Fibromyalgia: A Functional Medicine Approach

Liver Detoxification System

The final step is detox. Once you have cleaned up your gut and removed trigger foods, you should focus on your detox system. Many people with fibromyalgia have “liver fatigue” and have accumulated toxins in their body that cause the inflammation and pain. 

First, look around and explore your environment to make sure you aren’t being exposed to too many toxins. This includes mercury in fish; lead in water from the pipes in your house; lead in your cosmetics; PCBs and dioxins from the pesticides in your foods; and now we also have to worry about chemicals in plastics. All of these environmental toxins create a big burden on your liver, the organ that is responsible for processing and clearing out these compounds every day. If you haven’t been giving your liver enough of the nutrients it needs to keep up with the toxic demand, it might be failing at its job in detoxification.

While we can’t live in a bubble, there is a lot you can do to reduce your exposure. The Internet is a great tool. Cleaning up your environment is the first step, and supporting your liver is the second.

You can do this very simply with food. Greens like kale and collards, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, and eating enough protein during the day (beans, nuts and seeds are ideal) will all help your liver do its job. You can boost this process by making green drinks and smoothies, or by doing a medically supervised detoxification program. If you are very sick, I don’t recommend a juice cleanse for more than 1-2 days. Instead, find a functional medicine practitioner to help you.