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Sometimes, people ask if Fibromyalgia is a real health condition, with genuine concerns associated with it. The answer is YES! Fibromyalgia is real and is a type of soft-tissue rheumatism.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia have been evident in scientific literature since the early twentieth century. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that doctors began researching treatments for the condition. Fibromyalgia is a puzzling, painful, and chronic condition that affects roughly four million Americans.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a type of soft-tissue rheumatism (possibly caused by a invading organism), which is a broad classification used to describe conditions that cause pain and stiffness in the joints as well as the muscles and bones. The most prominent symptom of this condition is widespread pain that occurs all over the body and lasts for several months to years. This pain may be specifically felt on the body’s tender points: areas around the head, neck, shoulders, buttocks, elbows, and knees. Fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by fatigue, and even depression. It is a commonly misunderstood and misdiagnosed disease that requires special care and lifestyle changes for treatment.

What Are the Complications Associated with Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia usually doesn’t lead to any other conditions or diseases. However the pain, exhaustion, and depression that are common symptoms of fibromyalgia may affect other areas of your life such as work, daily activities, relationships, and driving.

Risk Factors Associated with Fibromyalgia

• Gender: Women are ten times more likely to develop fibromyalgia than men.
• Age: Although fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, it tends to strike most frequently in early to middle adulthood (30s-40s)
• Genetics: Fibromyalgia may run in the family. So if you have a relative that previously developed the condition, the chances are higher that you will..
• Other conditions: If you have a related disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis or a sleep disorder, you may be more likely to develop fibromyalgia.

What Are The Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

• Pain: Muscle pain is the most common symptom of this condition. The pain is usually widespread throughout the body although it may start in one general location and radiate to other parts over time.
• Fatigue: Chronic fatigue is a common side effect of fibromyalgia as the pain and restlessness of fibromyalgia also makes it difficult to sleep. Research has shown that fibromyalgia causes abnormal sleep patterns, such as the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep. This condition is often associated with a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, where deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. Therefore, people who suffer from fibromyalgia rarely get a restful night’s sleep.
• Depression and Anxiety: It is easy to become anxious and depressed when you are exhausted and in pain all of the time. Roughly one quarter of all fibromyalgia sufferers require treatment for clinical depression.

Other Symptoms associated with fibromyalgia include muscle stiffness, headaches, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, vertigo, digestive disorders, difficulty with balance, chest pain, short term memory loss or difficulty with cognitive function, and difficulty concentrating.

Can Fibromyalgia Be Treated? YES!!

The first step to getting treatment for fibromyalgia is to seek the help of a health care professional. He or she will evaluate your medical history, symptoms, and current medications to determine the best method to treating your condition. At home, it’s important for you to begin making lifestyle changes to strengthen your body’s immune system, improve your sleeping conditions, and slowly recondition your muscles through exercise. Your health care provider should prescribe a alternative natural remedy to help reduce pain and alleviate your additional symptoms.

You can also lessen the painful episodes of fibromyalgia by placing heat or ice on sore joints, practicing gentle stretching methods, and using relaxation techniques. A few relaxation techniques that may work for you, are Deep-Breathing Exercises or Acupuncture, but by no means are these the “only” treatments for fibromyalgia. Eating a healthy diet, without too much salt or fat, can help restore your immunity. Obviously, avoid unhealthy substances like drugs and alcohol that could worsen your fibromyalgia symptoms over time.

Coping With Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia can be painful and exhausting, but it is also frustrating. It is often misunderstood, and misdiagnosed. But it is important for you to realize that you are not alone. In the US alone, about six million people in America alone suffer from fibromyalgia. Connecting with other people who understand fibromyalgia will help you to learn more about your condition. You should also be prepared to educate your family and friends about fibromyalgia so that they can be better able to help you recover.

Fibromyalgia Education & Resources

Research is still underway to discover the causes and better treatments for fibromyalgia. Be your own patient advocate and take the time to educate yourself about the condition and new treatment methods and products that may be helpful to you.

