Enliven: Journal of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

My name is Valerie Lumley, recovered fibromyalgic and author of “Curing Chronic Fibromyalgia – Choosing What Works.” The intension of my book first is to help fibromyalgia (FMS) sufferers regain their health, and secondly, create a paradigm shift in the way FMS is viewed. Contrary to popular belief, FMS is curable. Curing this condition led me to discover that FMS is a syndrome caused by a chronic brainstem injury, which over time distorts the signals from the brain into the body and back again that regulate all biological functions, and causes the entire central nervous system to become hyperactive and hypersensitive at the same time. This state leads to all symptoms of FMS, both common and uncommon. All stress, mild or overwhelming, exacerbates this condition.

Brainstem injury occurs as a result of a major trauma, or several compounding minor traumas over time, to the neck and spine. The most common source of brainstem injury is the Atlas (C-1) misalignment, caused by whiplash. Other cases can be a blow to the head, a fall, a lifting accident, and even chronic poor posture, carrying heavy babies, or a poor golf swing. A chiari malformation will also cause a brainstem injury, but this is another condition.

Writing this book took 10 years, while doing exhaustive scientific research, educating myself widely, and using myself as a case study as I cured this disorder. During this time I left the care of the medical profession and all its drugs, and turned to alternative medicine for the answers. The result is a clear, definitive road map back into life again for the millions of FMS sufferers worldwide that are suffering needlessly. My success in curing this condition is proof it can be done.

When looking back over the walking-dead years, I can no longer remember what it felt like to be completely disabled by pain, depressed from sleep deprivation, energy bankruptcy and hopelessness, and unable to see past the next moment I was trying to survive. I was bedridden for 2 years and housebound for 10. It took me 4 years to get well after initiating my protocol for a lasting cure that is maintainable and real. It all seems like an unbearable, horrific nightmare that I finally woke up from. Like a bad dream, as time passes, my memory of FMS fades farther and farther into the distant past.

Now, after being well from FMS for nearly five years, I am only left with two lower cervical vertebrae that are degenerated from 13 years of pressure from a misaligned Atlas (C-1), now aligned and holding, and a couple stress points in my spine that need periodic adjusting due the scoliosis caused by the Atlas subluxation that is now aligned as well.

My ADL’s (activities of daily living) have normalized and I am leading a vibrant, dynamic life, however the stress points in my spine do not always hold up to the demands being made on them from my activities, however, this does not hamper me significantly. my chiropractor, Dr. Peter Ruiz, keeps me well aligned and my health is no longer compromised.

I have returned to my former singing career as a classical soprano, performing in my own one-woman classical concert series “Viva La Diva – Keeping The Songs Alive” and am studying with a grand master of voice and performance. I continue to promote my book, making daily connections in my efforts to educate and advocate for FMS sufferers everywhere.

I am finding the only obstacle in my path to reaching FMS sufferers is the failed hope they experience being let down by so many caregivers and medical professionals, owing to the fact that the medical profession offers no hope, no explanation of cause or knowledge of cure, and only recommends drugs to manage symptoms for the rest of their lives while their condition continues to degenerate and cause an unnecessary premature death.

My protocol for a lasting cure is outside the medical profession, and may seem foreign to FMS sufferers who rely upon drugs alone, but as the prevalence in the use of alternative medicine widens, my protocol will become more accepted as a whole. My approach is on the cutting edge of futuristic, first choice modalities in medical care, and ahead of its time in dealing with chronic illness, which is exactly why this book will remain relevant for many years to come.

The protocol I have developed may seem simple, yet difficult to some, but it only requires a commitment of time and the will to take charge and make the hard, necessary changes. It begins with chiropractic aligning the Atlas and spinal subluxations its misalignment causes by an experienced upper cervical chiropractor. It goes on to include classical, constitutional homeopathy, warm water pool therapy, specific nutritional therapy and supplements, psychotherapy, a firm grasp of reality, and the courage to take charge of the condition. Healing this condition means complete rehabilitation of the entire mind and body.

My book explains FMS in depth from the perspective of a recovered sufferer, and outlines the psychological and physical components. It offers a comprehensive look at alternatives treatments and therapies, providing a wide range of choices to help aid the healing process for the individual sufferer. It also explains the cause, and a cure that worked for me. At the end it tells my story of how I navigated the labyrinth of allopathic and alternative medicine to discover my right healing combination. It fully explains my protocol for a lasting cure that is maintainable and real.

Fibromyalgia is a dark, terrifying tunnel where its sufferers get lost in despair. I want to stand at the end of this tunnel and shine a light bright enough for all to see, and show them how to lead themselves back out into life again. This is my mission: to spread the word of REAL hope (Figure 1).

This book is endorsed by the International Chiropractic Association, The National Upper Cervical Chiropractors Association, The International Massage Association, The National Association of Acupuncture, Oregon Health and Science University’s Fibromyalgia Information Foundation, and enjoys a 5 star review on Amazon, Kindle, and Barns and Nobel.

Visit Valerie Lumley’s website: www.thefibrocure.com and view her television interviews, her award winning digital story and listen to her radio interviews. Also visit her Linkedin profile page for more access to her activities with regard to information and advocacy for FMS sufferers.