FIBROMYALGIA
What
is it?
Fibromyalgia
is a very common and chronic condition that affects the bones and muscles with
generalized pain and fatigue. It will last for a very long time and for some people
it will last their lifetime.
What
causes it?
Medical
researchers have been studying this condition but unfortunately they haven’t
found the cause of the problem. They only suspect that it may be due to some
kind of problem between the brain and spinal cord that affects the processing
of pain signals from the nerves. At this time the conclusion is that nobody
knows the cause of Fibromyalgia.
What
are the predisposing factors?
Unfortunately
about 80 to 90% of those that gets it are adult women but men and children also
get the problem. So females are more predisposed to getting it than men. Generally
about three million people are affected by fibromyalgia every year and these
people fall into the age group of 18 years and older. The other predisposing
factors for getting fibromyalgia are:
a.
Lack
of exercise
b.
The
presence of arthritis or infection
c.
Mood
disorder or anxiety disorder
d.
Depression
and
e.
Post
traumatic disorder (PTSD)
What
are the symptoms?
1.
The
major one is general body pain and aches affecting the muscles, joints and
bones. There is muscle pain, burning, twitching and tightness.
2.
There
is tender point and low pain threshold
3.
Fatigue
4.
Trouble
concentrating and remembering things, this has been referred to as “fibro fog”.
5.
Headache
and patient peeing often than normal
6.
Numbness,
tingling in the face, arms, legs, feet and hands
7.
Lack
of sleep or insomnia
Diagnosis:
There is no lab test for finding if you have fibromyalgia but your doctor will
try to rule out if there are other reasons for your general body pain.
Treatment:
a.
Depending
on how severe the problem is, the doctor will prescribe pain medicine,
antidepressants or muscle relaxers. The three medicines currently approved by
the U.S Food and drug administration (FDA) to treat fibromyalgia are Duloxetine,
Milnacaprin and Pregabalin.
b.
Regular
exercise is the key to controlling fibromyalgia
c.
Complementary
treatments with acupuncture, massage therapy and chiropractic manipulation can
help with aches and stress.
References:
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/fibromyalgia/
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