Fibromyalgia CAN be eliminated with the proper care. After studying fibromyalgia for years, I have reason to believe fibromyalgia is caused by lack of oxygen in the tissue caused by many different factors. Recent studies suggest 90% or more of fibromyalgia sufferers have Lyme disease. You can call the Bowen Institute for more information and take the QRiBb test to check for the lyme disease bacteria.

One great tip for connecting with others whom also have Fibromyalgia, is to join a Health Forum, where you can ask and receive answers from others who share in your pain.

Article reproduced from Paintracking.com

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized primarily by widespread pain throughout the body. The name fibromyalgia, introduced by Muhammad Yunus MD and his colleagues in 1981, literally means pain in the muscles and tissue. “Fibro” refers to the fascia or connective tissue, “my” to muscle, and “algia” to pain. Other ailments associated with fibromyalgia include fatigue, poor quality sleep, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, noise and cold, and irritable bowel.

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 National Library of Medicine’s database of medical journal articles.

Diagnostic Criteria

In 1990, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia entered the mainstream in the United States. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) put forward official criteria to recognize this condition:

1. widespread pain for at least three months in three quadrants of the body, and
2. abnormal sensitivity to palpation in at least 11 of 18 specific tender points (as depicted in the illustration).

These diagnostic criteria provide an important empirical basis to diagnose fibromyalgia. During a physical exam, a physician presses lightly (just until the fingernail whitens) on specific tender points as well as control spots and evaluates the patient’s response. People affected by fibromyalgia may not realize they have tender points until someone familiar with the condition applies pressure to them. Wincing, jumping, or any other visible or vocal response of pain depicts excessive tenderness. It has been the case that people with fibromyalgia see an average of five physicians before receiving the proper diagnosis, but as physicians become more familiar with the tender point exam, diagnoses are made more quickly. The number of tender points that elicit pain can vary and someone with widespread pain but only nine or ten tender points should not be ruled out. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia relies not only on tender points, but on a thorough medical history and appropriate lab tests to rule out alternative diagnoses.

Fibromyalgia is not a new syndrome; evidence for its existence dates back centuries. Until recently, however, the cluster of symptoms that comprise fibromyalgia, or fibrositis one of its former names, were largely considered psychogenic. It is the case that doctors who lack a physiological explanation for symptoms are prone to attribute complaints to mental problems or malingering. This has been the case for fibromyalgia because it lacks a clear test to verify its existence, its sufferers “look fine,” and are predominantly female, a group less likely believed. This skepticism began to change in the late 1970s and early 1980s when more research became available about sleep abnormalities and reproducible tender spots in fibromyalgia. An important group of rheumatologists (the specialty of physicians that treat arthritis) realized that this group of patients did not fit the profile of hypochondriacs. Rheumatologists started to pay more serious attention to the suffering described by these patients, who continue to make up 20% of a rheumatologist’s practice.

The ACR diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia came about following an extensive study by 25 medical researchers of more than 500 patients in 16 North American studies. Blinded researchers investigated over 300 different factors in patients with various pain complaints. From this study, they concluded that the most reliable predictors of fibromyalgia are the prevalence of tender points and widespread pain (Wolfe et al., 1989).

In the early 1990s, the World Health Organization declared fibromyalgia a significant medical problem and included it in its 10th International Classification of Disease (ICD-10).

