In fibromyalgia, a patient feels constant pain in the muscles and joints all over the body. Other signs and symptoms can include sensitivity to light, sound, or temperature, headaches, exhaustion, poor sleep, memory, mood problems, numbness in the hands or feet, bloating, increased urination, constipation, dry mouth, and weariness.
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People with fibromyalgia frequently also have anxiety, depression, TMJ disorders, and IBS. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but medication can lessen the symptoms.
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Causes of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia sufferers have a heightened sensitivity to pain, so they experience discomfort more than other people. Studies have confirmed that fibromyalgia patients have abnormal signalling in the neural circuits that transmit and accept pain.
The tiredness, sleep issues, and cognitive issues that many people complain about are caused by these changes.
Inheritable variables are believed to play a role in this condition. Researchers also think that environmental (nongenetic) factors can also contribute to a person’s risk of being ill.
The presence of a painful condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, or internal health issues, such as anxiety or depression, can be among these environmental triggers.
· Genetics
Given that fibromyalgia frequently runs in families, specific genetic alterations might increase your risk of getting the condition.
· Infections
Some diseases seem to cause or worsen fibromyalgia.
· Emotional or physical incidents
A physical incident, such as a vehicle accident, may occasionally cause fibromyalgia to develop. The disorder can also be brought on by persistent psychological stress.
Symptoms
Fibromyalgia pain is described as a chronic, dull discomfort that has lasted for at least three months. The discomfort will affect both sides of your body and both above and below your waist to be widespread.
People with fibromyalgia frequently wake up feeling exhausted even if they claim to sleep for lengthy periods. Pain frequently disrupts their sleep, and several fibromyalgia patients too suffer from other sleep disorders like sleep apnoea and restless legs syndrome. Concentration, attention, and mental focus are all challenged by the “fibro fog” condition.
General symptoms
- Migraine and other sorts of headaches
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Depression
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Postural tachycardia syndrome
- Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
- Anxiety
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Treatment
It might be challenging for an individual to manage fibromyalgia alone. A treatment plan will be created by a rheumatologist or other expert to help manage the illness.
This will require a mix of treatments that will include medications and physiotherapy. Since fibromyalgia is a syndrome, each patient will have a unique set of symptoms, necessitating a customised treatment strategy.
The following treatments are included:
- A low-impact workout regimen
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Psychotherapy
- Physical therapy approaches for reducing stress
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) psychotherapy
- Chiropractic
- Medications for nerve pain, such as antidepressants, and muscle relaxants.
Home Treatment
Exercise
Combining weight training with low-impact aerobic exercise can reduce pain, tenderness, stiffness, and sleep disturbance in certain people.
Exercises like tai chi, yoga, and qi gong can also be successful. However, consistency is important to get relief from this symptom.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture treatment can improve the quality of life for people with fibromyalgia. The severity of the symptoms and the person’s rigidity will determine how many sessions they can tolerate. Therapies, like acupuncture and massage, can ease the symptoms of pain.
Psychotherapy
Sessions in psychotherapy can aid persons with fibromyalgia in controlling their pain levels. Behaviour modification therapy is a type of CBT that tries to lessen the cause of tension or discomfort while enhancing beneficial behaviours.
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It includes practising breathing techniques and picking up new coping skills. CBT activities can help with fibromyalgia management in the long run by reducing pain symptoms. Others might discover that meditation can also lessen their pain and stress symptoms.
There are various medications prescribed by doctors to give immediate relief from pain.
However, those medications are temporary ways of getting relief, the best way to reduce fibromyalgia symptoms is by improving lifestyle.