy things - bitterness, regret, vengence,
clinging to pain - will make your travels wearisome and bring you down.
Take only the stories. Leave the rest behind. Burn the soreness in your
hot flashes. Let it leave you. This is the Change. Let it change you,
dear woman; let it change you."
Step 0. Do Nothing . . .
o Women dealing with fibromyalgia have less pain if they sleep in a
completely dark room. If that's impossible, wear a sleep mask.
Step 1. Collect information . . .
The chronic pain disorder I called "sore all over" when I
wrote this section ten years ago is a now big news. Ninety percent of
the 4 million Americans dealing with this debilitating, frustrating
condition - known as fibromyalgia - are white women, and many of them
are menopausal.
Neither cause nor cure for fibromyalgia is known. It is not a disease
but a range of symptoms characterized by chronic, widespread pain on
both sides of the body, above and below the waist. (As one of my apprentices
put it: "But I don't hurt in all those places at once. The pain
moves around. I never now where it will be next.") Some women have
a low fever in addition to pain. More than half of those with fibromyalgia
also suffer from headaches, endometriosis, and/or irritable bowel syndrome.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are quite variable, making diagnosis difficult.
(Orthodox diagnosis is predicated on finding soreness at specific trigger
points.) Fibromyalgia mimics aspects of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's
disease, arthritis, hepatitis C, hypothyroidism, lupus, polymyalgia
rheumatica, and early dementia. Many women with fibromyalgia are told
their distress is "all in your mind."
It isn't in your mind (alone). Menopause can leave you feeling like
you've been beaten on. Muscles respond to hormonal changes by feeling
sore and cranky. Sleep loss can make you ache. (Non-restorative sleep
is a hallmark of fibromyalgia. See page XXX for help sleeping.) Lack
of calcium (and other minerals) can make your bones ache. Whether you
are dealing with these challenges, or the greater problem of fibromyalgia,
why not give Wise Woman Ways a try? The remedies listed here have been
remarkably successful in helping many women.
"People with fibromyalgia aren't just sensitive to pain; they
also find loud noises, strong odors, and bright lights aversive."
-Daniel Clauw, MD,
Director: Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Georgetown University
Step 2. Engage the energy . . .
~ Having a support group is one of the strongest factors in keeping
fibromyalgia under control.
o Homeopathic Arnica is an amazing remedy for sore and aching muscles.
Daily use of homeopathic Rhus toxicodendron reduced pain by 25 percent
in those with fibromylagia.
~ Make a list of things you are sore (upset, angry) about. Where do
these things live in your body? With the help of an experienced bodyworker,
loosen those places. Women with fibromyalgia are very likely to be survivors
of trauma (sexual or domestic violence, alcoholism).
~ Go back to your Mother. Float in the ocean. Lie belly down on the
earth. Naked. Let her ease you. Let her heal you.
o Listen to a relaxation tape. Have someone show you how to do the yoga
position called the "Corpse Pose." Learn how to bring yourself
to a deep state of inner quiet and peaceful mind. (Also, see page XX.)
o Hypnotherapy can help you gain some degree of mental control over
their symptoms. Cognitive behavior therapy is also helpful.
Step 3. Nourish and tonify . . .
~ Consistent use of nourishing herbal infusions, especially comfrey
leaf and stinging nettle, in place of coffee, tea, and sodas is the
single most effective thing I know for mitigating and overcoming fibromyalgia.
o Gentle exercise - walks, yoga or tai chi practices - keeps muscles
from weakening and becoming more painful. Experts suggest starting with
as little as three minutes a day, and gradually building to at least
four sessions of five minutes each per day. Persist; the reward is worth
it.
~ Regular consumption of yogurt also proves very helpful for those with
fibromyalgia. Perhaps it is due to yogurt's ability to strengthen and
nourish immunity; some suspect fibromyalgia is a result of immune system
malfunction.
o Magnesium is a critical nutrient for preventing pain in muscles and
connective tissues. Legumes, whole grains, leafy greens and nourishing
herbal infusions - like nettle and oatstraw - are the best sources.