Yet “non-believers” still exist. It may be the case that for some doctors, fibromyalgia will not be considered ‘real’ until its cause and cure are discovered. Fortunately these are becoming fewer and farther between. International conferences of experts now meet regularly to share their findings. Publications on fibromyalgia have increased tremendously, bringing us closer to a fuller understanding of this condition. While rheumatologists were the first to treat fibromyalgia, family physicians are becoming more adept at diagnosing and treating this condition. Doctors of physical medicine, or physiatrists, often specialize in the treatment of fibromyalgia and other pain disorders. Medical Theories

‘Fibromyalgia’ is a descriptive name that may change as we learn more about the condition. It could be the case that various different illnesses with similar symptoms are now being included under the rubric of fibromyalgia, or that fibromyalgia is part of a larger family of pain amplification disorders such as migraines or temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Numerous theories, supported by empirical findings, try to account for what has gone awry in the fibromyalgia body. The simplest explanation is that as with many other conditions such as allergies, heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, a genetic predisposition makes some people more susceptible than others. Fibromyalgia develops when a ‘triggering incident’ throws the body’s system off track. This could be a virus, physical or emotional trauma, repetitive stress, sleep deprivation, or some combination of these. (A small proportion of people seem to be born with fibromyalgia). Exactly what changes in a fibromyalgia body to cause pain and fatigue is not fully understood. The most recent scientific theories consider the pathology to be located in the central nervous system, where pain signals may be amplified or improperly filtered, causing otherwise innocuous stimuli elicit in severe pain. Researchers have found that people with fibromyalgia have elevated amounts of the neurotransmitters that signal pain responses (Substance P), as well as depressed levels of natural pain killers (serotonin) and hormones that restore muscle regeneration (growth hormone). Other findings include abnormal sleep patterns, mainly a decrease in slow-wave deep-levels of sleep that are most restful to the muscles. These all represent important pieces of the puzzle. Treatments for Fibromyalgia

The good news about fibromyalgia is that there does not seem to be any underlying pathology that worsens. Treatments therefore 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 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 and gradual progression toward aerobic conditioning; and (2) drug therapy, primarily to improve sleep. Physical therapy may be helpful and could include such techniques as heat, ice, massage, whirlpool, and electrical stimulation to help control pain. Some patients benefit from medication for pain relief. However, whatever is wrong with the fibromyalgia body makes things like exercise and sleep a challenge. Nonetheless, with much patience and a good understanding of one’s body’s reactions, people with this condition can improve how they feel.

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 nonrestorative 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. Click here for the Mayo Clinic advice on fibromyalgia and sleep.

Pain relief is essential. Understanding what helps you through paintracking 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.

Pacing becomes a very important aspect of living well with fibromyalgia. You may find that taking a break every few hours will allow you to gain a second wind, and maybe even a third or forth. By tracking how you feel and your activity levels, you can learn how to organize your day and weeks to make the most of the energy you have. Creative scheduling can allow people with fibromyalgia to engage in a full life. Knowing when you need to rest and when you can push on make this condition much more manageable.

I have Fibromyalgia Syndrome. There are fair-to-middlin’ days, bad days, and some days it’s just best not to talk about it.

When the rheumatologist diagnosed me I asked him what on earth Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) was. He told me it had to do with muscles and connective tissues. He prescribed a mild anti-depressant, told me get some sleep and put my stress behind me. I assumed then all would be well. How little I knew — but I was to learn.

The doctor gave it a name. At least I knew that much, but there were a multitude of unanswered questions. It seemed no one had ever heard of it, including my primary care physician, family and friends. The scant information about this little known condition found in the bookstores had no answers.

Having an inquiring mind and vast determination I set out on my journey to learn about this arcane health problem. One friend found a mention of it in, of all places, a monthly Alabama Electric Co-op publication. This led me to the National Arthritis Foundation. Another friend read a short article in a weekly magazine containing the address and telephone number of the Fibromyalgia Network.

The FMSNetwork maintains names of doctors and support groups in all states that have been recommended by PWFMS [people with fibromyalgia]. They publish a quarterly newsletter with information about the latest treatment and research in this area. One can also order several informative books, journals, etc., from them. Their address is Post Office Box 31750, Tucson, Arizona, 8751-1750 or call them at (520)290-5508.

