Fibromyalgia

-

 

 

Background

 

One in 50 people at some point in their lives and is common in young and middle-aged women.

There are no outward signs, may look well but feel awful.

Varies from day to day with pain level and can be mild or very severe

Can be permanent or long standing.

No long term damage is done physically

 

 

Symptoms

 

Ache or burn.

Change location but more severe in areas of the body you use most

Can also make you feel very tired.

 

Also can cause:

difficulty sleeping

headaches

diarrhoea and abdominal pain

feeling an urgent need to urinate

difficulty concentrating

feeling irritable

poor circulation to your hands and feet

painful periods

depression or anxiety

forgetfulness or confusion

Obviously these symptoms could be from another cause so it is advisable to get checked out by your G.P

Similar to ME (myalgic encephalopathy) although the pain is usually worse. Doctors don’t know if they are different or the same condition

 

Causes


 

No-one knows!

Sometimes after a traumatic event, for example a car accident

Chemical changes in the nervous system that make them more sensitive to pressure and pain.

Some doctors think it’s caused by a lack of deep sleep, But it could be that fibromyalgia causes pain and then this causes a lack of sleep

 

Chicken or the Egg

 

Diagnosis

 

Symptoms vary and there is no test for the condition so if you think you are suffering from fibromyalgia, you should see your GP.

They will apply pressure to various places on your body and if they are particularly tender when they shouldn’t be and you have widespread pain for at least three months and show enough 'tender' points, your GP may diagnose fibromyalgia.

Your GP may carry out some tests, such as X-rays and blood tests, to rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. These conditions include:

Arthritis

systemic lupus erythematosus

under or overactive thyroid

multiple sclerosis

chronic fatigue syndrome

irritable bowel syndrome

depression

 

Treatment

 

No cure!

 

Treatments are available to help manage the symptoms.

Lifestyle changes

Self-help treatments

Take time out to relax your mind and muscles, for example have a massage.

Don't drink alcohol, tea or coffee late at night, as these could make sleeping difficult.

Eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

 

Physical therapies

 

Swimming in a heated pool. Heated pool treatment (hydrotherapy)

Gentle exercises that increase your heart rate and make you feel slightly out of breath

Gentle muscle stretching

Ask your GP or physiotherapist to help you plan an exercise programme to suit your needs

 

Psychological therapies

(These can help you to cope with the symptoms better and don't mean that it is a psychological condition)

 

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Talking to other people who have fibromyalgia can reassure you that you are not alone.

 

Complementary therapies

 

Some people find that therapies such as acupuncture and massage can help.

 

Medicines

 

Painkillers can help and if normal over the counter ones don’t help ask your G.P to review this.

Mild antidepressants to control some of your symptoms such as muscle pain, difficulty in sleeping and anxiety. The starting dose will be lower than that usually used for depression.

Don’t take over-the-counter sleeping tablets because they can cause dependence and eventually lose their effect.

Always ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicines and read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine.


Comments

  1. Amy Watson22 July 2018 at 01:45

    Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairments. So fibromyalgia literally means “fibrous tissue and muscle pain.” That name initially seemed appropriate since fibromyalgia was originally thought to be a musculoskeletal disorder because most of the pain was felt in the muscles and other soft tissues. Stem cells fibromyalgia treatment

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Patella Tendinopathy

-
Image
I hear different terminology used all the time, so what is tendinitis, tendinosis or tendinopathy? Tendinopathy: This is a broad term encompassing painful conditions occurring in and around tendons, which includes tendinitis and tendinosis. Tendinitis: This basically means inflammation of a tendon. Tendinosis:  This means degeneration of tendon (Meaning cumulative damage). So what does this mean to me? For a long time tendinitis was the term used and it was considered that injured tendons were simply inflamed. Then the thinking shifted to the thought that there was little or no inflammation present in these conditions (Andres & Murrell 2008). However as is with research, the thinking is changing again: There may be an inflammatory response associated with chronic tendinopathy, even though recent opinions had decided it to be non-inflammatory (Rees 2013). So both types can occur! This is important as the way that you treat each one has to...
Read more

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

-
Image
Heard of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome? Probably not but you may have heard of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Well they are similar but Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is in the wrist and hand whereas Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is in the Elbow. What is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome? Basically it is a compression neuropathy, which means that a nerve is "trapped”. The nerve at fault in this case is the ulna nerve and where it gets “trapped” is in the cubital tunnel of the elbow: See the below picture: How common is it? It is the second most common compression neuropathy in the upper limb (Palmer & Hughes 2009). What causes it? A common cause is frequent bending of the elbow or constant repetitive pressure on the elbow itself. This then irritates the nerve and it is irritated too much then it becomes a “neuropathy”. What are the symptoms? The patient will complain of pain and numbness in the ring and little finger and weakness is common. If left untreated then this ...
Read more

The case of the clicky hip (AKA: Snapping hip syndrome)

-
Image
Ever wondered what the click in your hip is? Firstly you need to know a little about the anatomy of the area. Bones: Ilium, Ischium, Pubis, Femur: Ilium: Acetabulum (lunate surface, margin of acetabulum) Anterior inferior iliac spine Anterior superior iliac spine Ala (wing of ilium) (gluteal surface and iliac fossa)) Iliac crest (outer lip, tuberculum, intermediate zone, inner lip) Gluteal lines (anterior, inferior and posterior) Posterior superior iliac spine Posterior inferior iliac spine Greater sciatic notch Body of Ilium Illiopubic eminence Arcuate line Auricular surface for the sacrum Iliac tuberosity Ischium: Ischial spine Lesser sciatic notch Body of Ischium Ischial tuberosity Ramus of ischium Obturator foramen Acetabulum Acetabular notch Pubis: Superior pubic ramus Pubic tubercle Obturator crest Inferior pubic ramus Acetabulum Pecten pubis (pectineal line) Symphyseal surface Obt...
Read more