Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and exquisite pain sensitivity that may produce high levels of suffering and greatly diminish your quality of life.
Fibromyalgia is real. For those who have experienced chronic widespread pain and nagging fatigue, along with a variety of other "fibro" symptoms, there is no debate over its existence. Fibromyalgia is a condition that involves chronic pain amplification caused by neuroendocrine abnormalties. What is that? Neuroendocrine abnormalties refers to neurological and hormonol/chemical irregularities that cause disordered sensory processing, resulting in pain and a constellation of symptoms.
The name fibromyalgia comes from the latin words fibro, my, and algia, which tranlated mean fribrous tissues, muscles, and pain. Together they describe the main symptom of fibromyalgia: painful muscles, tendons, and ligaments. However, widespread pain throughout the soft tissues of the body is only one of the symptoms that are a part of this syndrome. Chronic pain is also accompanied by fatigue, disordered sleep, stiffness, numbness, cognitive difficulties, anxiety, muscle weakness, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Fibromyalgia is classified as a syndrome because it is a collection of symptoms and overlapping conditions. Because it can mimic other illnesses or coexist with other diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or even cancer, fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose. The chief complaint is constant pain, above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. You may feel like you have the constant flu and are completely out of energy. The pain can be described as stabbing, burning, tingling, aching or even cramping. Many people with fibromyalgia experience congnitive difficulties, making it tricky for them to verbally express their thoughts. Fibro Fog can cause you to lose your train of thought and makes you feel like your thinking is foggy.
The following is a list of symptoms and overlapping conditions. Although each person does not necessarily have all the symptoms, individuals often experience many of the symptoms at one time or another.
The basis of diagnoses:
Tender points are areas of muscle or other soft tissues that are extremely sensitive to pressure stimulation. People with fibromyalgia experience pain in at least 11 or more tender points. For now, tender points have been found to be very consistent sites for diagnosing individuals with fibromyalgia.
During a diagnosis the health-care professional will press firmly on 18 (a total of 9 pairs of) designated tender points located:
Millions of people are dealing with fibromyalgia on a daily basis. Fibromyalgia affects men, women, and children of all ages, races and economic levels. Currently, we do not know the exact cause or have a cure for fibromyalgia, however, there are ways to help improve the quality of life for those that have this syndrome. There is hope.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fibromyalgia-Awareness/320745967956411#!/pages/Fibromyalgia-Awareness/320745967956411?sk=wall
Fibromyalgia is real. For those who have experienced chronic widespread pain and nagging fatigue, along with a variety of other "fibro" symptoms, there is no debate over its existence. Fibromyalgia is a condition that involves chronic pain amplification caused by neuroendocrine abnormalties. What is that? Neuroendocrine abnormalties refers to neurological and hormonol/chemical irregularities that cause disordered sensory processing, resulting in pain and a constellation of symptoms.
The name fibromyalgia comes from the latin words fibro, my, and algia, which tranlated mean fribrous tissues, muscles, and pain. Together they describe the main symptom of fibromyalgia: painful muscles, tendons, and ligaments. However, widespread pain throughout the soft tissues of the body is only one of the symptoms that are a part of this syndrome. Chronic pain is also accompanied by fatigue, disordered sleep, stiffness, numbness, cognitive difficulties, anxiety, muscle weakness, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Fibromyalgia is classified as a syndrome because it is a collection of symptoms and overlapping conditions. Because it can mimic other illnesses or coexist with other diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or even cancer, fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose. The chief complaint is constant pain, above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. You may feel like you have the constant flu and are completely out of energy. The pain can be described as stabbing, burning, tingling, aching or even cramping. Many people with fibromyalgia experience congnitive difficulties, making it tricky for them to verbally express their thoughts. Fibro Fog can cause you to lose your train of thought and makes you feel like your thinking is foggy.
The following is a list of symptoms and overlapping conditions. Although each person does not necessarily have all the symptoms, individuals often experience many of the symptoms at one time or another.
- Bodywide Muscle and Joint Pain
- Fatigue
- Altered Sleep
- Stiffness
- Dizziness (Balance Problems)
- Sensitivity fo Environmental Factors (light, sound, smells, temperature)
- Temporomandibular Dysfunction
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Paresthesia (Numbness and Tingling)
- Allergies and Chemical Sensitivities
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Dry Mouth and Eyes
- Skin Rashes and Irritations
- Conginitive Impairments
- Vulvodynia
- Endometriosis
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Painful Periods
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Depression
- Ringing in Ears
- Irritable Bladder
The basis of diagnoses:
- Widespread pain on the left and right side of the body, above and below the waist, as well as axial skeletal pain (such as neck, front or back chest, and lower back)
- Pain in 11 of 18 tender points.
Tender points are areas of muscle or other soft tissues that are extremely sensitive to pressure stimulation. People with fibromyalgia experience pain in at least 11 or more tender points. For now, tender points have been found to be very consistent sites for diagnosing individuals with fibromyalgia.
During a diagnosis the health-care professional will press firmly on 18 (a total of 9 pairs of) designated tender points located:
- The left or right side of the back of the neck, directly below the hairline
- The left or right side of the front of the neck, above the collarbone
- The left or right side of the chest, right below the collarbone
- The left or right side of the upper back, near where the neck and shoulder join
- The left or right side of the spine in the upper back between the shoulder blades
- The inside of either arm, where it bends at the elbow
- The left or right side of the lower back, right below the waist
- Either side of the buttocks right under the hipbones
- On the fat pad over the kneecaps
Millions of people are dealing with fibromyalgia on a daily basis. Fibromyalgia affects men, women, and children of all ages, races and economic levels. Currently, we do not know the exact cause or have a cure for fibromyalgia, however, there are ways to help improve the quality of life for those that have this syndrome. There is hope.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fibromyalgia-Awareness/320745967956411#!/pages/Fibromyalgia-Awareness/320745967956411?sk=wall
"Word-finding difficulties, inability to comprehend/retain what is read, inability to calculate numbers and impairment of speech and/or reasoning, tremors, deep muscle pain, myofascial pain, visual disturbances (blurring, sensitivity to light, eye pain, need for frequent prescription changes); psychological problems (depression, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, personality changes, mood swings); chills and night sweats; shortness of breath; dizziness and balance problems; sensitivity to heat and/or cold; alcohol intolerance; irregular heartbeat; irritable bowel (abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, intestinal gas); low-grade fever or low body temperature; numbness, tingling and/or burning sensations in the face or extremities; dryness of the mouth and eyes (sicca syndrome); gynecological problems including PMS and endometriosis; chest pains; rashes; ringing in the ears (tinnitus); allergies and sensitivities to noise/sound, odors, chemicals and medications; weight changes without changes in diet; light-headedness; mental fogginess; muscle twitching;
ReplyDelete"flu-like symptoms such as pain in the joints and muscles, unrefreshing sleep, tender lymph nodes, sore throat and headache. A distinctive characteristic of the illness is post-exertional malaise, a worsening of symptoms following physical or mental exertion occurring within 12-48 hours of the exertion and requiring an extended recovery period, Chronic Fatigue, incapacitating fatigue (experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina) and problems with concentration and short-term memory loss "fibro fog" & more." - Lauri (Rice Lake, WI)