In 1992 the Arthritis Foundation (AF) knew little to nothing about FMS. The man I spoke with at the state AF office gave me the name of a woman in Gainesville he had heard of who had FMS. When I spoke with that wonderful lady in Gainesville I asked questions about the strange, seemingly unrelated symptoms I had. Finally, for the first time in my life, I spoke with someone who knew and understood what I had been experiencing for so many years. At long last I knew the severe, unrelenting pain that had become an unwelcome but constant companion, was not all in my head!

She sent me a book, The Fibromyalgia Syndrome, by Mary Anne Saathoff, RN, BSN. The booklet answered many of my questions but not all of them. Now I wanted to learn more about FMS and what, if anything, could be done about it.

At this time my son built me a computer. That computer was to lead me to a vast store of definitive information available to me on the internet. Information from Universities, Medical Journals and other resources.

I was completely ignorant regarding the internet. David McMurtrey, an extraordinary man who does volunteer work for the Tallahassee Freenet, and Randolph Langley, Research Associate with the Supercomputer Computations Research Institute at FSU, enabled me to discover a whole new world. Without them and their unending patience, kindness and understanding I could never have obtained the information, support and help I enjoy today. They enabled me to find that world of immeasurable information. Most importantly, a world that gave me hope.

There is a discussion group on the internet composed of PWFMS. Some caring, dedicated doctors who specialize in FMS share generously of their precious time, knowledge and expertise to help PWFMS in this group we call our FMily. For those who are not familiar with the wondrous world of cyberspace, a discussion group is comparable to a support group. A virtual community of knowledgeable, loving, caring, understanding and compassionate people eager to help one another.

The group numbers close to 1,000 and the members are academicians, doctors, nurses, physical and massage therapists, anesthesiologists, technical writers, administrators, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. All, except for three of the doctors, have one thing in common: They are people with FMS. Their ages range from 14 years of age to 82 years old. They are male and female, and live all over the world. They all live with this “invisible” illness our doctors, family and friends cannot cope with or understand.

The first and most important thing I learned was: I was not crazy, I was not imagining the, horrendous unrelenting pain, and I was not alone. Many doctors believe that fibromyalgia is primarily a psychiatric condition, if indeed they even acknowledge it exists. PWFMS know they hurt. There are no tests to confirm a diagnosis of FMS. Only a doctor skilled in locating the tender points of FM can diagnose it. The patient is usually told they are either over stressed or depressed, it’s all in their head. They are then referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Research published within the past 5 years indicate the exact opposite is true. Utilizing the resources available in cyberspace, last week I downloaded 30 abstracts and articles published in peer reviewed medical journals. All of them state FMS causes depression; it is not the result of depression.

It is known that FMS is a common musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by generalized pain, fatigue and a variety of associated symptoms. Although the term “fibromyalgia” was not introduced until 1976, this symptom complex was described as muscular rheumatism, fibrositis, fibromyositis and psychogenic rheumatism as early as the 17th century. Some researchers believe the description in the scripture of Job’s many health problems were those of FMS.

Three to six percent of the entire population (including children) meet the criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology in 1990. Further, most agree this figure probably represents a conservative estimate of the prevalence of fibromyalgia in the population. It is not known why, but women are more likely to have fibromyalgia than men.

PWFMS complain of fatigue, which can be and often is, severe and debilitating. Other symptoms include widespread pain, cognitive impairment, rashes, chronic itching, morning stiffness, sleep disturbance, burning sensations, anxiety, dysmenorrhea history, visual problems, irritable bowel syndrome, urinary urgency and Raynaud’s phenomenon. FMS is sometimes called the great imitator because of the multitude of symptoms. Because of the diffuse pain, some call it the flu that never goes away.

The onset of Fibromyalgia usually occurs following a traumatic event. In many cases a triggering event can be identified, such as surgery or an automobile accident, or an emotional trauma; i.e., death of a loved one, etc. Even in cases in which the full-blown syndrome develops after a triggering event, a medical history frequently suggests a high lifetime incidence of related conditions. Studies suggest that there may be a genetic tendency toward the development of this disorder.

