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Common Diseases > Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
is a syndrome characterized by
abnormally high pain sensitivity at
specified sites in the body with
fatigue, poor sleep and other ailments including:
- difficulty concentrating
- sensitivity to light, noise and cold
- irritable bowel
- immune system dysfunction
- which either leads to or results from viral infections
- associated with chronic fatigue syndrome
The name
fibromyalgia was introduced by
Muhammad Yunus MD and his colleagues
in 1981 which literally means pain in
the muscles and tissue.
"Fibro" refers to the
fascia or connective tissue,
"my" to muscle, and
"algia" to pain. As many as
2% of the general population may
suffer from this condition. No ethnic
group seems any more likely to have
fibromyalgia; however women develop
it approximately 8 times more often
than do men.
While the
medical community does not yet
understand the pathology underlying
fibromyalgia, more and more
information about this condition is
becoming known. Medical researchers
are now actively searching for the
cause, mechanisms and best treatments
for fibromyalgia and related
conditions. To keep abreast of
scientific studies on fibromyalgia,
you can search and read the abstracts
of articles on MEDLINEplus, the American National
Library of Medicine's database of
medical journal articles.
Many
non-believers exist. For many
doctors, fibromyalgia will not be
considered 'real' until the
"scientific" cause and cure
are discovered. Fortunately these
sceptics are becoming fewer as
international conferences and
publications about fibromyalgia
increase, bringing us closer to
understanding this condition.
Rheumatologists were generally the
first to treat fibromyalgia and now
family doctors are becoming more
adept at diagnosing and treating it.
There are some Doctors and
psychiatrists who now specialise in
the treatment of fibromyalgia and
other pain disorders.
Treatments
usually focus on alleviating symptoms
of pain and sleeplessness. The
difficulties of fibromyalgia tend to
cycle. When pain is severe, it
interferes with sleep, which worsens
pain, mood, cognitive ability, and so
on. Treatments aim to break this
cycle and reverse its direction. In
other words, when reducing pain,
allows sleep to become easier, which
further reduces pain and fatigue, and
so on.
The treatments
for fibromyalgia sound so easy in
that they all read like basic
practices for good health and well
being. They include: (1) a carefully
planned exercise program that
includes gentle stretching (yoga is
good here) with gradual progression
toward aerobic conditioning; and (2)
medication, primarily to improve
sleep. Physical therapy may be
helpful and could include such
techniques as heat, ice, massage, spa,
magnetism and electrical stimulation to help
control pain.
Exercise
may sound to others like an easy
antidote. However, when you are in
pain, exercise is not easy.
Furthermore, people with fibromyalgia
do not respond to exercise like other
people and need to approach it
gradually. But if approached
appropriately and gradually, exercise
can provide natural painkillers,
improve strength, endurance, and
fitness. A regular exercise program
can decrease pain and improve overall
well being, sleep quality, and daily
stamina.
Good quality
sleep is a bedrock of
fibromyalgia treatment. Studies have
shown that sleep deprivation can
induce fibromyalgia-like symptoms.
Many people with fibromyalgia suffer
from sleep abnormalities and often
awake feeling as if they had not
slept at all. This is called
non-restorative sleep. There are many
different medicines that can improve
sleep quality. It may take several
tries to find the ones that work best
for each individual. The recommended
approach is to begin with small doses
of medicine to see how they are
tolerated, then increase as needed.
The goal is to improve sleep without
introducing unpleasant side effects.
Talk with your doctor about how each
medicine works and the expected
duration of any side effects. Bedtime
routines are also very important for
improving sleep. Wind down your day
with something soothing such as a hot
bath. Try to organize your days to
allow yourself the best possible
rest. Limit daytime naps. Exercise
improves sleep quality, but it is
best not to exercise directly before
sleep. Make sure your mattress and
pillow's provide appropriate support
and cushion. Earplugs can be very
helpful to block disturbing noise.
Adjust your sleep environment such as
the temperature, humidity, and
darkness to your preference. Create a
relaxing bedtime ritual and aim for a
solid eight hours. The Mayo Clinic offers
advice on fibromyalgia and sleep.
Pain relief
is essential. Understanding what
helps you through pain tracking allows
you to amass strategies to prevent
and relieve pain. Heat in various
forms soothes aching muscles as does
gentle stretching. Earplugs,
lightweight but warm clothing (such
as silks and polar fleece) and
sunglasses can ward off flares from
noise, cold drafts, or bright
lighting. Meditation, hypnotherapy
and self-hypnosis, biofeedback, and
diaphragmatic breathing exercises all
offer ways to lower the thermostat on
pain. For some, massage therapy works wonders. Pain
medications help people to feel well
enough to do the other things
necessary to improve and live a
fuller life. Some doctors prescribe
pain medications to be taken
proactively. The analgesic effects of
medications are more effective before
pain escalates. Discuss with your
doctor short versus longer acting
medications. For some,
over-the-counter medications may be
adequate. For others, stronger
medications such as narcotics are
needed. Some physicians are reluctant
to prescribe narcotics for long-term
use, a bias that stems from a fear of
addiction. Yet evidence shows that
people in pain do not abuse
painkillers--we desire to engage in
life, not escape it. There is an
important distinction between
physical dependence and addiction. It
is important to keep track of how you
take any medication to monitor its
effectiveness. Slowly our society is
realizing the need for more
comprehensive treatments for chronic
pain in conditions that are not
fatal.
Successful
treatments Include
massage, dietary
supplements, herbs,
minerals,
vitamins |
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