FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia mainly affects the muscles that may cause widespread pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints. As there is no inflammation of tissues in fibromyalgia, so tissues damage or deformity is rarely seen in patients with fibromyalgia. Most of patients with fibromyalgia may have sleep disturbances. Fibromyalgia syndrome is more prevalent in young or middle aged females though it can occur in men and may be associated with unexplained symptoms like anxiety, depression and hampers daily life activities. The pain of fibromyalgia is on/off type that is pain is come and go type. Patients with rheumatic disease like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis etc. have more chance of developing fibromyalgia syndrome.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia mainly affects the muscles that may cause widespread pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and joints. As there is no inflammation of tissues in fibromyalgia, so tissues damage or deformity is rarely seen in patients with fibromyalgia. Most of patients with fibromyalgia may have sleep disturbances. Fibromyalgia syndrome is more prevalent in young or middle aged females though it can occur in men and may be associated with unexplained symptoms like anxiety, depression and hampers daily life activities. The pain of fibromyalgia is on/off type that is pain is come and go type. Patients with rheumatic disease like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis etc. have more chance of developing fibromyalgia syndrome.
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
The exact cause of fibromyalgia are unknown, people with stressful or traumatic events like road traffic accident are more likely to develop fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia will not have any physical deformities and fibromyalgia doesn’t cause cancer, heart attack or brain attack. Researchers have shown that brain and spinal cord may play key role in fibromyalgia.
How Is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
Currently there are not any laboratory tests for fibromyalgia. Even tests like X-rays, blood tests, specialized scans such as nuclear medicine and CT scan muscle biopsy are normal in cases of fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia complain their doctors that despite so many expensive tests there diagnosis is not clear. In simple way we can say that fibromyalgia is not seen in any blood tests, CT or MRI. People often have questions if fibromyalgia is not seen in any tests, then why they need to so many expensive tests. The answer for this question is laboratory testing, such as complete blood count, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody (ANA), thyroid function test, CRP, renal function, and liver function tests are necessary to rule out other disorders.
How is fibromyalgia treated?
If someone want to get rid of fibromyalgia, it is not possible because there is no cure for fibromyalgia. But the good news is that symptoms of fibromyalgia can be controlled with non drug and drug therapies with multiple medications.
All doctors are not familiar with fibromyalgia and its treatment. So it is important to get help from family physicians or rheumatologists (doctors who specialize in arthritis and other conditions that affect the joints or soft tissues). Along with your rheumatologist physiotherapist also plays important role in treating your fibromyalgia symptoms.
Although doctors try varieties of medications for fibromyalgia but most prefer to use duloxetine, milnacipran, and pregabalin. Some patients may also need painkillers to treat fibromyalgia. The questions asked by many patients are will these drugs have side effects. The answer is ultimate that all medicines can have side effects. So doesn’t worry about side effects of medicines. Let your doctor monitor side effects of medications from time to time by regular follow up.
Non-drug treatments like physical exercise, Tai Chi and yoga, alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy, can be used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms.
Sometimes one medication which is working for you to relive pain may not work after few months. Doesn’t worry let your rheumatologist handle situation; you may need change in the combination of medications from time to time to treat fibromyalgia symptoms.
Will Fibromyalgia Get Better With Time?
Fibromyalgia may persist for lifetime. However, there is good news that fibromyalgia is never fatal and it will not damage joints, internal organs or muscle. In few cases fibromyalgia may improve over time.
Self-care tips for living with fibromyalgia
- Getting enough sleep
- Regular Exercise
- Cut down the number of hours they work, switch to a less demanding job
- Maintain healthy and balanced diet
- Stress Management