~ Moxibustion is also known as needleless acupuncture. Safe and easy
to do at home by yourself, moxibustion gives fast relief from sore joints
and aching muscles. It not only relieves pain but tonifies, decreasing
future pain and gradually effecting a "cure." You can buy
a moxa "cigar" at an Oriental pharmacy or health food store.
Bring the glowing end of the moxa (after lighting it) near the painful
area and move it around in small slow spirals until the heat becomes
too intense. (This may take a few minutes or many.) Pain relief is usually
immediate and often lasts for twelve or more hours.
Step 4. Stimulate/Sedate . . .
~ Tinctures of willow bark or spirea (1-2 dropperfuls/1-2 ml is a dose)
are highly recommeded as important green allies by women dealing with
fibromyalgia.
~ St. Joan's wort tincture - not capsules, not the tea - is a powerful
ally for women with fibromyalgia. It is one of the best muscle relaxers
I have ever used. A 25-30 drop dose not only stops but also prevents
muscle aches. I have used it as frequently as every twenty minutes (for
ten doses) when the occasion has necessitated it. St. Joan's wort prevents
soreness when taken after exercise; and even better if taken before.
I take a dose every hour while on an airplane to prevent muscle aches
and jetlag.
~ Regular massage from an experienced therapist stimulates the circulation
of blood and energy, relieves pain, reduces fatigue, and eases stiffness.
Avoid deep tissue massage; it increases pain. Light strokes and gentle
myofascial releases are more helpful. Chiropractic manipulations are
of little benefit.
o Massage with heated stones and other heat treatments works wonders
for some women. For others, cold treatments work better (but not too
cold, and not for too long either, please).
~ Ginger compresses, hot or cold, stir up circulation and mobilize the
body's own healing agents to take action and ease your pain. I grate
several ounces of fresh ginger into simmering water, cook it gently
for ten minutes, then soak a cloth in the liquid and use that as an
application to the sore area.
~ The National Institutes of Health lists fibromyalgia as one of the
few conditions that acupuncture can relieve.
o If lying down sleep makes the pain worse, slip into something relaxing:
valerian, skullcap, or St. Joan's wort tinctures, up to a dropperful/1
ml of any one, repeated twice if needed.
Step 5a. Use supplements . . .
o A study found little benefit from those with fibromyalgia taking either
SAM-e or 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan - a precursor to serotonin). Do
not use 5-HTP if you are taking St. Joan's/John's wort.
o Lack of sleep can quickly aggravate symptoms of fibromyalgia. (See
Step O.) If sleep confounds you, melatonin at bedtime, the lowest dose
you can get, may help.
Step 5b. Use drugs . . .
H Essential oil of lavender was recommended by several women who have
dealt with fibromyalgia for many years. Dilute with jojoba or olive
oil and use as a rub.
o Orthodox treatment of fibromyalgia relies heavily on drugs, primarily
antispasmodics, antidepressants and muscle-relaxers. But Celebrex, Vioxx,
Valteran, amitriptyline (Elavil), fluoxetine (Prozac), vanlafaxine (Effecor),
trazadone (Desyrel), alprazolam (Xanax), and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
can adversely affect the liver and disrupt the immune system.
o Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen do not reduce
fibromyalgia pain for most women.
o Tramadol (Ultram) is a drug which addresses borh the altered brain
chemicals and the pain signals of those with fibromyalgia.
Step 6. Break and enter . . .
o Beware invasive diagnostic tests. Many women report enduring endless
rounds of tests trying to put a name to their pains with no success
and at the price of physical, mental, and emotional distress.
o Injections of lidocaine, a drug that temporarily numbs nerves, are
effective in relieving fibromyalgia pain for some women. Injections
of capsaicin (from cayenne) relieve pain by destroying nerve endings.
If you liked this excerpt by Susun S.
Weed, you will want
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Foreword by Juliette de Bairacli Levy.
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Read some excerpts:
Building Better Bones
Kundalini Meditation
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"If this book had not been given to me by a close friend, I would be experiencing menopause in an entirely different manner. The Wise Woman approach to the various and unexpected discomforts and joys of the Change has motivated me to seize this experience to transform my life for the better."