What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome in which a person has long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. It affects around 12 million people in the United States, most commonly in women of 25-60 years old, and is the most common musculoskeletal condition after osteoarthritis.
Many people still thinks that the pain of fibromyalgia is not real pain and merely something that's 'going on in your head' only. The common misconception caused many cases of fibromyalgia go under-diagnosed and left untreated.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
The characteristics symptoms of fibromyalgia are widespread muscle and joint pain and fatigue that persist for at least three months. The pain may gets worse after physical activity, stress, or weather changes. Some areas called the 'tender points' may be especially painful when pressure is put on them. The back of the head, the shoulders, the nape, the elbows, and the knees are common tender points. Other symptoms may include increased sensitivity to pain, muscle stiffness and spasms, and numbness or tingling.
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| Back of the head, shoulders, and nape are common tender points |
- anxiety and depression
- chronic headaches or migraines
- dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
- hypersensitivity to light, loud noises, cold and/or heat
- incontinence
- irritable bowel syndrome
- memory and concentration problems (the so-called 'fibro fog')
- menstrual problems
- restless legs syndrome
- sleep disturbances
What is the treatment of fibromylagia?
Fibromyalgia is difficult to treat. A combination of physical exercise, behavioral techniques, pain medications, and anti-depressant may help relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. However, there is no single cure that will address all fibromyalgia related problems. The good news is, this condition is not life threatening and even though it can cause unbearable pain, there are no structural damage to your muscles.
