Fibromyalgia Awareness

Fibromyalgia is often described in medical journals as follows: a chronic pain disorder characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. "Tender points" refers to tenderness that occurs in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. People with this syndrome may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.

This description, however, is outdated and inaccurate because the stiffness experienced by someone with fibromyalgia is not only in the morning; it is at all times and does not improve as the day goes on. Fibromyalgia is caused by the brain not producing enough serotonin during sleep for the patient’s muscles to relax. This leads to severe muscle tension, which is very painful and muscle knots often form at the trigger points. Sleep is non-restorative, so the patient feels unrefreshed and often more tired in the morning than they felt when they went to bed.

While the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia fluctuate from person to person, there is one common symptom that all agree on - they hurt all over. The pain can feel like a deep bone ache, pins and needles, or a stabbing or burning pain. Muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. There are times this pain is mild, others when it is so severe that it becomes unbearable.

Fibromyalgia has been classified as a syndrome, not a disease. A disease is a condition with a clearly identifiable cause, whereas a syndrome is a set of symptoms that define the condition without a single causative agent upon which to place the blame.

The following diagram shows the trigger points where the majority of muscle knots and fibromyalgia pain develop:

How Many People Have Fibromyalgia?
According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. It primarily occurs in women of childbearing age, but children, the elderly, and men can also be affected.

What Causes Fibromyalgia?
The cause of all fibromyalgia is unknown, but researchers have several theories about what the causes or triggers may be. Some fibromyalgia is triggered by an injury or trauma that affects the central nervous system. Fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle metabolism, such as decreased blood flow, causing fatigue and decreased strength. Others believe the syndrome may be triggered by an infectious agent such as a virus in susceptible people, but no such agent has been identified. Lyme disease is a very important possible trigger to look into, because if it is not treated early on, lyme disease can cause fibromyalgia to develop. Mould toxicity and mercury poisoning have also been identified as the triggers of fibromyalgia in some people.

How Is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose because many of the symptoms mimic those of other disorders, such as MS, ME and Lupus. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based on a history of chronic widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for more than 3 months, in combination with tenderness in at least 11 of the 18 specific tender point sites demonstrated by the picture on the previous page. People who do not have fibromyalgia are much less tender to pressure applied at these tender points.

How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?
There is no cure-all treatment for fibromyalgia. However, there are many treatments that can help a patient to control it and cope with it. Low-dose antidepressant medications taken at night increase serotonin production by the brain, improving quality of sleep and causing muscles to relax. Patients with fibromyalgia may benefit from a combination of exercise, medication, improvements in posture and relaxation. Magnesium supplements are often very beneficial to fibromyalgia sufferers.

Please visit www.diagnosesupport.com for more information, advice and support.

www.freewebs.com/fibromyalgiaawareness

Fibromyalgia Awareness - Highlighting an Invisible Illness!