Dr. Boydston's Neuro Endocrine Immune Blog

Why My Patients Are The Best!

Dr. Robert Boydston D.C, Founder of the Boydston Institute in Fresno comments:

I treat chronically ill patients every day at the Boydston Institute. My patients suffer with fibromyalgia, fatigue, brain fog, autoimmune conditions, insomnia...you name it. Unfortunately, many of them have been to previous doctors who didn't listen, got frustrated when it took more than a 10 minute office visit to diagnose them, or never really let them explain what was going on with their body. You could say they have "been through the ringer".

Our approach is completely different. We look at the complex interactions between the brain, hormones, adrenal and HPA axis, GI system, and immune system. We get to the bottom of the problem and create huge turn-arounds for those with fibromyalgia, fatigue, Hashimoto's Disease, and many other conditions.

We improve physiology and function because we are measuring everything, and making the necessary dietary, lifestyle, and supplemental changes that promote positive change.

My patients are a pleasure to work with because they have seen the other side. They are grateful and appreciative of the comprehensive approach we take. My patients and I truly work together to restore hope and function.

So like a proud parent that thinks their kids are the best...I declare "My patients are the best." It is true, they are all amazing. It is a joy to work with them, and get to play a role in making their life more enjoyable and fulfilling for them.

When you lose your health...what else do you have? At the Boydston Institute we restore hope...one patient at a time. For every patient I have had the opportunity to work with, I thank you for that opportunity.

If you suffer and would like to see how our Comprehensive Big Picture Approach can help you, call us at 559-297-9218.

Fibromyalgia: What Does It Really Mean?

Dr. Robert Boydston D.C., Founder of the Boydston Institute in Fresno...elaborates:

With the big pharmaceutical companies scrambling to create and market new drugs to treat fibromyalgia, it behooves us to ask the question: What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia sufferer's have several things in common, including: widespread achy muscle pain, fatigue, insomnia, and "fibro fog." Given these similarities it is not the same for every individual that is given this diagnosis, or "label" if you will.

These symptoms are REAL. Those that get diagnosed with fibromyalgia suffer in ways that most could never comprehend. Their fight seems never-ending, and those that are closest to them, can't grasp, can't comprehend, their daily struggle and pain. On the outside they look "normal". It appears they should have no problems at all, but they hurt all over, can't sleep, and are often unable to get words out or perform at the same level mentally because their brain seems "cloudy" or "foggy".

This daily struggle of symptoms and misunderstanding is the reality for a fibromyalgia sufferer. The truth is they have a lot of functional problems occurring at the SAME TIME...immune dysfunction, gastrointestinal dysfunction, brain and nervous system weaknesses, hormone imbalances, adrenal imbalances, intestinal dysbiosis, among other things. It may be a different combination and different degree of these components from person to person, but they are there. They have to be measured, and specific changes have to be made in order to help them get back to normal living again.

To the medical community...to most doctors, fibromyalgia is a convenient label they put on patients. It allows them to brush the patient off. The moment they attribute the symptoms to "fibromyalgia", it prevents them from looking for a deeper understanding of the underlying problem. The label is a hindrance for many...because the next step is drugs that rob them of personality and have nasty side effects, or the patient is told nothing is wrong "it's all in your head."

To us, at the Boydston Institute, fibromyalgia is just a label that doesn't tell us how to help you. We look beyond the label, and look at EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE. We know that if we take a BIG PICTURE approach and look at you like a WHOLE person, then we can create life changing results. It takes a step "outside the box", and complete focus on the individual, but fibromyalgia can be eliminated.

You can request an information packet about our highly successful Fibromyalgia Treatment Program by visiting our website. If you have a question Contact Us.

Brain Based Rehabilitation - The Brain As A Muscle

Dr. Robert Boydston D.C., founder of the Boydston Institute ...elaborates:

I deal primarily with functional neurological and functional endocrine disorders at Fresno's Boydston Institute. Functional Brain Based Rehabilitation is a way to increase the function of...or strengthen weak areas of the brain and nervous system.