It is common for fibromyalgia to coexist with other disorders. However, a doctor must be careful before attributing the patient’s symptoms to another coexisting disorder. For example, even if a patient is found to have abnormalities on various test results, or if evidence of an inflammatory disorder (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease, HIV) is found, fibromyalgia may be responsible for the majority of the symptoms.

PWFMS have abnormalities in their neurotransmitters and chemical imbalances. In my world, that means sometimes our brains get short circuited for periods of time. Among the chemicals that are in short supply is serotonin. Seratonin controls both depression and pain.

The cognitive impairments are the most difficult to accept and deal with. Problems with concentration and short-term memory are common. I often think one thing and say another; know the word I’m searching for but can’t find it, usually I know the letter it starts with. I can be in the middle of a sentence and suddenly have no idea what I was saying or going to say. I have huge gaps in my memory of years gone by — in particular I regret losing some of those memories during the time my children were growing up. At times I have difficulty in concentrating and I am easily distracted.

There is no cure for Fibromyalgia. It can, however, be managed to some extent. Without an effective pain management plan, care for PWFMS can be frustrating, time-consuming and expensive. Some medications help to obtain sleep and relax our muscles that never completely rest. No medication short of general anesthesia can eliminate the pain.

A regular sleeping schedule is essential. PWFMS do not achieve the stage IV sleep when Mother Nature comes in to restore and replenish our muscles and bones. Gentle aerobic exercise should be done daily as tolerated. In the world of FMS “no pain, no gain” is NOT the case. Above all else, maintaining a good attitude is the most important single thing a PWFMS can do to help themselves.

In my opinion, a PWFMS must first accept they have this condition. It is vital to learn all you can about it. Use that information in order to cope and live with Fibromyalgia Syndrome as best as you can. It involves a completely new lifestyle and is, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever attempted, but it CAN be done!

There are many excellent books on FMS available. One, written by a doctor with FMS, is The Fibromyalgia Survivor by Mark J. Pellegrino, M.D. It can be ordered from Anadem Publishing, Inc., Columbus Ohio. (614)262-2539. It is available through most bookstores.

Copyright © 1996, 1997 – Ann LeBlanc

Originally published by Self Help and Psychology Magazine

Fibromyalgia, a disorder of brain chemicals characterized by chronic muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue, and nonrestorative sleep, is an illness that frustrates physicians as much as patients. It can be associated with many symptoms: irritable bowel, urinary urgency, and headache are among the most common that laboratory tests fail to confirm, often causing doctors to wonder if the patient is not just an attention-seeking hypochondriac. Presenting symptoms can come and go with such rapidity that even the patient herself may wonder if she is imagining things, although her suffering is real enough.

More properly referred to as the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), because it is in fact a collection of symptoms without a known cause, it affects an estimated 5 percent of the population, women outnumbering men by about eight to one. The classical diagnostic criteria for FMS are a history of pain in all four quadrants of the body with a duration of more than three months, and exquisite pain when pressure is applied to certain specific places on the body, known as tender points, each at a spot near a muscle’s attachment to bone.

Fibromyalgia is not new, although awareness of it is now growing rapidly. Hippocrates described it. In Victorian times it was known as neurasthenia. More recently it was called fibrositis–a misnomer, because the suffix “itis” suggests inflammation. FMS is not an inflammatory condition, unlike lupus, and polymyalgia rheumatica. Nor is it degenerative, like multiple sclerosis. Yet fibromyalgia’s symptoms often mimic these diseases, leading to erroneous and frightening misdiagnosis. Fibromyalgia is not progressive, it is not life-threatening, but it is as yet incurable. However, with proper care, it can be managed, although about one-third of the people with fibromyalgia are partially or totally disabled. Thus, its economic cost to society as a whole is considerable.

