Fibromyalgia

There are times when one feels pain all over the body. For no particular reason, your muscles, tendons, and ligaments have widespread pain, fatigue and extreme sensitivity to pain. You may have the condition known as fibromyalgia.
Causes of Fibromyalgia

Research is still being carried out on the exact cause of fibromyalgia. However a few possible reasons have been identified for the intense pain

Low Levels of Hormones

People with fibromyalgia have been found to have lower than normal levels of the hormones serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine. These hormones play an important part in controlling many processes of the body. Serotonin helps to regulate your mood, appetite and the way you sleep. Noradrenalin contributes to attention and response while dopamine helps to control your mood, behavior and the way you learn.

Research has found that those with fibromyalgia have low levels of these hormones and may be a key source of the body pain.

Problem with Pain Messages

The central nervous system cannot process pain messages properly. The brain becomes more sensitive to any pain messages that it receives. It has also been shown that people with fibromyalgia have higher levels of pain transmitting chemicals in their spinal cords compared with those who do not.

External Factors and Genetic Predisposition

It is possible for an illness, injury or operation to trigger the pain. Conditions such as Joint hyper mobility, Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis can also lead to fibromyalgia. Such conditions are known as secondary fibromyalgia.

Sleep Problems

Some research suggests that irregular and disturbed sleep patterns may be the cause rather than a symptom of fibromyalgia. This may be as a result of your brain waking up slightly every time you begin to enter deep sleep. This is made worse in that fibromyalgia can also make you lack sleep, starting a never ending cycle.

What are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

The symptoms of fibromyalgia vary from person to person. However the main symptoms will include:
Pain and Extreme Sensitivity

For no particular reason you will feel pain from head to toe. The pain may feel like an ache, a burning sensation or a sharp stabbing pain. Certain areas of your body may feel worse. These are the back, neck, shoulder, and feet.

Fibromyalgia may cause extreme sensitivity to pain all over your body. If you stub your toe, the pain may be more painful and last longer than usual. For some, even the slightest touch to their body causes pain. You may also have extreme sensitivity to other things like smoke, bright light or certain foods.

Other symptoms may include:

• Stiffness in your muscles, tendons and ligaments,
• Cognitive problems. You may have trouble remembering and learning new things,
• Headaches. This may be mild to severe especially if you have fibromyalgia in your neck and shoulders,
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
• Facial pain,
• Tingling, numbness, prickling, or burning sensations in your hands and feet,
• Unusually painful periods,
• Anxiety and depression

It is unlikely that the condition will ever resolve permanently. You may have long periods where the symptoms disappear completely or become better or worse due to factors like weather, and stress levels.

Treating Fibromyalgia

There is no known cure for fibromyalgia. The main goal for fibromyalgia treatment is to control the symptoms. It is normally treated with a combination of medicine, complementary medicines and lifestyle changes.

Some people have found that joining a fibromyalgia support group can be a great source of comfort and support. Though this condition may never resolve completely, it is possible to learn to live the condition long-term. It is however, not life threatening and will not reduce your life expectancy.

Bookmark this:

Bookmark this page