Fibromyalgia is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed conditions in modern healthcare. Despite affecting an estimated 10 million people in the United States alone—and millions more globally—it remains poorly understood by many medical professionals. This often leaves sufferers feeling isolated, frustrated, and unheard. I’ve spent years studying fibromyalgia, supporting individuals in their healing journey, and researching the true root causes behind the condition. In this article, I want to take you beyond the surface-level descriptions and into the deeper truths of fibromyalgia: what it really is, how it develops, and—most importantly—how true healing is possible.
What Is Fibromyalgia—Really?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, profound fatigue, cognitive disturbances (often called “fibro fog”), and heightened sensitivity to touch, sound, light, and even emotions. Additional symptoms often include sleep disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, depression, anxiety, and environmental sensitivities.
Conventionally, fibromyalgia is considered a ‘central sensitisation syndrome,’ meaning the nervous system becomes hypersensitive, amplifying normal sensory input into painful experiences. While this neurological explanation offers one piece of the puzzle, it is far from the whole story.
The dominant medical narrative states that fibromyalgia has no known cause and no cure. Treatment is typically focused on symptom management—painkillers, antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, and cognitive behavioural therapy. But those of us who work outside the conventional model understand this for what it is: a surface-level suppression of symptoms without addressing the underlying causes.
Fibromyalgia Is Not ‘All in Your Head’
One of the most damaging misconceptions about fibromyalgia is the suggestion—whether explicit or implied—that the symptoms are psychosomatic. This attitude often arises due to the lack of definitive biomarkers or abnormal imaging. But make no mistake: fibromyalgia is a real and deeply physical condition.
The absence of objective diagnostic tools does not make a disease any less real. It simply means that our tools are insufficient. Most fibromyalgia patients have a long history of being bounced from one specialist to another, often undergoing invasive tests and procedures, only to be told everything appears “normal.” These people are not imagining their pain. They are living in bodies that are screaming for help—and not being heard.
Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Understanding the full spectrum of symptoms is crucial to recognising and validating this condition:
- Chronic widespread pain (burning, aching, stabbing, or throbbing)
- Extreme fatigue even after rest
- Brain fog and memory issues
- Unrefreshing sleep or insomnia
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Sensitivity to light, sound, smell, and touch
- Anxiety and depression
- Migraines or chronic headaches
- Muscle stiffness, especially in the morning
- Restless legs or numbness and tingling
- Temperature dysregulation
- Increased response to stress and physical exertion
It is important to note that these symptoms are not always constant. They may wax and wane, fluctuate with weather, stress, diet, toxin exposure, or other environmental factors.
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Here is where the discussion becomes truly important. The mainstream model says, “We don’t know.” But when we step back and look at the body holistically, a clear picture begins to emerge.
1. Toxic Load
Many people with fibromyalgia have a high toxic load. This includes environmental toxins (pesticides, heavy metals, moulds), pharmaceutical residues, food additives, synthetic chemicals in body care products, and the internal by-products of poor digestion and cellular metabolism. When the body’s channels of elimination become overwhelmed, it results in a state of internal pollution—manifesting as inflammation, pain, and chronic fatigue.
2. Nutritional Deficiency and Digestive Dysfunction
Fibromyalgia sufferers are often malnourished—not because they don’t eat, but because their digestive systems are impaired. Years of processed food, antibiotics, stress, and gut inflammation leave the body unable to absorb vital nutrients, leading to deficiencies in magnesium, B-vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids—all of which are crucial for muscle function, nerve conduction, energy production, and mood regulation.
3. Emotional Suppression and Nervous System Overload
Unprocessed trauma, chronic stress, and emotional suppression place an enormous burden on the nervous system. Over time, the body remains in a perpetual “fight or flight” state, leading to adrenal exhaustion, hormonal imbalance, and neurotransmitter depletion. This dysregulated nervous system can heighten pain perception and reduce the body’s ability to regulate inflammation.
4. Sedentary Lifestyles and Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Contrary to popular belief, people with fibromyalgia are not “lazy.” Many were previously highly active, high-achieving individuals. But with chronic pain and fatigue, movement becomes difficult—and this inactivity leads to stagnation, poor lymph flow, and mitochondrial dysfunction (the energy centres of our cells). Without oxygen, movement, and nutrition, cells begin to degenerate.
5. Viral and Microbial Burden
Some researchers have connected fibromyalgia to latent viral infections, gut dysbiosis, and microbial overgrowth. From a natural hygiene perspective, these organisms proliferate in a body that is toxic and weakened—not because they are the cause, but because the internal terrain allows them to thrive. Clean up the terrain, and the microbes naturally recede.
The Problem with Symptom Suppression
Most conventional treatments attempt to silence the symptoms rather than heal the cause. Medications such as gabapentin, duloxetine, and opioids can temporarily dull the pain, but they often worsen the long-term outcome by further burdening the liver, disturbing the microbiome, and numbing the body’s signals.
Many people report feeling emotionally flat, more fatigued, or even more disassociated while on these medications. While they may be necessary in certain acute cases, they are not a long-term solution.
True Healing Requires a Whole-Body Reset
Real healing comes when the body is allowed to cleanse itself, restore balance, and regenerate from within. I have supported clients who have made profound recoveries from fibromyalgia—not through quick fixes, but by committing to a long-term journey of purification and rebalancing. Key pillars include:
1. Detoxification through Rest and Fasting
Periodic fasting—when done safely—allows the body to redirect energy from digestion toward cellular repair and detoxification. Symptoms often flare before they improve, as deep-seated toxins are released. But with proper support, this process can be transformative.
2. Plant-Based, Whole Food Nutrition
A nutrient-rich, hydrating diet based on raw fruits, leafy greens, and simple whole foods supports cellular repair, reduces inflammation, and re-alkalises the body. Avoiding processed foods, caffeine, refined sugar, and gluten is often critical.
3. Nervous System Regulation
Practices like breathwork, sunbathing, grounding (barefoot contact with the Earth), gentle stretching, and conscious rest help calm the autonomic nervous system. This is essential for allowing the body to shift into a healing state.
4. Emotional Processing
Many individuals with fibromyalgia hold years of unexpressed grief, anger, or fear. Therapeutic techniques such as timeline work, NLP, inner child healing, or simply being heard and validated in a safe space can catalyse profound shifts.
5. Environmental Detox
Reducing exposure to harmful chemicals in your home, water, food, and personal care products lightens the toxic load. Clean air, clean water, and clean food are non-negotiable.
Final Thoughts: You Are Not Broken
If you have fibromyalgia, I want you to know this: you are not broken. Your body is not betraying you. It is speaking to you—loudly—because it hasn’t been heard for far too long. The pain is not random. The fatigue is not laziness. These are intelligent messages from your system, begging for a shift in lifestyle, environment, nourishment, and awareness.
With the right approach—one rooted in truth, compassion, and the body’s innate intelligence—healing is not only possible, it is probable.
You do not need to settle for a life of pain management. You deserve to thrive.
And if you’re ready to begin that journey, I’m here to guide you.