Big thanks to Nic Baker and Andy Miles for coming out to talk with us about their practice and the way they are trying to improve the fibromyalgia community. For those of you who couldn't make it; Nic and Andy are with the Khoo Center here in Albuquerque, their main focus is the proper diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. They have come up with a system based, scientific outline that identifies 8 major causes of fibromyalgia dysfunction:
- Type 1: Immune Hypersensitivity
- Type 2: Gut Dysbiosis
- Type 3: Nitric Oxide Dysregulation due to Elevated Cortisol
- Type 4: Prostaglandin Dysregulation with Platelet Adhesion
- Type 5: Mitochondrial Myopathy
- Type 6: Venous Insufficiency
- Type 7: Low DHEAs or HPA-Thyroid Dysregulation
- Type 8: Hypocostisol
Nic has started his own fibro blog called Fibro Circle and has linked a quiz that they have found very successful in helping to diagnose which condition is your baseline. You can take that quiz here: fibro quiz
The amazing difference between this center and many other alternative therapy centers is that they come at fibromyalgia with an education based approach to find the right treatment for each individual and their lifestyle. Their goal is for us to be self-sufficient in our treatment and not to need them in the long-term. They want to provide a community for the support and education of those suffering from fibromyalgia. Together we are working to provide the fibromyalgia community with the resources they need to heal;
- Medical QiGong Classes
- Herbal Pharmacology and herb to drug interactions
- Educational Courses/Support
- Community Blog
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Foot Soaks
- Informational Videos
- PTSD support
- Nutrition Guidance
They describe Fibromyalgia like a tangled ball of string, you have to untie one knot at a time and your knots may be layered in a different way than another persons. It's important to untie the root knot in order to straighten out the rest.
They understand that western medicine has its uses and limitations and they work hand in hand with many specialists, their intention isn't to replace your care circle but to widen it. They communicate daily with primary care physicians and other practitioners of fibromyalgia and find that as a whole the medical community is apprehensive and weary of treating fibromyalgia because they aren't able to treat in any effectual way. The Khoo Center is working with the community to help relieve some of that frustration and they are working hard to educate the medical community on the legitimacy of our condition. They are helping bridge the gap between the science and the person.
A little side note: they talked to us a bit about the skeptical nature of alternative therapies. Recognizing that as a community we have seen a huge amount of bullshit and are inherently skeptical of non-traditional medicine. Things have been lost in translation from eastern culture to western and they are conscious of translating terms for us so that we can better understand them from our perspective and their validity in science. Andy has studied many years in China where these methods originated from and is fluent in Chinese. They have documentation and a growing evidence base for everything they practice and are more than willing to share their resources.
Fibromyalgia QiGong Classes
One of the things the Khoo Center is doing to improve the fibromyalgia community is to offer free fibromyalgia specific qigong classes.
- Every Monday at 1PM. Starting Feb. 15th
Community Calendar
Abq fibro is partnering with the Khoo center and will be starting a series of weekly education and community support meet-ups. I am currently working on a community calendar to add to the website and I will send an updated email shortly to give you all the information on those.
*Parking and entrance in the back of the building. Inside the courtyard to the right is the Khoo office and the left is the QiGong facility (Mantis Kung-fu) Also located in this area is Kalm Yoga.
Definitions for terms used today:
Platelet Adhesion: Sticky Blood
Nitric Oxide: cellular signaling molecule involved in physiological and pathological processes. vasodilator. Gasotransmitter.
Mitochondria: organelles responsible for ATP production, signaling, cellular differentiation and cell death.
Microbiota: also known as gut flora -the ecological community of microorganisms sharing our body space.
Gasotransmitters: endogenous (internally produced) gases responsible for physiological or biochemical changes in organs, tissues and cells.
Chi: doesn't mean energy it means gas.
QiGong: pronounced chee-gung is an ancient Chinese health care system integrating body postures and movement, breathing and meditation for health.