Lupus, fibromyalgia, muscular dystrophy, Lou Gehrig's disease, and multiple sclerosis all have some things in common-- pain, stiffness, fatigue and a neurological connection. Dealing with these symptoms is difficult, because you cannot stop the neurological system from sending the incorrect impulses to the brain. You cannot teach the brain to translate the messages differently either. What you can do is visit a pain treatment center, where chiropractors can help in a number of ways.

Treatment for Pain and Stiffness

Although it seems counter-intuitive to what your body is telling you, moving more helps with all of these auto-immune disorders. In a pain treatment center, the chiropractors and their physical therapists teach you how to move and stretch such that you:

• Get some relief from pain
• Get some relief from stiff muscles and joints
• Keep your disorder in check
• Lengthen the amount of time you are able to care for yourself before you will need a caregiver at home

Most of the exercises are low-impact and focus on the large muscle groups of the body. Walking and water aerobics help produce enough endorphins to help you feel better without making your pain and stiffness worse.

Addressing Neurological Messages

Chiropractors look for problems in your spine that can increase your disorder's discomfort. With good spinal manipulation, you can decrease your discomfort and have more time to move easier and do more of the things you want to do. Spinal manipulation aids the nerves in sending better signals to the brain.

Instead of your neurological system fighting itself to report that you have pain in part of your body, the message travels more quickly and is interpreted better by the brain's neuro-net. This helps you and your doctors identify what and where you currently feel the worst, and treat those areas first.

Massages: Relaxation of the Body and Mind for Total Relief

When your body is tense and feeling stressed, you automatically feel worse. When you are relaxed, your disorder's symptoms seem to dissipate. This is a biological reaction to things going on in your life, and massages can definitely help. Most pain treatment centers provide massage therapy to and for patients with autoimmune disorders because massages put the body in a comforting and comfortable relaxed state.

This is the result of oxytocin, vasopressin, and endorphins released into your bloodstream through human touch. Ask your doctor/chiropractor if you can incorporate massage therapy into your treatment program.