People with fibromyalgia are often depressed, but depression does not cause fibromyalgia. Indeed, if one is in constant pain and unable get a decent night’s sleep, depression may be a rational response. Additionally, blood studies have suggested a deficiency in serotonin among people with fibromyalgia. Since serotonin modulates mood, among its other functions, low levels of this neurohormone might well cause depression.

FMS most commonly appears in adults, but it is also present in children. A study of school children in Israel found FMS in 8 percent of the sample. Children who have difficulty sleeping and complain of pain should be evaluated by a physician familiar with fibromyalgia. So-called “growing pains” are often a sign of FMS in children. The youngest child reported to have FMS so far was four years old at the time of diagnosis. A small child who is told that pain is normal may grow to adulthood believing that everyone is in pain all of the time.

Fibromyalgia tends to run in families, although the precise genetic mechanism is not yet known. The taut, ropy muscles of people with fibromyalgia were found in one study to be present in family members who had no chronic pain. It is thought by most fibromyalogists that the syndrome can be triggered by illness or injury, indeed by anything that robs one of sleep, which may account for the preponderance of females in the affected population, since women more often than men have their sleep disturbed by the need to care for infants and small children. Sleep apnea, the sudden, involuntary, and momentary cessation of breathing during deep sleep, is the leading cause of FMS in men. Treating this problem often results in remission of symptoms.

Conventional treatment for fibromyalgia consists of low doses of a tricyclic antidepressant or serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which serve to increase the availability of serotonin; the institution of habits that improve sleep; proper nutrition; and daily aerobic exercise. The need for exercise is a significant issue for most people with fibromyalgia; muscle pain may increase after exercise, and repetitive motions of any sort make most fibromyalgics hurt more.

But most experts agree that exercise is the single most important factor in a fibromyalgic’s well-being. It need not be strenuous: Riding a stationary bicycle and walking are the two most often recommended forms of exercise. People with fibromyalgia may have to start with two or three minutes of exercise and work up from there a minute at a time, but without exercise FMS can indeed seem to be a progressive disorder, as unused muscles stiffen and atrophy, causing more pain and muscle damage.

Copyright © 1997, Miryam Ehrlich Williamson – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by widespread pain in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Some other problems commonly linked with fibromyalgia include fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety. Fibromyalgia can develop on its own, or secondary to other musculoskeletal conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, or systemic lupus.

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia requires a history of a least three months of widespread pain, and pain and tenderness in at least 11 of 18 tender-point sites. These tender-point sites include fibrous tissue or muscles of the:

• Neck
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Rib cage
• Lower back
• Thighs
• Knees
• Arms (elbows)
• Buttocks

The overwhelming characteristic of fibromyalgia is long-standing, body-wide pain with defined tender points. Tender points are distinct from trigger points seen in other pain syndromes. (Unlike tender points, trigger points can occur in isolation and represent a source of radiating pain, even in the absence of direct pressure.)

Fibromyalgia pain can mimic the pain experienced by people with various types of arthritis. With fibromyalgia syndrome alone, the significant joint swelling, destruction, and deformity seen in patients with diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis does not occur.

The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferers tend to waken with body aches and stiffness.

For some patients, pain improves during the day and increases again during the evening, though many patients with fibromyalgia have day-long, unrelenting pain. Pain can increase with activity; cold, damp weather; anxiety; and stress.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is one of the most widespread, chronic, and puzzling conditions known to modern medicine. It affects the whole body causing pain, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, digestive disorders, and other related symptoms. Moreover, although the symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome have been evident in scientific literature since the early twentieth century, it was not until the 1980s that doctors began researching treatments for the condition.

If you think you are suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome, you are not alone. It affects roughly four million Americans, as well as people from every country and in every culture on the planet.

