Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia – Chronic Pain in Ligaments/Muscles

Fibromyalgia also known as fibromyalgia syndrome is a long term ailment which causes chronic pain in ligaments and muscles. Though women are more prone to this condition in their mid-thirties to late fifties, it can also occur in people of any age including children and the elders.

The exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known but research indicates that it could be relatively common conditions with some estimates suggesting that nearly 1 in 20 cases could develop fibromyalgia to some extent.

Its causes could most likely involve some factors like genetic which may run in families where certain genetic mutation could make the person vulnerable in developing this disease. Infection of some illness could also trigger this condition and emotional trauma or stress could be linked to fibromyalgia.

Symptoms at times could also begin after surgery, or a physical trauma or psychological stress while in other cases; it could gradually get accumulated over a period of time. Diagnosing this condition tends to get difficult since fibromyalgia symptoms can be similar to a number of other conditions.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Though there is currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are certain treatments which could be helpful to some extent to relieve some of the symptoms and make life easier. Treatment could be a combination of medication of anti-depressants and painkillers, or talking therapies which could involve counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy –CBT.

Changes in lifestyles could also add to bring much relief to this condition like undertaking exercise programmes together with relaxation techniques. It has been observed that exercises together with relaxation and stress reduction have provided good benefit to the person with this condition together with pain relief.

Besides the muscular pain and stiffness, the patient may also experience widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia and is described as a dull ache which could last for atleast three months.

Cognitive Difficulty – Fibro Fog

This pain could occur on both sides of the body as well as above and below the waist. The person also experiences fatigue and often tends to wake up feeling tired inspite of being asleep for a long period of time. Their sleep is often interrupted by pain with the result they tend to suffer from sleep disorder like restless legs syndrome and sleep apnoea.

A cognitive difficulty is a symptom referred as fibro fog which impairs the ability to concentrate or pay attention on mental tasks. Besides these, the person with fibromyalgia may also experience headaches, depression and pain or cramps in the lower area of the abdomen.

The pain accompanied with lack of sleep could create difficulties in the daily functions at home or at work and the frustration of dealing with this inability could be a misunderstood condition resulting in depression and ill health.

According to research, it is believed that repeated nerve stimulation could cause the brain with fibromyalgia to change involving an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals in the brain which may cause pain. Moreover, the pain receptors in the brain develop a kind of memory of the pain and tend to get more sensitive and overreact to pain signs.