What Do you Know About Fibromyalgia?
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Fibromyalgia is the most common condition that affects the muscles. It causes the person to feel stiffness, pain and tenderness of the tendons, muscles and joints. It is also called as FMS or fibromyalgia syndrome that is characterized as having restless sleep, feeling tired upon waking up, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and bowel function disturbance.
In Fibromyalgia, inflammation does not usually accompany the pain in the tissues. That is why even if patients have disabling pain, they do not develop some body deformity or damage. It also does not cause for the internal organs to be damaged.
Even until now, Fibromyalgia has no known cause yet. People experiencing this disease, reports that they experience pain due to a response to previously not known stimuli that causes pain. Experts believed that there is an increase of a nerve chemical known as substance P and nerve growth factor found on the spinal fluid. Serotonin, which acts as a chemical messenger, is also found to be significantly low on patients experiencing the disease. Studies show that in patients having this disease, their CNS or brain seems to be supersensitive and has a disturbance in the perception of pain.
Pain is probably the universal symptom associated with Fibromyalgia, because of an increase in the perception of pain, some stimuli though normally not painful, would seem to be painful for these patients. This can be then aggravated by factors such as the emotional stress, environment, and noise. The common area of pain for patients is usually widespread, both sides of the body is generally involved. Patients usually feel pain in areas such as the buttocks, arms, neck, shoulders, chest and upper back. Areas in the body which are called pressure points, are usually the called the “tender points” in Fibromyalgia. Other symptoms include: Fatigue, which is probably common to about 90% of the patients, mood changes, depression, irritability, poor concentration, and forgetfulness.
In treating patients with Fibromyalgia, the treatment is based individually. Every patient has a variation of symptoms of this disease. That is why the treatment is based on these symptoms in each case. These treatment programs are found to be most effective if they are combined with regular exercise, patient education, stress reduction and the use of medications.
Patient education is the first step in order to help the patient understand their condition, in order for them to know and cope with their symptoms. Local hospital support groups can be of help for patients that need education regarding their disease. With these support groups, patients can be able to learn more and express how they feel for their condition.
Stress reduction is beneficial for patients but needs to be individualized because every patient may have different levels of perception of stress. Factors that are known to cause stress must be modified.
Exercises that provide low impact such walking, swimming and cycling can be very helpful to patients with fibromyalgia. Exercise should be done on an every other day basis. The effect of exercise is not yet known to patients with this condition, but it is believed that it would help in promoting deep sleep to patients.
In Fibromyalgia, inflammation does not usually accompany the pain in the tissues. That is why even if patients have disabling pain, they do not develop some body deformity or damage. It also does not cause for the internal organs to be damaged.
Even until now, Fibromyalgia has no known cause yet. People experiencing this disease, reports that they experience pain due to a response to previously not known stimuli that causes pain. Experts believed that there is an increase of a nerve chemical known as substance P and nerve growth factor found on the spinal fluid. Serotonin, which acts as a chemical messenger, is also found to be significantly low on patients experiencing the disease. Studies show that in patients having this disease, their CNS or brain seems to be supersensitive and has a disturbance in the perception of pain.
Pain is probably the universal symptom associated with Fibromyalgia, because of an increase in the perception of pain, some stimuli though normally not painful, would seem to be painful for these patients. This can be then aggravated by factors such as the emotional stress, environment, and noise. The common area of pain for patients is usually widespread, both sides of the body is generally involved. Patients usually feel pain in areas such as the buttocks, arms, neck, shoulders, chest and upper back. Areas in the body which are called pressure points, are usually the called the “tender points” in Fibromyalgia. Other symptoms include: Fatigue, which is probably common to about 90% of the patients, mood changes, depression, irritability, poor concentration, and forgetfulness.
In treating patients with Fibromyalgia, the treatment is based individually. Every patient has a variation of symptoms of this disease. That is why the treatment is based on these symptoms in each case. These treatment programs are found to be most effective if they are combined with regular exercise, patient education, stress reduction and the use of medications.
Patient education is the first step in order to help the patient understand their condition, in order for them to know and cope with their symptoms. Local hospital support groups can be of help for patients that need education regarding their disease. With these support groups, patients can be able to learn more and express how they feel for their condition.
Stress reduction is beneficial for patients but needs to be individualized because every patient may have different levels of perception of stress. Factors that are known to cause stress must be modified.
Exercises that provide low impact such walking, swimming and cycling can be very helpful to patients with fibromyalgia. Exercise should be done on an every other day basis. The effect of exercise is not yet known to patients with this condition, but it is believed that it would help in promoting deep sleep to patients.