Fibromyalgia Syndrome Explained

The American College of Rheumatology has worked out criteria by which fibromyalgia symptoms can be classified. These symptoms consist of a history of widespread pain for three or more months and pain in 11 of 18 tender point sites when about 9 pounds of pressure is applied. If accompanied by chronic fatigue and non-restorative sleep, when you wake up and feel as if you haven't slept at all, there is a strong indication that fibromyalgia came into your life.

Fibromyalgia disease is an increasingly recognized chronic pain accompanied by muscles aches, pain and stiffness, some soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep problems. Other people may have headaches, thinking and short-term memory problems, tingling and numbness in the limbs. Women may have painful menstrual periods. Other Fibromyalgia symptoms may include cognitive dysfunction, blurred or double vision, hypersensitivity to sound and smells, shortness of breath, chest pains, palpitations, irritable bowel, irritable bladder, painful menses, painful urination, multiple drug allergies, multiple sensitivities to chemicals. Pain tends to be aggravated by weather changes and by stress. Some patients may complain of joint pain swelling while objective joint swelling is absent.

People suffering from fibromyalgia experience two unique responses to stimuli. They perceive normal stimuli as being painful and painful stimuli as being more painful than it should be. The above abnormal responses are thought to be due to an abnormality involving pain processing pathways within the central nervous system. Abnormal sleep studies have showed alpha intrusion during delta stage four sleep and a reduction of rapid eye movement (REM). In addition, abnormal SPECT scans have suggested lower blood flow to the thalamus and caudate nucleus in the brains of fibromyalgia suffering patients.

Fibromyalgia treatment must be individualized by a combination of non impact aerobic exercise like swimming, stationary bike, elliptical trainer, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.

People with fibromyalgia have a good prognosis if taken care immediately. Most people do improve over time...