Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Pain

                      Tender Point Diagram

What Is Fibromyalgia?

 

What is fibromyalgia? It sounds like a simple question, but scientists have been debating the answer for decades. Although we learn more about fibromyalgia syndrome each year, most doctors will tell you that explaining what fibromyalgia is not is sometimes easier than defining what it is—which may explain why it takes as long as five (or more) years after the onset of the disease for it to be accurately identified.

 

In fact, medical tests done to determine whether a person has fibromyalgia are often necessary to exclude other conditions rather than positively establish fibromyalgia as the cause of symptoms. This is because many of its symptoms can point to a number of health problems besides fibromyalgia. As a result, defining and diagnosing fibromyalgia continues to be problematic, and some doctors still do not accept its validity. Critics of fibromyalgia claim that it is just an umbrella term for a number of conditions, but as research continues to be published on the subject, more and more experts are convinced of its existence.

 

In the mainstream medical community, fibromyalgia is considered an incurable syndrome characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain, stiffness and chronic aching, but many other seemingly unrelated symptoms are also associated with the syndrome. One identifying characteristic of fibromyalgia is the existence of reproducible tenderness on palpation (a medical term for touching) of specific anatomical sites referred to as tender points.

 

The name “fibromyalgia” has largely replaced the earlier term “fibrositis,” once used to describe the syndrome. “Itis” means inflammation and earlier research described fibromyalgia syndrome as inflammation in muscles, but during the past fifty years research has all but proven that inflammation is not a significant part of fibromyalgia. The term “fibromyalgia” is considered more accurate because it means pain in the muscles and the fibrous connective tissues.

Most patients with fibromyalgia syndrome state that they literally “ache all over.” They describe their muscles as feeling as if they have been pulled, torn or overworked—sometimes twitching and other times burning. The severity of this and other symptoms will fluctuate tremendously from one person to the next. Fibromyalgia syndrome sometimes resembles a post-viral state, which is one of the reasons some experts in the field believe that fibromyalgia syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome might share etiologies or origins, especially abnormalities in the stress-response system. But current research is uncovering dissimilarities between the two despite overlaps.

 

Unfortunately, family, friends and work associates of patients with fibromyalgia very often have a difficult time understanding the condition, especially the pain, because blood tests and x-rays reveal no physical evidence. I suggest that they might think back to the last time they had the flu, when every muscle in the body ached and they felt totally drained of energy. This might help them understand what fibromyalgia feels like.

 

 What About the Pain?

 

The pain associated with fibromyalgia syndrome is the most prominent symptom of the condition. Patients describe the pain as deep, burning, throbbing and stabbing. The pain is generally felt throughout the body, although it starts in one region such as the neck and shoulders, and then seems to spread over time to other parts of the body. The pain will often vary, depending on the time of day, activity level, the weather, sleep patterns, and interruptions in lifestyle.  Most fibromyalgia patients report that some degree of pain is consistently present. Most often the pain and stiffness are worse in the early morning and in muscles that are used repetitively. In many cases physicians are not familiar with evaluation of the tender points, but rheumatologists (specialists in arthritis and rheumatism) will usually know better when and how to perform the examination to diagnose fibromyalgia syndrome.

Have you lost your LIFE?  Have you allowed your life to be stolen from you way before its time?  Let Sherri and I help you GET YOUR LIFE BACK!!! 

FIBROMYALGIA

CAN BE REVERSED!!!! 

We have worked with MANY people who have determined to fight it, and have gotten tremendous relief.  It is a fight, but one that is well worth the effort.  We will walk with you, support you, believe in you!   It is very possible and we would love to be a part of your journey to healing.   We can be involved at many various levels, from telephone consultations to actually coming into your home and giving direct, individual counseling.

CONTACT US