Fibromyalgia Information Article

• Muscle, tendon and/or ligament pain
• Headaches
• Cognitive and memory problems (called "fibro fog")
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Pelvic pain
• Sensitivity to noise and temperature
• Even anxiety and depression.

These symptoms can vary in intensity and like the pain associated with FM, fluctuate over time.

It is estimated that approximately 3 to 6 percent of the U.S. population and 2 to 6 percent of the entire world’s population has FM. Although a higher percentage of women of all ages and races are affected, it does strike men and children. Because of its debilitating nature, Fibromyalgia has a serious impact on patients’ families, friends and employers, as well as society in general.

Diagnosis

A physician’s consultation should be first on your list if you are experiencing symptoms of Fibromyalgia. However, many patients have said that the hardest thing involving FM is getting diagnosed by a doctor.

It is very easy to get a diagnosis, from a rheumatologist but the majority of Americans do not have a rheumatologist. It can take patients many years to get a diagnosis which can easily be found by checking for pain in the pressure points.

Some general practitioners may suggest that the pain is “all in your mind” or that perhaps the sleeplessness and fatigue and muscle pain associated with FM are being caused by depression. This can be extremely frustrating, especially if you do not have a spouse or family member to document that your pain does exist and is causing sleep problems.

A SED rate is a blood test that shows if there is inflammation in the body, but it does not tell the physician where in the body the inflammation is located, making it impossible to diagnoses FM. While the SED rate test is helpful to show that a physiological problem is occurring, diagnosis of FM may be difficult.

Sleep Problems

Many fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful and restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the stage 4 deep sleep of FM patients. During sleep, individuals with FM are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep.

Problems and Conditions Associated with FM

Some studies have shown that there may be a connection between FM and Restless Leg Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, migraines, Arthritis, Lupus and some depression disorders. About 20% of FM patients have a depression or anxiety disorder.

Treating the symptoms of one of the conditions if more than one is present may help to reduce the symptoms of FM or vice versa. It is recommended that treating symptoms for pain and fatigue should be separate from treating symptoms of depression disorders.

Causes

No one knows the definite cause or multiple causes of FM. However, it is known that people with FM may have abnormal levels of substance P, a chemical that helps transmit and amplify pain signals to and from the brain. Other pain transmitting chemicals such as serotonin, nerve growth factor and norepinephrine may be involved.

For someone with fibromyalgia, it is as though the “volume control” is turned up too high in the brain’s pain processing areas. Pain is intensified because of the condition. Current studies are underway to examine how the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) process pain and the role substance plays.

Genetics also appear to play a role in developing fibromyalgia along with everyday exposure to physical, emotional, or environmental stress that may trigger the initiation of FM symptoms.

Who gets FM?

Men and adolescents can develop FM, but the incidents are seven times more frequent in women than in men. The disorder tends to develop during early and middle adulthood or during a woman’s childbearing years. Anyone who has a rheumatic disease such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis is also at risk for developing fibromyalgia.

Treatment

FM should be managed as a chronic condition, and medication along with non-medicinal treatments should be administered according to some studies.

Drug therapy for fibromyalgia is largely symptomatic (it primarily treats the symptoms). A physician may prescribe antidepressants or tricyclic compounds.

Other Therapies

Complementary and alternative therapies can also be useful in pain management for people with fibromyalgia. although these treatments have not been well tested.

Therapeutic massage to manipulate the muscles and soft tissues of the body may alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasms and stress. Similarly, myofascial release therapy which works on a broader range of muscles can gently stretch, soften, lengthen, and realign the connective tissue to ease discomfort.

Magnetic therapy can be helpful in healing the discomfort and pain associated with FM, but a physician should be consulted before pursuing magnetic therapy options. However, there are numerous products including magnetic therapy eye masks, pillows and mattress pads that can make sleeping a more restful experience.

Conclusion

FM causes extreme bouts with fatigue and physiological pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments. A huge problem of FM is that is can create a serious disturbance to your sleep cycle, diminishing your quality of sleep and depriving your body of much needed rest. If you are experiencing symptoms of FM, ask for your physician for a referral to a rheumatologist and get tested as soon as possible. The faster you receive a diagnosis the sooner you can begin trying to eliminate the pain and fatigue using drug therapy, or the much safer route of non-medicinal relaxation and muscle therapy.