What is Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a unique set of symptoms that are somewhat related to arthritis. However, unlike arthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome does not damage the joints. It is a type of soft-tissue rheumatism that causes pain and stiffness in the joints as well as the muscles and bones. In general, the American College of Rheumatology defines fibromyalgia syndrome as encompassing two main symptoms. First, this condition causes widespread pain throughout the body that lasts for at least three months. Pain is considered widespread when it simultaneously affects the left and right side of the body, as well as above and below the waist. Widespread pain also includes axial skeletal pain that affects the cervical spine, the neck, chest, upper back, and lower back. The other criteria involve pain upon manual palpitation in at least eleven of the eighteen designated tender points located on the body. In order for a tender point to be considered positive, the patient must feel pain and not just tenderness. These tender points include areas around the head, neck, shoulders, buttocks, elbows, and knees.

Who Gets Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

Fibromyalgia is a very common pain syndrome that can affect people of any age, even children, although it strikes most often between the ages of twenty and fifty-five. Women are ten times more likely than men to develop the condition. There is also a significant link between people who suffer from lyme disease and rheumatoid arthritis and those who develop fibromyalgia syndrome. About twenty percent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis develop fibromyalgia syndrome. Although, when the rheumatoid arthritis improves, the symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome usually remain unaffected.

What Causes Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

Doctors are not entirely sure what causes fibromyalgia syndrome, although injury, trauma, infection, lack of exercise, changes in muscle metabolism, chronic fatigue syndrome, and depression have all been suggested as possible causes. Current research is primarily focused on the relationship between hormones and fibromyalgia syndrome. Many researchers feel that abnormalities in the secretion of certain neural hormones may affect sleep patterns, pain sensation, immunity, emotions, and the constricting and dilating of blood vessels. The latest change in the research states that Lyme Disease may be the primary cause of Fibromyalgia.

The Symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a set of symptoms. The combination and intensity of these symptoms will vary from person to person and even from day to day. Weather, stress, and physical activity, can also affect fibromyalgia symptoms. The major symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome include:

• Pain: Widespread pain is the most common and prominent symptom of this condition. Some sufferers describe it as knifelike while others feel more of a muscle cramp. The pain can vary depending upon weather, sleep patterns, stress, activity level, and time of day. However, there is usually some degree of pain present at all times in specific areas of the body. These areas include the back of the head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. Most people who suffer from fibromyalgia say it feels like a persistent flu.
• Fatigue and Sleep Disturbances: An overwhelming majority (about ninety percent) of people who suffer from fibromyalgia also report a moderate to severe level of fatigue. It can range from listlessness to exhaustion, and it can vary throughout the day and from one day to the next. Fibromyalgia is also associated with nighttime muscle spasms and restless leg syndrome. Sufferers often wake up exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep, because they have missed the restorative stage of deep sleep.
• Depression and Anxiety: Twenty five percent of people who suffer from fibromyalgia syndrome are considered clinically depressed and require treatment for depression from a health care professional. While many others report simply feeling down, blue, or anxious on frequent occasions. Many researchers are convinced there is a biological link between fibromyalgia and depression, however, there are unsure if depression is the result of fibromyalgia or the cause of it.
• Other Symptoms: Stiffness, headaches, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, vertigo, difficulty with balance, chest pain, suicidal tendencies, short-term memory loss or difficulty with cognitive function, and difficulty concentrating are all additional symptoms often associated with fibromyalgia syndrome.

How Can I Treat Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

Relieving the pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia can be a difficult and time-consuming process. It may take some time to figure out what changes will work for you. Your health care provider will work with you to develop a course of treatment that will specifically fit your condition. The most important elements for recovery involve diet, exercise, rest, and immune strengthening supplements.

The Best Fibromyalgia Resources

Fibromyalgia CAN be eliminated with the proper care. For more information on Fibromyalgia, visit www.fibromyalgia-support.org

After studying fibromyalgia for years, I have reason to believe fibromyalgia is caused by lack of oxygen in the tissue caused by many different factors. Recent studies suggest 90% or more of fibromyalgia sufferers have Lyme disease. You can call the Bowen Institute for more information and take the QRiBb test to check for the lyme disease bacteria.