Fibromyalgia Information and Treatment – Is Fibromyalgia a Form of Arthritis?

 

What is Fibromyalgia?

 

Sometimes referred to as “fibro” and “the invisible disease,” fibromyalgia is a very debilitating that can strike anyone.  Approximately three to six percent of the U.S. population suffers from this condition, which causes sufferers chronic pains and aches.  The chronic pain and fatigue associated with this disease causes sufferers a general discomfort and a loss of the ability to function normally.

 

The earmarks of fibromyalgia are muscular aches and pains, stiffness of joints, and general fatigue.  Most who suffer from fibromyalgia are faced with disturbed sleep, making it almost impossible to get a good night’s rest.  This only makes the general aches and pains of the disease that much worse.

 

What are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

 

Fibromyalgia causes widespread, chronic pain.  No area of the body will remain untouched by the effects of fibro, though the pain is most commonly found in the back, shoulders, neck, and hands.  Those who suffer from fibromyalgia have complained of a tingling or burning sensation, and numbness.   Many who have been struck with fibro have experienced sensitized skin and nerve pain.

 

Other symptoms of fibro include impaired memory and concentration, anxiety, depression, dizziness, ringing in the ears, terrible headaches, and irritable bowels and bladder. Fibromyalgia most commonly causes sufferers a general, overall fatigue brought on by general pain, muscle ache, and sleeplessness.

 

What Causes Fibromyalgia?

 

Fibromyalgia is a disease that is the focus of much intense scientific study.  There are many theories about the causes of fibro, and in many cases, it is the result of some trauma that sufferers have experienced.  But there is much still unknown about this horrible disease, and modern medicine has still to pinpoint the cause of fibromyalgia.  There is no known method of prevention.  Scientific research indicates that some people may be genetically predisposed to fibromyalgia, but nothing has been accurately proven.

 

Is There a Cure for Fibromyalgia?

 

There is no known cure for fibromyalgia. In fact, as there is much still unknown about this disease and as there are no accurate tests for fibromyalgia, it is very hard to be diagnosed with this disease.  Many doctors remain largely unfamiliar with the effects of fibro, and many doctors remain steadfast that fibromyalgia is not a true disease or physical ailment.

 

However, as awareness of fibromyalgia grows, new treatments are being explored.  Sufferers of fibro have more options today, and as scientists learn more there is great hope that a true cure will be discovered in the future.

 

What Treatments are Available to Those Who Suffer from Fibromyalgia?

 

Over-the-counter pain medications can help to relieve some of the chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia.  Most doctors will prescribe pain medication and antidepressants to those who suffer from fibro and prescribe a light exercise regime to keep muscles loose and limber.

 

Daily stretching exercises, like yoga, can help alleviate some of the muscle pain associated with this disease.  Holistic methods and medicines are very popular with fibromyalgia sufferers.  Proper diet and nutrition are very important to those who suffer from this disease, and there is a focus on eating healthy and treating the body very well.

 

As fibromyalgia causes sleeping problems, doctors have stressed the importance that those who have been diagnosed with fibro get plenty of healthy sleep.  Plenty of sleep will lessen the fatigue and exhaustion that those with fibromyalgia almost constantly feel and alleviate some of the pain in the muscles and joints.

 

What’s Next?

 

With no known cure, and no way to reverse the effects of fibromyalgia, sufferers are forced to live with the disease for the remainder of their lives – or until a cure is found.  Treatment must remain strict, and diet and exercise programs followed explicitly.  Those who suffer from fibromyalgia will not be able to function at any high-level capacity.  They will not be able to engage in strenuous activities, or even to hold a full-time job in most cases.

 

But by maintaining treatment and living inside the realm of their physical capacity, those who suffer from fibro greatly reduce the pain that they experience.  When more is understood about this disease, and scientists are able to come up with a comprehensive cure, perhaps fibromyalgia will finally be wiped out.

 

Fibromyalgia Information and Treatment – Characteristics of Fibromyalgia Treatments

 

Fibromyalgia is a serious neurological condition that causes pain in the musculoskeletal system. People who suffer from fibromyalgia also feel pain in the tendons, ligaments and the areas of the joints. Another characteristic of fibromyalgia is a pronounced state of fatigue that takes over the entire body. The symptoms of fibromyalgia resemble those of rheumatoid arthritis and due to this fact, fibromyalgia may be misdiagnosed.

 

However, unlike people with physical illnesses, the people with fibromyalgia seem to be in perfect health. Although the pain reported by people with fibromyalgia is present, it occurs on the premises of abnormal brain activity. People who suffer from fibromyalgia have a very sensitive nervous system and a low tolerance to external stimuli. Increased nervous excitability is considered to be the cause of the intense, recidivating pain experienced by people with fibromyalgia.

 

Statistics indicate that more than 3.7 million Americans are diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This is a disturbing fact, as modern medicine hasn’t yet discovered a specific cure for this type of neurological disorder. In fact, although scientists have established a connection between abnormal brain activity and the symptoms of fibromyalgia, the exact causes responsible for the development of the disorder remain unknown.

 

In present, fibromyalgia treatments are solely focused on ameliorating its symptoms, instead of overcoming its causes. Although most fibromyalgia treatments can ease the muscular pain and discomfort characteristic to all people with the disorder, these symptoms seem to reoccur on a regular time basis. This is due to the fact that fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder and therefore it needs ongoing treatment.

 

Fibromyalgia treatments mostly consist of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (used solely for their analgesic properties). However, apart from intense pain, many people with fibromyalgia complain about having trouble sleeping and feel a pronounced state of fatigue throughout the whole body. Therefore, in some particular cases, fibromyalgia treatments may include sedatives in order to correct the patients’ sleeping problems.

 

As a consequence of the fact that modern medicine is unable to trace the actual causes of the disorder, the symptoms of fibromyalgia can only be corrected by prescribing a certain treatment for each individual symptom. Therefore, the majority of fibromyalgia treatments consist of many types of medicines that target different aspects of the disorder.

 

Other physical symptoms of fibromyalgia are migraines, lack of concentration, body weakness, decrease of the short-term memory, accelerated heart rate, nausea, abdominal pain and bloating, vomiting and diarrhoea.

 

When patients are confronted with these symptoms, the fibromyalgia treatment includes medicines appropriate for each particular problem. Fibromyalgia can even cause depression and in this case the fibromyalgia treatment will include anti-depressives.

 

The multitude of fibromyalgia symptoms requires a multitude of fibromyalgia treatments. Due to this fact, many people who follow ongoing medication either develop increased tolerance to drugs and need higher doses (especially in the case of analgesics and sedatives), or they start feeling even worse than before due to the side-effects of the fibromyalgia treatment.

 

However, there are other forms of fibromyalgia treatments that can relief the symptoms of the condition without relying on drugs. These fibromyalgia treatments involve kineto-therapy and massage therapy.

 

By stimulating the trigger points on the body (the places where the pain is the most intense) and through the means of therapeutic massages, the muscular pain and fatigue can be diminished. Medical experts strongly recommend these forms of therapy instead of ongoing fibromyalgia treatments that involve drugs.

 

To find out more about fibromyalgia information and treatment, watch these 2 following videos –

 

Life with Fibromyalgia | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment

 

Fibromyalgia: Living with chronic pain – BBC Stories

 

This article is from the Get Your Health Back – Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Freedom. It consists of a strategy filled with guides on sleep, pain, depression, anxiety, diet, exercise and fitness plans, diet plans and packed with 369 healthy and delicious recipes

 

To find out more about this program, visit the website – Get Your Health Back – Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Freedom