Fibromyalgia Natural Treatment: 3 Herbs for Fibromyalgia Pain Relief

Fibromyalgia is a disease that is first suspected when patients suffer from a triad of chronic pain, fatigue, and depression [1]. Although there are medical treatments available to combat these lingering symptoms, patients are less than excited to take these numerous treatments on a long-term basis because of the side effects that accompany them [2]. Supplements for fibromyalgia are suitable replacements to help patients find fibromyalgia pain relief. There are numerous fibromyalgia natural treatments on the market that can be useful to treat their pain symptoms. We can use therapies like melatonin or omega-3 fatty acids to alleviate this pain. If tablets and pills are items you would rather avoid, many herbs for fibromyalgia pain relief exist to help reduce this pain. Here, we will focus on three natural herbs that are easy to find and affordable for all to contribute to reducing your inflammation and find relief for your pain. 

Turmeric 

Luckily for you, you do not have to travel to India to take advantage of this powerful herb. Turmeric can be easily purchased anywhere in North America and has many useful qualities to help bring fibromyalgia pain relief. Turmeric is effective because once our digestive system metabolizes it, the curcumin metabolite that forms works remarkably on inflammation [3]. 

Turmeric has multiple applications in medicine and can benefit patients with gastrointestinal and digestive issues [4], which is very important because secondary symptoms of fibromyalgia can be linked with irritable bowel disease, a co-morbidity of fibromyalgia in almost 70 percent of cases [5]. More importantly, turmeric is also an effective treatment for chronic pain diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Its properties help alleviate the inflammation in joints, fatigue, and chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia [6]. 

In another disease, related to chronic pain, patients with osteoarthritis were given capsules of turmeric to determine if they are effective at treating the pain. It was determined that these medications were able to reduce pain levels by nearly 48 percent compared to placebos. [7]

Ginger 

Another fibromyalgia natural treatment that can be considered a herb for fibromyalgia pain relief would be ginger. This is a compound that is found in any supermarket around North America and is usually pretty cheap. Multiple studies indicate that ginger is an effective agent when it comes to managing pain. Patients were given ginger extract and it was determined that a linear dose-response was observed. The more ginger extract that patients took, the more significant the reduction of pain. These studies also found that when compared to traditional NSAIDs (medications like Tylenol, Advil), ginger had fewer side effects. [8] As you can see, this can be a very useful supplement for fibromyalgia. 

In one study, 247 patients suffering from chronic knee pain were given ginger extract with surprising results. Patients consistently reported less pain, were more active and had a subjectively higher quality of lives compared to placebo groups. [9] This will surely be able to bring more systematic fibromyalgia pain relief. 

Ginkgo 

When it comes to fibromyalgia natural treatments, ginkgo is the herb that is the most promising for your fibromyalgia pain relief. Not only is this herb beneficial when it comes to pain, it is also overflowing with an abundance of other useful properties to benefit patients suffering from fibromyalgia. In a broad experiment to see how useful ginkgo could be, participants in the study were given dosages of ginkgo ranging from 80 to 720 mg/d of ginkgo for a period ranging from 2 weeks to 2 years. At the conclusion of the study, it was determined that ginkgo was effective at increasing cerebral blood flow, had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and was useful for platelet disorders. This can be beneficial when you have diseases like Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, claudification or fibromyalgia. [10]

In a pilot study to determine to what extent ginkgo can help alleviate symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, researchers asked patients to take tablets of ginkgo and coenzyme Q10 to determine if there could be a possible effect. As we learned in a previous article, coenzyme Q10 was used in conjunction with NADH to boost energy levels in patients with fibromyalgia. Patients took 200 milligrams of each daily for 84 days, and the patients were then assessed to determine if they felt better. At the conclusion of the study, it was evident that ginkgo did have a beneficial effect on patients. The longer patients took ginkgo, the more effective this treatment became. At the end of the period, 64 percent of patients reported that they felt better than before taking any ginkgo supplementation. [11]