Transdermal magnesium treatment helps fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia causes

Patients with fibromyalgia often come with a long history of suffering, because it is a complex and difficult disorder to understand and diagnose. Chronic or recurrent pain occurs in different parts of the body, especially in the connective tissue, tendons, muscles and joints. The disease is often associated with fatigue, exhaustion and depression. Since the disease cannot be diagnosed with current methods, it has long been assumed that it is an imaginary disease for mentally unstable patients. Experts believe that fibromyalgia is a functional disorder, because even after years of illness, there is no damage to the organs, joints or muscles. The body structures seem to be healthy, but they do not seem to coordinate well together.

How magnesium helps fibromyalgia

Magnesium – the mineral associated with relaxation, muscle release, energy and good mood - can also help with fibromyalgia. Not only with the intensity of fibromyalgia pain, but also with accompanying symptoms such as depression, fatigue and lack of energy.

The main cause of fibromyalgia is attributed to chronic stress. Magnesium is the undisputed anti-stress mineral. Like no other substance, it brings an unbalanced system back into balance. Especially with a disorder such as fibromyalgia, in which the medical approach to treatment seems difficult, created out of helplessness and reliant on the prescription of antidepressants, when the desperate patients can very well be helped with a simple magnesium therapy. That orally administered magnesium has a beneficial effect on fibromyalgia has been proven in several studies.

Now there is also evidence that transdermal -- that is, the application of magnesium through the skin -- also works on fibromyalgia. The study was conducted at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in the US.

Forty women with a clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia participated in the study. A special fibromyalgia questionnaire recorded the type and severity of the complaints according to an intensity scale. Data were collected at the beginning, after 2 weeks and again after 4 weeks of treatment with magnesium oil. Each participant was asked to spray and massage four spray applications into their arms and legs, twice daily for 4 weeks. Twenty four participants completed the study, all reporting significant improvement.

Effects of transdermal magnesium chloride on quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia: A feasibility study: Deborah J. Engen, Samantha J. McAllister, Mary O. Whipple, Stephen S. Cha, Liza J. Dion, Ann Vincent, Brent A. Bauer, Dietlind L. Wahner-Roedler, 2015, Journal of Integrative Medicine Editorial Office