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Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterised by widespread pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. "Tender points" refers to tenderness that occurs in specific, localised areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. The severity of pain varies greatly from one patient to another. Some patients find that the severity of their symptoms fluctuates. The periods of time when the symptoms are at their worst are referred to as “flares”. Sleep is non-restorative, which can lead to memory and concentration problems and fatigue.

A large part of fibromyalgia pain is caused by severe muscle tension. As a result of this long-term tension, painful muscle knots often form and are very difficult to get rid of. There are however, many different types of pain associated with fibromyalgia. The pain can feel like a deep bone ache, pins and needles, or a stabbing or burning pain. Muscles may feel like they have been pulled or injured. There are times this pain is mild, others when it is so severe that it becomes unbearable. 

Related illnesses include Chronic Myofascial Pain, Myalgic Encephalopathy / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.



Fibromyalgia: Invisible Pain

 

Click here to view a short documentary about fibromyalgia

 

Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose because many of the symptoms mimic those of other disorders, which need to be ruled out before a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is given. For an extensive list of illnesses that can cause similar symptoms to those of fibromyalgia, click HERE.

A diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based on a history of chronic widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for more than 3 months, in combination with tenderness in at least 11 of the 18 specific tender point sites demonstrated by the picture below. People who do not have fibromyalgia are much less tender to pressure applied at these tender points.

 

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Classic Fibromyalgia and Pseudo Fibromyalgia: The Difference

 

In the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, July/August 2006, (Volume 29, Issue 6) Michael J. Schneider, David M. Brady and Stephen M. Perle explain that there are two categories of fibromyalgia: "classic fibromyalgia" and "pseudo fibromyalgia". The symptoms are the same in both cases, but the cause of the problem is different.

Patients who suffer from “classic fibromyalgia” have low serotonin levels. This prevents the muscles from relaxing properly and prevents patients from reaching a deep level of sleep. This is why many doctors prescribe anti-depressant medications for fibromyalgia patients to take at night – to boost serotonin levels while they sleep, so that they will reach a deeper level of sleep and their muscles will relax properly. Serotonin can become depleted following a trauma, such as a car accident or chronic stress.

 

“Pseudo fibromyalgia” refers to a group of conditions or health problems that, when combined, cause fibromyalgia symptoms. For example, if a patient suffers from insomnia, hypermobile joints and I.B.S., they are likely to have all or most fibromyalgia symptoms, but their serotonin levels may be normal.

 

There are three types of “pseudo fibromyalgia”:

 

Organic diseases

This includes diseases such as Lyme disease, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, all of which can cause fibromyalgia symptoms.

 

Functional disorders

Patients who are malnourished fall into this category, whether their malnourishment is due to poor diet or a medical problem that affects their digestion and absorption of nutrients. Intestinal dysbiosis and liver problems are functional disorders that can lead to fibromyalgia symptoms.
Various sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and narcolepsy, can also cause many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

 

Musculoskeletal disorders

Fibromyalgia symptoms can be caused by a combination of factors such as multiple trigger points, hypermobile joints, muscle imbalances and problems with the spine.

 

Nowadays serotonin levels can be tested, so it’s worth having that test done in order to find out whether your symptoms are due to “classic” or “pseudo” fibromyalgia. If the answer is “classic” then you can focus on sorting out your serotonin problems, whether you choose to use medications or supplements. If you do not have depleted serotonin levels then your symptoms could be referred to as “pseudo fibromyalgia” and it’s time to start pinpointing the various causes of your symptoms, so that you can work out how to treat them.

 Click here for a list of conditions that can cause fibromyalgia symptoms

 
 
What causes Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia has been classified as a syndrome, not a disease. A disease is a condition with a clearly identifiable cause, whereas a syndrome is a set of symptoms that define the condition without a single causative agent upon which to place the blame.

 

In other words, there is not one specific cause of all Fibromyalgia cases. Some researchers believe that certain illnesses can trigger Fibromyalgia symptoms in susceptible patients or lead to Fibromyalgia if left untreated. Just a few examples of such illnesses include Lyme disease, mould toxicity, mercury poisoning or aspartame poisoning. It is very important to ensure that you have ruled out all of these options, because some have rather different treatment protocols to the Fibromyalgia protocols.

 

To view an extensive list of illnesses that can cause Fibromyalgia symptoms click HERE. Patients may find it helpful to take this list to their doctor and ask him / her to help you to rule out all of the other possible causes of their symptoms.

 

Some Fibromyalgia is triggered by an injury or physical trauma that affects the central nervous system. Some researchers believe that fibromyalgia may be associated with changes in muscle metabolism, such as decreased blood flow, causing fatigue and decreased strength. Others suspect that Fibromyalgia is triggered by an infectious agent such as a virus in susceptible people.

 

Recent research indicates that fibromyalgia pain may be caused by the brain not producing enough serotonin, dopamine or GABA during sleep for the patient’s muscles to relax. This leads to severe muscle tension, which is very painful and muscle knots often form at the trigger points. Sleep is non-restorative, so the patient does not wake up feeling refreshed and is often more tired in the morning than they felt when they went to bed.

 
 
How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?

Unfortunately there is no magic pill or cure-all treatment for fibromyalgia. However, there are many treatments and lifestyle changes that can help fibromyalgia sufferers to cope. At Diagnose Support, we aim to provide you with unbiased, up-to-date information about treatments that help patients with fibromyalgia.

 

Please see our Treatments section for more information.

 

 

Please consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes.

 

 

 
 
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