The word “fibromyalgia” might not mean that much to you, but don’t tell that to someone troubled with this condition. Fibro sufferers report chronic, achy muscular pain in numerous specific yet widely dispersed sites, predominantly the lower back, neck, shoulders, where the arm bends, upper chest and/or knees. While the precise cause of fibromyalgia remains unsure, data suggests that the immune system is involved.

So far there is no cure for fibromyalgia that is known. A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) has shown that chiropractic care has provided some relief. Study participants underwent 30 chiropractic treatments combining a number of different techniques that including spinal manipulation. The outcome illustrates considerable reductions in pain intensity and enhancement in the quality of sleep and overall fatigue in nine of the 15 patients. These improvements were maintained a month after treatment. Six patients who did not respond to chiropractic care tended to be older and have more severe fibromyalgia than the other patients.