Recently there has been a lot of discussion and press about Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a long-term disorder; pain in the main symptom of fibromyalgia; pain can be mild to severe. It is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, memory and mood issues, sleep disturbances, depression and other problems.
Many people with fibromyalgia have an impaired non-rapid eye movement, or non-REM, sleep which explains why fibromyalgia suffers complain of waking up exhausted.
According to the NIH, Fibromyalgia is a common syndrome in which a person has long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Sometimes, the symptoms improve. In other instances the pain may get worse and continues for months or years. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, the goal is to manage the symptoms to give suffers a good quality of life.
- Painful areas are called tender points. Tender points are found in the soft tissue on the back of the neck, shoulders, chest, lower back, hips, shins, elbows, and knees. The pain then spreads out from these areas.
- The pain may feel like a deep ache, or a shooting, burning pain.
- The joints are not affected, although the pain may feel like it is coming from the joints.
To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you must have had at least three months of widespread pain, and pain and tenderness in at least 11 of 18 areas, including:
- Arms (elbows)
- Buttocks
- Chest
- Knees
- Lower back
- Neck
- Rib cage
- Shoulders
- Thighs
Blood and urine tests are usually normal. However, tests may be done to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms, such as Lupus or several forms of arthritis.
It is estimated that as many as 5% of American woman suffer from Fibromyalgia and a small percentage of men, approximately one-quarter of people who are affected with fibromyalgia are considered disabled. Medical researchers and physicians do not know what causes fibromyalgia, but it most likely involves a variety of influences working together. These may include:
Genetics: Fibromyalgia tends to run in families, there may be certain genetic mutations that may make you more susceptible to developing fibromyalgia.
Infections: Some illnesses appear to trigger or aggravate fibromyalgia.
Physical and/or emotional trauma: Post-traumatic stress disorder has been linked to fibromyalgia.
Presently, researchers believe recurring nerve stimulation causes the brains of people with fibromyalgia to change. This change involves an abnormal increase in levels of neurotransmitters or organic chemicals in the brain that signal pain. In addition, the brain’s pain receptors seem to develop a memory of the pain and become more sensitive, meaning they can exaggerate pain signals within the brain.
Since the symptoms of fibromyalgia are diverse between patients, treatment programs are personalized for each patient. Fibromyalgia treatment programs are most effective when they combine patient education, stress management techniques, a regular exercise program coupled with medications.
A regular and sustained exercise program is critical in the treatment of fibromyalgia. As with arthritis suffers, initially, exercise may increase your pain. However, a gradual increase in your level of activity coupled with a sustained exercise program often decreases symptoms. Appropriate exercises may include low impact aerobic, or other low impact exercise s such as walking, yoga, pilates, tai chi, water aerobics or road cycling on flat roads or on a stationary cycling. Strengthening exercises such as weight training help you build the muscles that support your joints. Stretching, good posture and relaxation exercises also are helpful. Consult a physical therapist to assist you in developing a home exercise program
As with arthritis, you should strive to maintain and even level of activity. Moderation is key. Do not overdo it on the days with tolerable pain and do not do too little or nothing on the days when you have an outbreak of symptoms. Apply cold therapy such as an Arctic Ease Cryotherapy Wraps® to assist with reducing the pain and inflammation from fibromyalgia. Muscle pain from fibromyalgia often responds well to massage therapy.
It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and activities similar to those that suffer from arthritis. It is in all of our best interest to have a great quality of life, for its the quality of our lives that matters most!
Follow Us!