The 'Tried and Tested Project' was the brainchild of Caroline Hinkes, a fibromyalgia sufferer. She set up the project to test any product or therapy to see if it helps. It’s really interesting to see their thoughts. Thyroid UK will be keeping up to date with this Project.
Review of the Tried and Tested Project
Background
The aim of the Tried and Tested project is to test products and therapies for Fibromyalgia/ME to see what really works. The testers are people who have either Fibromyalgia or ME themselves.
I have fibromyalgia and had wasted £££’s since being diagnosed four years ago. I thought it would be really helpful to have an unbiased potted guide as to what can make a positive difference to the management of fibromyalgia.
So, on a sunny June day at a community hall in Reigate, the project was launched. I was fortunate enough to have the backing of Surrey Sussex FMS, and support from FibroAction.
There were eight sponsors at the event and each gave a short presentation about their product or therapy. At the end, volunteer testers were asked to test whatever they felt may be of benefit to them. The results
We know that Fibromyalgia is a challenging condition and frankly, most things don’t work! So did we find anything that helped?
Yes, but we are still on a journey to discover the steps to wellness and what we find we will share with you.
The Gupta Programme
The testers liked the Gupta Programme, a mind-body approach, with sessions 4 and 6 being the most helpful. If an emotional trauma or virus triggered your fibromyalgia, then this may help. Ashok Gupta is dedicated to helping people get well on the programme and it is reasonably priced and now includes an option of follow up coaching.
Website: www.guptaprogramme.com Tel: 0845 4751476
Email: info@guptaprogramme.com
Mickel Therapy
We were fortunate to find an outstanding Mickel Therapy coach in Nicola Dean. She is tenacious about getting people well and our tester highly recommends her. Mickel Therapy is a body-mind approach
Our tester reported a definite improvement in symptoms with the most significant being a reduction of brain fog and increase in energy levels.
Website: www.mickeltherapy-wales.co.uk Tel: 07790370257
Other products we tested and liked:
- Greg from Creative Nature burst into the venue and was literally buzzing with energy! He was a very good advert for his superfoods and if you go to their website he has put a super food protocol together specifically for fibromyalgia and in support of our project. Again their prices are reasonable.
Website: www.creative-nature.org
(The Fibromyalgia Info and Product section can be found on the left hand side of the homepage, written in green.)
- Nutri and the Nutri Centre supported the project by donating supplements. We liked Ultra Muscleze which is very rich in magnesium and co-factors that ease muscle pain.
Website: www.nutricentre.com
- Neuroworks in Ealing are good for detecting areas of overstimulation and understimulation in the nervous system then treating the symptoms appropriately.
Our view is that neuroworks may be most helpful to those of you that got fibromyalgia from a whiplash injury.
Website: www.neuroworks.co.uk
- Combination approach Norah Wickerson
Our thanks to Norah Wickerson, Chartered Physiotherapist and Nutritional Advisor from Derby, who also sponsored the project.
Norah says, “Why learn to live with fibromyalgia when you can live without it!” She has impressive testimonials for her all natural combination approach. She is now offering pre-arranged hour long telephone consultations for £30.00
Website: www.tacklingfibro.co.uk
A light bulb moment
I attended a Surrey Sussex FMS meeting and Lyn Mynott from Thyroid UK was giving a talk. She put up a slide that listed the symptoms of hypothyroidism. WOW! They were pretty close to everything I was experiencing with my fibromyalgia…. Prior to that, Marianne Christie, who runs a website called www.well-women.com mentioned a connection between the thyroid, the hypothermic-pituitary-adrenal axis and fibromyalgia…
I decided to get my thyroid tested by having a 24 hour thyroid urine collection through Genova Diagnostics. My results came back as low but normal T4 and low T3. (T3 is an active thyroid hormone which helps you metabolize and gives you energy…)
By now there was a core team of nine testers and they got tested too…..and guess what, we ALL have low T3 and we ALL have moderate to severe fibromyalgia…
To cut a long story short, most of the core testing team is now following the Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia, a protocol developed by Dr John Lowe in America but closely followed by Dr Peatfield here in the UK.
You can read an overview of Dr Lowes protocol and organize your own private testing on Thyroid UK’s website.
We have been working with Dr Peatfield who has clinics all over the UK, on how to best follow this protocol.
All the background and guidelines for following the Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia can be purchased in an ebook produced by www.well-women.com at a special price of £5.00 plus Postage. Please quote the 'Tried and Tested project'.
What next for the Tried and Tested project?
We plan to update you in the summer on how we are getting on with the metabolic treatment of fibromyalgia as we are in the very early stages of treatment at the moment.
We will be doing a VegEPA trial sponsored by Igennus (www.igennus.com ) and are looking to test a supplement for myofascial pain.
If you would like to become a tester and live in the Surrey or Sussex area then please email me on Carolinetraining@aol.com Or indeed if you want to sponsor testing of your product or therapy again please email me.
The Tried and Tested Team…
My personal thanks to:
The core team (in alphabetical order) Bern, Dee, Debbie, Hazel, Jan, Karen, Mazzie, Sandra, Shirley and Tina as without their commitment to testing products and therapies this project would not be possible.
Jo Fisher and Janet Boniface from Surrey Sussex FMS http://www.fms-sas.co.uk who backed the idea in the first place!
To all our sponsors.
Lastly, to the testing team - thanks for your encouragement, humor, and tenacity but most important of all, your friendship on our journey to wellness… |
