Fibromyalgia is a chronic and common
disorder that affects around 2-4% of the total world population.
Fibromyalgia syndrome is very well known although the cause behind
this disease is not known till recently and still is not proven. It's
extremely distressing for the people suffering from this ailment. The
disease produces widespread muscle pain and extreme tiredness.
Pain is the primary symptom, seen in
nearly 100 percent of cases, especially, pain and tenderness in some
regions of the body when pressure is applied. As a consequence
patients feel the pain in the muscle joint areas of body, including
neck, shoulder, elbow and sometimes also in the tendons, ligaments
and other soft fibers in the body.
The fact is the affected muscles in the body are not deformed like arthritis cases although it is assumed by some experts to be a specific kind of arthritis. Fibromyalgia is some type of neuro muscular pain, which changes the musculo-skeletal schema of human body. This syndrome is a state that is persistent and symptoms may be atypical or continuous for years. Some of the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia consist of:
* Widespread pain
* Pain in the shoulder, neck, upper buttocks, knee, elbow or or thigh areas when palpated
* Trouble sleep
* Tiredness each day or late in the day
* Irritable bowel syndrome
* Trouble focusing
* Mood changes
* Migraines and headaches
* Stomach pain
* Bloating
* Long lasting morning rigidity
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Exhaustion that interferes with daily and work tasks
* Sleep problems – lack of deep sleep
* Numbness and tingling in the body's extremities
* Migraines and headaches
* Stomach pain
* Bloating
* Long lasting morning rigidity
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Exhaustion that interferes with daily and work tasks
* Sleep problems – lack of deep sleep
* Numbness and tingling in the body's extremities
In addition of those physical symptoms, anxiety is often felt by fibromyalgia patients as well as depression. They feel lethargic and may feel frustrated in their life. This depression can lead them to take their own lives.
Women with fibromyalgia tend to suffer more with from other female related disorders and may also face problems with menstruation.
In recent research it has proved that females are more affected than males. It's a phenomenon that continues to puzzle the medical profession, although it does point to a hormonal component.
Sleep disorders - this leads to daytime tiredness and often causes depression and even reduced immunity. The cause behind this disease continues to be a mystery, the most likely reason is that there are multiple causes. It can affects individuals of any age, some specialists have theorized that after a viral illness fibromyalgia may take hold. It may also be triggered by stress and trauma.
Identifying the sore points in the body can lead to a fairly accurate diagnosis. Pain in 11 to 18 tender points suggests fibromyalgia syndrome. Before this however, other long-term syndromes such as Lyme disease, thyroid disturbance and chronic fatigue syndrome have to be eliminated.
Although difficult, there have been
examples of people who have been cured of this unpleasant syndrome.
This is certainly not due to the anti-depressants and pain
medications prescribed by doctors, but more through the efforts of
the sufferers themselves using diet, exercise and other natural and
holistic therapies in an effort to find a fibromyalgia cure.
People with disease have a hard road to follow, however they should never give up as there is hope on the horizon. New treatments may soon be discovered that can cure fibromyalgia for good. Meanwhile the best results can be obtained by living a healthy lifestyle, free from processed foods, chemicals and stress.
