Chiropractic Care for Fibromyalgia

Twenty years ago when I first started practicing chiropractic in San Diego, fibromyalgia was a catch-all diagnosis - basically, if you were experiencing whole body muscle or joint pain that was not associated with some other diagnosed condition you were given a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.  As I write this post, things have not changed that much.  Researchers still don't know if fibromyalgia is caused by hormones, chemical imbalances, physical stress, emotional stress, trauma or some other illness.  The good news is that chiropractic treatment can help decrease the pain you feel with fibromyalgia.


Chiropractic care is a very common alternative or complementary treatment for fibromyalgia pain. People use it to treat pain of pressure points, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and pain from musculoskeletal injuries. Chiropractic treatment may be effective for fibromyalgia because it helps improve pain levels and increase cervical and lumbar ranges of motion. Chiropractic treatment is based on the principle that the body is a self-healing organism. To reduce pain and increase healing, the doctor of chiropractic uses spinal adjustments. The goal is to increase the mobility between spinal vertebrae, which have become restricted, locked, or slightly out of proper position.
Chiropractors do this by using hand adjustments. With gentle pressure or stretching, multiple gentle movements of one area, or specific high-velocity thrusts, the adjustments are said to help return the bones to a more normal position or motion. This return is said to relieve pain and reduce ill health.