Fibromyalgia is the persistent pain felt at specific places in the body, unlike the pain in the tender points of injury which all of us go through. It is mostly the women are affected by fibromyalgia during middle ages, though men and children can also suffer from this.
Patients suffering from other chronic medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, generally suffer from fibromyalgia more.
In fibromyalgia (FM) there is the presence of chronic widespread pain and tactile allodynia. Since this involves more than just pain has led to the frequent use of the term "fibromyalgia syndrome", though the causes are not exactly known. This disease is not contagious, and fibromyalgia may be genetically predisposed. This disease is also not life threatening.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
The symptoms of fibromyalgia include the following:
Widespread muscle pain
Tenderness to touch
Fatigue
throbbing, aching, stabbing or shooting pain
stiffness, specially in the morning
difficulty sleeping
headaches
numbness
Depression.
The symptoms generally come slowly and then aggravate. A continuous uneasiness remains in the patient who is suffering from this disease.
Difference from Arthritis
Fibromyalgia is different from arthritis as it doesn't cause inflammation. It also does not result in damage to the joints or muscles. Most people Most of the symptoms appear and disappear with time, though sometimes few symptoms tend to remain. The most affected part in this disease are the elbows, hip joints, knees, and the neck.
Causes of Fibromyalgia
Though there is no definite proved reason that causes this illness, but certain factors that have been found responsible in different case studies of fibromyalgia patients are as follows:
Lower levels of chemical serotinin
Disturbed sleep
Significant life event like bereavement or illness
Genetic predisposition
Result of environment
Dopamine abnormality
Human growth hormone
Deposition disease
Though the causes cannot be clearly identified, but there are certain conditions that trigger off the pain. They are as follows:
Increased psychosocial stress
Excessive physical exertion
Lack of slow-wave sleep
Changes in weather conditions
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia
Since the symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar to those of influenza, or arthritis most of the time, it is not easy to diagnose it. Some of the methods are as follows:
Mappings
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia is made with the help of a specialized technique called mapping, which is a gentle palpitation of the muscles to detect lumps and areas of spasm that are considered to be caused by an excess of calcium in the cytosol of the cells.
Tender point examination
This is the detection of the trigger points that characterize the myofascial pain syndrome.
While this hypothesis does not identify the causative mechanism in the kidneys, it proposes a treatment known as guaifenesin therapy. This treatment involves administering the drug guaifenesin to a patient's individual dosage, avoiding salicylic acid in medications or on the skin. Often products for salicylate sensitivity are very helpful. If the patient is also hypoglycemic, a diet is designed to keep insulin levels low.
Other diseases
From the entire hypothesis, it is seen that fibromyalgia is a co morbid disease, occurring in combination with other diseases.
A number of other disorders are seen to produce similar symptoms like that of fibromyalgia. They are:
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Depression
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Gulf War syndrome
Influenza
Lead poisoning
Lupus erythematosus
Lyme disease
Mercury poisoning
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Myofascial pain syndrome
Tendinitis
Thyroid disease
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency
Whiplash-associated disorder
Fibromyalgia Treatment
It is true that there is no particular cure for fibromyalgia, still there are a number of remedial processes which can help one to get this disease under control. They are as follows:
Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication
Antidepressants
Physiotherapy
Low-impact aerobic exercises
Emotional support
Counseling and antidepressant therapies
lifestyle changes
Occupational therapies
relaxation therapy
massage
acupuncture
osteopathic manipulation
Stress management
enough sleep
healthy diet.
Medications
Muscle Relaxants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Anti-seizure drugs
Dopamine agonists
Cannabis and cannabinoids
Topical Remedies