You can view the brain as a muscle...as lot's of different muscles. Sometimes the muscles are really strong and other times they are really weak. When the muscles...or different areas in the brain, become weak...it will begin to cause symptoms. Things like pain, fatigue, fast heart beat, insomnia, brain fog, and dizziness. The symptoms you get, depends on the area affected...and to what degree.

If we can identify the areas that are weak we CAN strengthen them through all sorts of non-drug methods. We can use sensory and motor stimuli to activate or strengthen these brain regions and help them to work properly.

We may do specific core exercises, non-linear complex movement, or eye movements to activate or strengthen different areas of the cerebellum. We may use targeting exercises or tactile stimulation to strengthen a weak parietal lobe.

The treatment is dictated by the diagnosis. In fibromyalgia, dizziness, chronic fatigue syndrome...almost any chronic illness...there is going to be some neurological dysfunction, many of these disorders like the ones I mentioned, have a primary neurological component. Of course there is still the issue of inflammation, hormones, blood sugar, adrenals, cortisol...etc that could affect our brain rehab...and we look at those things as well.

It just makes sense that neurological weakness would be treated this way. How is a drug ever going to fix a weak or degenerating cerebellum? If you have a weak bicep is there a pill to magically make it strong? Of course not. You have to exercise it. The same with the brain. This is why our drug-free brain based rehabilitation approach is so successful with neurological disorders.

If you have a health concern and would like to see if our drug-free Brain Based Rehabilitation approach can help you, call our office at 559-297-9218. If you have questions Contact Us.

Brain Based Rehabilitation - An Effective, Non-Drug, Approach to Fibromyalgia

Fresno Fibromyalgia Doctor Comments:

I treat fibromyalgia patients everyday in my Fresno Fibromyalgia Treatment Center. The one thing that all of my patients have in common is...they are all different. Let's face it...fibromyalgia has become sort of a garbage can diagnosis for most doctors. It's the label they give patients when they don't understand why they have pain all over. 

Fibromyalgia patients spend a lot of unnecessary effort tyring to get a doctor to diagnose them with fibromyalgia. I see patients who will occassionally go through our consultation and diagnostic process, just so they can have a doctor confirm that they have fibromyalgia.

Here's the problem...the fibromyalgia diagnosis is a label...that gets you nothing. It tells you absolutely nothing about what needs to be done to fix the problem.

The medical community is scrambling...looking for the one pill that is going to fix everything. Bad news...it is not going to happen. Sure drug companies are going to make a truckload of money with every FDA approved drug for fibromyalgia...but it is not going to fix anything. It's not like a bacterial infection where you can take an antibiotic...kill the bacteria...and be done with it. Fibromyalgia is compeletely different.

It overwhelmingly evident...from all the new research done on fibromyalgia...that there is a brain based mechanism involved. The brain stem...specifically the mesencephalon, which fires and excites your sympathetic nervous system...is usually overactive in fibromyalgia patients. Still there are many causes for this...and they all must be thoroughly investigated...so a proper treatment strategy can be developed.

I use Functional Brain Based Rehabilitation to functionally rehabilitate the brain and nervous system of a fibromyalgia patient. In order to successfully do that...we must look at everything that iplays a role in successfully accomplishing that goal. 

For example...iIf a patient has an anemia pattern, as determined by laboratory testing, then this must be dealt with...or the Brain Based Rehabilitation will fail. If you can't effectively move oxygen to your tissues...which is exactly what happens with anemia patients...then it doesn't matter how much we activate or stimulate the brain...the rehab will fail. It would be like trying to start a car with no gas in the tank. If there is no gas in the tank the car is not going anywhere. Oxygen is fuel for the brain...and anemia patients lack proper fuel...so we fix that problem first.

So in my office we have success with fibromyalgia patients...because we treat them all differently. We measure everything...brain function, adrenal function, thyroid function, neurotransmitters, complete metabolic testing, viral testing, food sensitivity testing, adrenal testing....and THEN we decide on a course of action.

We do brain based rehabilitation, nutritional management, lifestyle modification, and followup testing. It is extremely effective.

