Fibromyalgia is a painful condition that is not completely understood by medical experts. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known. It can make you feel tired and ache all over. It causes tender spots at specific points of the body that hurt only when you press on them. You may have trouble sleeping, as well as other symptoms. These problems can upset your work and home life.
Symptoms tend to come and go, although they may never go away completely. Fibromyalgia does not harm your muscles, joints, or organs.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues. People who have it feel pain, tenderness, or both even when there is no injury or inflammation.
Depression, stress, and sleep problems are common in people who have fibromyalgia. These problems may make fibromyalgia symptoms worse.
Fibromyalgia involves a cycle of muscle pain and sensitivity to pain. Pain causes a person to become less active. This causes muscles to become more painful during activity. More pain then leads to even less activity. But symptoms can be controlled. And most people adjust to their symptoms and can keep doing daily activities.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are:
People with fibromyalgia may have other problems along with pain, such as:
Symptoms tend to come and go. You may have times when you hurt more, followed by times when symptoms happen less often, are milder, or are absent (remission). Some people find that their symptoms are worse in cold and damp weather, during times of stress, or when they try to do too much.
Treatment is focused on managing pain, fatigue, depression, and other symptoms common in fibromyalgia. The goal is to break the cycle of increased sensitivity to pain and decreased physical activity.
There are many steps you can take to manage your symptoms. The treatment you need or want may be based on:
Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia can come and go, you may find it hard to judge whether a certain treatment is really working. Different people may respond differently to each type of treatment. Many people with fibromyalgia have other joint or muscle diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus) that need to be treated too.
Try to be patient. Finding the right treatment can take time. You may have to try several different treatments to find an approach that works for you.
Getting regular exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, is one of the best ways to manage fibromyalgia. Pool exercise, like water aerobics or swimming, is a good example.
It's important to build up your exercise program slowly so you don't get sore muscles that cause you to want to stop exercising. Working with a physical therapist familiar with fibromyalgia may be helpful.
Medicines are part of the long-term treatment of fibromyalgia. They may help you sleep better, relax your muscles, or relieve muscle and joint pain. Your doctor may suggest prescription medicines, such as antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants. Or your doctor may suggest nonprescription pain relievers.
Not all people with fibromyalgia will need, want, or benefit from medicines. You might need to try more than one medicine before you find one that works best for you. You may also find that a medicine that has been helping your symptoms seems to not work as well over time.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of counseling, including relaxation therapy and biofeedback, can help people who have fibromyalgia. Counseling can help with the pain of fibromyalgia. It can also help with sleep problems and fatigue. And it may improve your mood.
Taking care of yourself is an important part of managing fibromyalgia. For example, you can:
With help, you can start working on most of these goals at home. You may have a team of health professionals to help you.
There are no specific tests that can confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. You will probably have lab tests to make sure that you don't have other conditions that cause pain. These include rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases. Your doctor will also ask questions about your medical history and do a physical exam.
Doctors use a set of guidelines to diagnose fibromyalgia. You may be diagnosed with fibromyalgia if you have:
Fibromyalgia is sometimes diagnosed or described using pain and tenderness at 18 specific spots on the body. These spots are called tender points. You may also hear these called trigger points.
Medicines are often part of the long-term treatment of fibromyalgia. They may help when symptoms flare up. But not all people with fibromyalgia will benefit from medicines.
Medicines may be used to improve sleep, relieve pain and fatigue, and (in some cases) treat depression. These improvements in symptoms may allow you to feel better and to be more active. Medicines used for fibromyalgia include:
Tramadol (Ultram) is sometimes used for pain. Sometimes it is combined with acetaminophen.
Your doctor may try more than one medicine before finding one that works best for your symptoms. Sometimes a medicine that has been helping your symptoms doesn't seem to work as well over time. Talk with your doctor if you aren't getting relief.
Health professionals who may be able to help you with fibromyalgia include:
You may need to see a specialist who has experience with fibromyalgia. These include:
Pain management programs can be helpful too. These typically include a team of doctors, counselors, physical therapists, nurses, and pharmacists who can help you develop a strategy for pain management. Your personal program may include medicines, complementary therapies, diet, exercise, and counseling.
Certain things may make you more likely to have fibromyalgia. Things that increase your risk (risk factors) include:
Exercise is one of the most important treatments for fibromyalgia. Regular exercise will strengthen your muscles, increase blood flow to the muscles, and increase your endurance. It also may reduce the risk of tiny injuries to the muscles that may cause more pain. Exercise may also help you sleep better and improve your overall sense of well-being.
Mild to moderate exercise is appropriate for most people with this condition. A balanced exercise program should include:
Moderate activity is safe for most people. But it's always good to talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program.
The pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia can get worse during stressful times. The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to lower your stress. For example, research shows that you can change how you think. And how you think affects how you feel.
Here are some techniques you can try on your own or with help from a therapist or counselor trained in muscle relaxation, meditation, biofeedback, or cognitive behavioral therapy:
Tender points are specific sites on the body that cause pain when pressed. The pain may spread when a tender point is pressed and causes pain in a larger area (for example, down the leg, arm, or back).
There are 9 pairs of tender points. Each pair has one point on each side of the body, for a total of 18 points. These pairs are located:
Experts call these tender points, but you may also hear them called trigger points.
Complementary treatments that have been used to treat fibromyalgia include:
Most mind and body practices—such as acupuncture, tai chi, and yoga—are safe when used under the care of a well-trained professional. Choose an instructor or practitioner as carefully as you would choose a doctor.
No one knows for sure what causes fibromyalgia. But experts have some ideas. For example, nerve cells may be too sensitive. Or chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters) may be out of balance.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues. This pain is felt above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. People with fibromyalgia feel pain, tenderness, or both even when there is no injury or inflammation. The pain can be long-lasting (chronic). But fibromyalgia isn't life-threatening, and it doesn't damage the muscles, joints, or internal organs.
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome or a set of symptoms that occur together. It has no cure. When it's not controlled, you may not have any energy. Or you may feel depressed or have trouble sleeping. But with treatment, most people with fibromyalgia are able to work and do their regular activities.
"Fibro fog" is the name commonly given to the cognitive problems that can go along with fibromyalgia syndrome. These problems with concentration and memory can lead to confusion, losing your train of thought, or forgetting or mixing up words or details.
You can take steps to manage fibro fog. Try some of the following tips.
Making a note helps you get a thought more firmly in your mind. You might want to keep a calendar or notebook with you so you can write things down while you're thinking of them.
Other symptoms that commonly go along with fibromyalgia-including depression, pain, and lack of sleep-can also make it harder to concentrate and remember. Medical treatment for these other problems may also help your memory.
Keep your mind working by doing puzzles, reading, or seeing a play to get yourself thinking. Moderate physical activity can increase your energy and help clear the fibro fog. Talk with your doctor or physical therapist about an exercise program that is right for you.
Try breaking tasks up into small steps. Don't take on more than you can comfortably manage, so you're not trying to do too much at once. When you do start a task, avoid distractions that can keep you from concentrating. A loud radio or TV, or trying to work where other people are talking, can make it hard for you to focus on what you're doing. Try working in a quiet place when you are trying to concentrate or remember, so you can give the task your full attention.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
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