Fibromyalgia
A relative was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and although I had heard the term in passing, I never really new what it was.
And recently it seems to be spoken of in great detail whether in medical journals or commercials that advertise treatments, so I decided to take a closer look.
According to medscape.com: Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome that occurs predominantly in women and is marked by generalized pain, multiple defined tender points, fatigue, disturbed and nonrestorative sleep, and numerous other somatic complaints.
Fibromyalgia largely overlaps with other syndromes, such as Chronic Fatigue syndrome, Irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint pain. and multiple other regional pain syndromes, all of which feature symptoms that remain unexplained after usual clinical and laboratory assessment and all of which are related to, but not fully dependent on, depression and anxiety.
So does that clear things up for you? No? Me either. I mean as I try to categorize it, I need to know if it’s bacterial or viral and is it hereditary? It would even help me more if I knew what could cause it. The fact is, the medical community does not have many of the answers I seek. According to medscape.com, Despite extensive research, no structural pathology has been identified in muscles or other tissues. Although psychological factors associated with chronic distress appear to be important for the development of fibromyalgia in many patients, abundant evidence now indicates that pain in fibromyalgia reflects abnormal pain processing in the central nervous system (i.e., central sensitivity). Clinically, fibromyalgia syndrome is best viewed from a biopsychosocial perspective encompassing multiple variables that contribute to chronic pain and fatigue.
Well, that helps a little but it still sucks because I need to figure this thing out.
Oh well, lets move on to the symptoms. Pain is the hallmark of fibromyalgia. The pain extends from the skeleton and is confined in muscles and muscle-tendon connections in the neck, shoulders, hips, and extremities. And the pain is not one that can be ignored. The pain is usually accompanied by stiffness. Other symptoms include Fatigue and sleep disturbances, Irritable bowel syndrome, Headaches and facial pain, Heightened sensitivity, Difficulty concentrating , Mood changes, Chest pain, Dry eyes, skin and mouth , Painful menstrual periods , Dizziness and Anxiety .
It was once thought that depression caused fibromyalgia pain, but now that it is a bit more understood, studies show that clinical depression can deepen a patients experience of pain. I also feel that because it is hard to diagnose (there is no single laboratory test that confirms it) that people who have it become frustrated as it takes numerous trips to the doctor’s office and numerous blood tests and x-ray’s to basically rule out other diseases before a doctor will consider performing a pressure point exam, and with this along with the medical tests and medical history make a diagnosis.
Is there a cure? Unfortunately no. Like most afflictions, the symptoms are treated rather than a course of treatment that offers a cure given. Analgesics and Pregabalin are prescribed for pain, Antidepressants to help promote sleep and Muscle relaxants to treat muscle pain and spasms. The mayo clinic also offers these treatments that are considered “alternative”, Acupuncture, Chiropractic care, Massage therapy and Osteopathy.
Suggested lifestyle changes include Reduce stress , Get enough sleep, Exercise regularly, Pace yourself , and Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
buy soma muscle relaxant free prescription pills
FedEx overnight shipping free prescription online pharmacy