An Objective Approach to Supplements for Fibromyalgia: What Do You Really Need?

Fibromyalgia is a condition that has been exploited by supplement manufacturers. Most of these companies have done so with good intentions, and in most cases have shown benefit through research. However, once the supplements hit the real world the results seem to be hit or miss for most supplements. Nearly every fibromyalgia sufferer can attest to a friend or acquaintance approaching them with a "magic supplement that has done wonders for their fibromyalgia". So, why do these supplements work for some and not others?

The answer is simple, if you are deficient in a micronutrient, replenishing it will help. If you are not deficient, you are wasting your money taking it. Most fibromyalgia sufferers are deficient in some nutrients. Much of this can be attributed to absorption problems caused by the ever-so-common irritable bowels. These absorption problems can also be caused by many other things. Even stress can cause absorption problems.

Supplements can be vital to recovering from fibromyalgia. If a deficiency is left to stand, cellular function is likely compromised. The old approach to supplementing (and that still taken by many treatment centers) is to bombard you with a handful of pills to take each day. This approach has shown to help, but is very expensive, and completely unnecessary with today's scientific advancements.

Now there is a test that can identify the levels of vital micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) IN the cell. Not the levels simply floating in the blood, but the levels that have crossed the cell wall and are available for use within the cell, which is where micronutrients perform their functions (not in the blood!). This wonderful test is performed by Spectracell Labs and is called the "Comprehensive Micronutrient Panel". In many cases the majority of the test is covered by insurance.

The test results identify the levels of specific micronutrients. This information can be used to identify which supplements you need, and which are a waste of money. In our clinical data to date, we have seen tremendous results from basing supplemention on the test. It has also saved our patients a lot of money in the long run. No more handfuls of pills each day going down the toilet, literally!

If your provider is recommending supplements, ask if they could first perform the Spectracell Micronutrient Panel.