Do we accept every patient who comes to us...NO. Does every patient fully recover from fibromyalgia...NO. But the majority DO...and it's because we are so thorough and cutting edge in our approach.

If you would like to see if you are a candidate for the Fibromyalgia Recovery Program at the Boydston Institute...in Clovis...just 2 blocks east of Fresno...call 559-297-9218...and ask to schedule a fibromyalgia consultation and examination. If you have questions Contact Us.

Fibromyalgia And Hypothyroidism

Fresno Chiropractor and Fibromyalgia Doctor Comments:

I consult with fibromyalgia patients everyday at the Boydston Institute, in Fresno, CA. Many patients I consult with have seen several specialists before they are diagnosed with fibromyalgia. For example, they may have seen a gastroenterologist because of their digestive complaints, a rheumatologist to investigate autoimmune connections, and a pain management doctor because of the unexplained pain. Finally a doctor will put the pieces together and say...you have fibromyalgia.

It is a relief at first to finally get a diagnosis..someone finally knows what the problem is. This relief is usually short lived. Fibromyalgia is a diagnosis that is given because the cause of the pain is not apparrent. It's a label. It doesn't tell you what to do about it.

Our approach to fibromyalgia at the Boydston Institute is to take a comprehensive approach. We evaluate the brain and nervous system, endocrine system, and the immune system. Everything is connected, and we treat it that way. We want to create a functional diagnosis that is going to give us an actionable plan to fix what is dysfunctional.

Fatigue is a common symptom associated with fibromyalgia.  As part of our complete workup we run a full thyroid panel, including antibodies. Many of the patients I consult with have an underlying thyroid problem as part of their syndrome. Many times it is an autoimmune thyroid condition, called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid is not a condition that can be treated with thyroid replacement hormones. The inflammatory immune response blocks the thyroid receptor sites, preventing a proper metabolic response. This is why we focus our management on remvoing immune triggers and calming down the immune system. This can be done naturally, without drugs. Autoimmune management requires precision lab testing, and follow up testing to be successful, and we are very good at it. Patients drive great distances to have us manage their autoimmune diseases, naturally.

Thyroid dysfunction is just one piece of the puzzle we must deal with to successfully manage a fibromyalgia patient. If you would like to see videos of some of our fomer patients...click here. I have written a report about our sought after Fibromyalgia Recovery Program available at the Boydston Institute. You can request a copy of the report by clicking here.

If you suffer with a fibromyalgia and you would like to become a patient at the Boydston Institute in Fresno, CA, call us at 559-297-9218. If you have a question then Contact Us.

Can Fibromyalgia Go Away By Itself?

Fresno Chiropractor and Fibromyalgia Doctor Comments:

I commonly get asked this question as I am in consultation with a fibromyalgia sufferer. Of course this is usually only asked by the newly diagnosed or those who exhibit mild signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia. Anyone who has suffered with this dreaded condition for any significant period of time will tell you it has gotten progressively worse over the years. 

So you can guess my answer to, "will my fibromyalgia go away by itself," is always a strong NO.  In the April 2007 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience the McGill University Center For Research on Pain found, "The longer the individual has had fibromyalgia, the greater the grey matter loss, with each year of fibromyalgia being equivalent to 9.5 times the loss of normal aging." In additon it is estimated that 30-60% of patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia become disabled to the degree they cannot remain gainfully employed....and that is with the myriad of medications prescribed.

This may shock some of you. Thankfully with the discovery of neuroplasticity, (that fact that your brain can change shape and function given the right inputs), we can restore the dysfunctional brain areas that are causing the widespread pain and symptoms associated with fibromyalgia,without drugs or surgery. Brain Based Therapy is truly a revolutionary approach to this disorder. So whether your in the beginning stages of fibromyalgia or this has been disrupting your life for years you need to address the cause of your problem....brain and brainstem dysfunction. 

If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for care at The Fresno Fibromyalgia Treatment Center in Clovis, CA just two blocks outside of Fresno...simply call 559-297-9218, and ask for a complimentary consultation and case review with Dr. Robert Boydston.