Number One value for me in Figuring Out Fibromyalgia, by Dr. Ginevra Liption: A clear and simple acknowledgment that the root of fibromyalgia symptoms is the overactivation of the fight or flight system in the brain, the stress response.
“Ultimately, all the symptoms of fibromyalgia stem from abnormal activation of the fight-or-flight nervous system.”(p.28)
“The muscles and fascia of the body are clenched in fibromyalgia in constant preparation for fight or flight… Medical science has not yet figured out how to turn off the switch of the stress response that gets stuck in the “on” position in fibromyalgia. When we do that we will have found a cure.” (Pg. 56)
Liptan states this central observation and its resulting implications over and over again in her book, “Chronic overactivation of the stress respone in the brain starts a chain reaction leading to poor deep sleep, muscle pain, and fatigue. (28) Everything about fibromyalgia cascades from this starting point – our fight-flight response being stuck in the on position.
“Medical Science has not yet figured out how to turn off the stuck stress response “– but EFT (the Emotinal Freedom Technique), for many, many people, has helped people to shut off their fight-flight response. I personally have experience with tapping with three people who are now free of fibromyalgia pain and have been so for more than two months. In each of these three people, there were identifiable stressors that had put their system into long-term hypervigilant mode, dating back to childhood.
Scientifically, how could this be – how could people become free of their fibromyalgia pain?
In the remainder of my report I address this question using recent brain book reading andn my own experience of working with people who have fibromyalgia –