Fixing Fibromyalgia
You are feeling pain in your joints and you feel exhausted all the time. Press on your shoulders and they feel achy and tender to the touch. The same could be said about your neck, feet, and numerous other areas of your body. You could be suffering from fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread persistent musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. Symptoms often begin after an event, such as physical trauma, surgery, infection, or some psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate without a single triggering event.
Women are more likely to develop fibromyalgia than men. The condition sometimes runs in families. The pain may come and go. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fibromyalgia affects about 4 million US adults, about 2 percent of the population. The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. Certain stressors may be associated with fibromyalgia such as being born premature or traumatic events like abuse or accidents, medical conditions such as viral infections or other illnesses, anxiety, depression, other mood disorders, PTSD, poor sleep, and lack of exercise.
Some researchers believe that repeated nerve stimulation causes the brain and spinal cord of people with fibromyalgia to change. The change involves an abnormal increase in the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain. In addition, the brain’s pain receptors develop a memory of the pain and become sensitized, meaning they overreact to pain and nonpainful signals.
Common symptoms of fibromyalgia are widespread muscle pain and joint pain along with fatigue and poor sleep. You might also experience anxiety or depression, digestive problems such as diarrhea or constipation, face and jaw pain (temporomandibular disorders), headaches or migraines, memory problems, and tingling or numbness in hands or feet.
Fibromyalgia often exists along with other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome, postural tachycardia syndrome and temporomandibular joint disorders.
Certain things may trigger a flare-up in symptoms such as change in daily routines, dietary changes or poor diet, hormone fluctuations, lack of sleep, work-related stress, illness, emotional stress, treatment changes, change in sleep patterns, and weather or temperature changes.
There is no test that definitively diagnoses fibromyalgia. The criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia is widespread pain throughout the body for at least three months. You must have pain in four of five areas: the left upper region, including the shoulder, arm or jaw; the right upper region, including the shoulder, arm or jaw; the left lower region, including the hip, buttock or leg; the right lower region, including hip, buttock or leg; axial region, which includes neck, back, chest or abdomen.
Your doctor may perform blood tests to rule out other conditions similar to fibromyalgia. These blood tests may include complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, cyclic citrullinated peptide test, rheumatoid factor, thyroid function tests, anti-nuclear antibody, celiac serology, and vitamin D. If there is a chance you might be suffering from sleep apnea, your doctor may suggest an overnight sleep study.
Standard treatment for fibromyalgia involves medication and self-care strategies. Common medication choices include pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), and naproxen sodium (Aleve, others). But be cautious and speak to your doctor regarding other pain relievers that might encourage dependence and worsen pain symptoms over time.
Antidepressants may also be useful in treating the condition. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) may help ease the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. Anti-seizure drugs used to treat epilepsy are often useful in treating certain types of pain. Gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) may be helpful in decreasing fibromyalgia symptoms.
In addition, certain types of therapy may be beneficial in treating fibromyalgia. Physical therapy with an emphasis on water-based exercises may do wonders to improve symptoms. An occupational therapist can help make adjustments and provide alternatives to the way you perform certain tasks that will cause less wear and tear on your body. Counseling can provide reinforcement in your abilities and provide strategies for stressful situations.
You may have to make certain lifestyle choices to increase the likelihood of managing your symptoms in an effective manner. For instance, in the interest of managing your stress, you may have to learn to say no to certain things. Practice good sleep hygiene by going to bed and waking up the same time consistently. Having a regular gradual exercise program may prove useful with symptoms eventually. Moderation is the key and learning how to go at your own pace. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and saying no to tobacco while limiting caffeine.
You might want to try some alternative interventions as well. Some studies indicate acupuncture may help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms, but others show no benefit (do your research and consult your physician). Massage therapy may reduce your heart rate, relax your muscles, improve your range of motion in your joints and increase production of your body’s natural pain killers. It may help relieve stress and anxiety. Yoga and tai chi have been proven effective in controlling fibromyalgia symptoms.
You shouldn’t just resign yourself to the pain of fibromyalgia. It is important that you speak with your doctor regarding the best treatment options and lifestyle choices for you.
