Fibromyalgia....the disease that doesn't exist [1]

The body..
Fibromyalgia is a common and complex long term disease or chronic disorder that is associated with pain in the bones and muscles, tenderness, and fatigue. Other symptoms include memory loss, sleep problems, headaches or migraines, restless leg syndrome, and sensitivity to noise, temperature or light.  It is also associated with depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety.  Fibromyalgia affects soft tissue and muscle and is usually neurologic in mature.  It is a real neurochemical and physiological problem!  One of the most common thing with fibromyagia is pain.  Pain all over that causes the body to ache everywhere.  This pain occurs as a result of the pain signals being abnormally processed in the central nervous system.  There are also over 20 kinds of nerve endings in the skin that feel sensation such as hot cold or pain.  These signals are also misread by the central nervous system and come back as pain.   When pain isn't addressed it becomes more and more painful, which over stimulates the nerves, and creates the tigger points and the problem of barely being able to be touched.
What are its causes?
Fibromyalgia affects between 2 to 4 percent of people with women being the most common, way more the men and affects all ages.  It is not an inflammation or auto immune disease, and although it has no cure won't lead to such things such as stroke, cancer, heart attack, physical deformities, or death.  Although fibromyalgia  is a known medical term now a days, it continues to be a mysterious condition for people who suffer with it and doctors alike.  The causes are unknown, there are some things they believe may be causes of it.  These are:



Infection: this tends to trigger fibromyalgia or worsen its symptoms
Trauma:  People who experience mental or physical trauma are more likely to get fibromyalgia.  Post traumatic stress disorder is especially linked to fibromyalgia.
Genetics:  Fibromyalgia can also be hereditary, if a relation has it, other family members are at risk of developing  the condition.  Researchers are of the of the opinion that a certain gene mutation may be responsible for the condition, though the genes themselves haven't been identified.
Stress:  Stress has long lasting effects that last for month of years and could cause hormonal imbalances that can lead to fibromyalgia.
Disease: Rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic athritis, lupus, or other auto immune could increase the risk of getting fibromyalgia.

Although the cause and cure of fibromyalgia is unknown there are way it can be diagnosed.  Patients are usually diagnosed when they feel widespread pain for three month or longer, and in this diagnoses you have 11 of 18 what they call trigger points.  These are certain points on the body that are extremely tender, if you have 11 of these 18 spots you'll be asked to explain how the pain feels.  If you have tingling of the skin, nerve pain, and the need to use the restroom often you'll more than likely be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  Especially if you have some of these other symptoms as well.  Extreme fatigue, sleep problems, lack of conzcentration, headaches or migraines, short term memory problems, low stamina, anxiety, depression, and diminished attention span.

 
What treatments are available?
Despite the fact there is no cure, it can be treated and the focus becomes now on the quality of life   They now prescribe anti depressants to relieve anxiety, depression and in some instances pain.  They also use anti seizure medication. They have a new medication called Lyrica that they prescribe for nerve type pain that has had great results, but not everyone can take these medications  The last medicine that can be prescribed are narcotic pain relievers but doctors have become more and more reluctant to prescribe  these medications.  Doctors who treat fibromyalgia are neurologists and rheumatologists.  They may decided to include a panel of doctors sch as pain specialists, psychologists,  and orthopedists.

There are also natural and alternative  treatments for fibromyalgia.  Some include things like  water aerobics, which is the best exercise for people who have fibromyalgia.  Moving and getting your muscles warmed up on a regular basis can help the pain, and increase range of movement.  Many alternatives are targeted at reducing stress.  These treatments can be used with the medical treatment your doing.These treatments inclue acupuncture, yoga, physical therapy, other healing modalides such as reiki, and meditation.

Diet also can help reduce symptoms.  It is recommended to look up foods that  increase inflammation and foods that reduce it.  You can aslo look up foods that do the same for neurological problems.  The other thing that is recommended is to keep a food/pain diary.  write whate you eat and how you feel siffness and pain wise and therefore help yourself find what is hurting your body and what is helping.

Simple ways to help cope with fibromyagia are:

minimize stress, this is hard to do but now you need to care for yourself.
regular exercise, moving will help reduce the pain, even though you may hurt more in the beginning.  Not moving will make it worse.
reduce or stop caffeine, it is a major stress inducing food, it causes nervousness, anxiety and stress thing we are trying to avoid.
soaking in a warm bath, with Epsom salts regularly can help improve the amount of pain.
using witch hazel, use thus daily on the worst areas
aspercreme with lidocane , use this on spot that really bother you, as it really helps, buy numbing the raea an the aprin going directly into you muscles
seek out a support group, sometimes just talking can help relieve stress, give you ideas to help the pain, and help you realize you're not alone in this fight.

 

 

 

 

Click to Post