Fibromyalgia – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition where the person suffers from pain all over the body. Also known as fibrositis, it is a medical disorder that causes the whole body to ache and is characterized by musculoskeletal pain along with fatigue. There are certain tender points all over the body for people with fibromyalgia and such points hurt if you put pressure on them. The tender points include back, neck, hips, shoulders, arms, and legs.
Fibromyalgia is accompanied by memory, mood, sleep, and fatigue disorders. Researchers are of the opinion that women are prone to fibromyalgia more than men. The causes of the disease are still unknown, but the diagnosis can be made by observing the symptoms.
Know the causes for an effective treatment
The reasons for the disease are not known yet. However, after much research, it is said that there might be a certain number of reasons that can cause a person to have fibromyalgia, although it can occur without a specific cause as well. It is important to know the reasons before getting to know about the methods for pain relief for fibromyalgia.
- A family history of one or more member suffering from the condition.
- An irritation in the bowel movements.
- Stress and trauma can cause a person to have fibromyalgia; the pain is interrelated with stressful and traumatic cases. In fact, if a person has been going through a lot of stress and trauma for a few days, they can be affected by fibromyalgia out of the blue.
- Infections and being ill frequently are causes of fibromyalgia. Continuous suffering makes way for the disease and the infections add up to them.
- Car accidents may also cause fibromyalgia.
- Fatigue is another important cause of the disease.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia
You can be sure of the fact that the disease is fibromyalgia and can find ways for pain relief for fibromyalgia by keeping a note of the symptoms closely:
- People experience tremendous pain in the muscles, and also in areas like elbow, neck, and back.
- The pain usually triggers at night time, giving the patients a hard time.
- People affected by fibromyalgia normally have constipation.
- Fatigue and nausea are common symptoms. People tend to feel tired more often than usual.
- Memory becomes weak and people start to forget along with a lack of proper concentration on work.
- Symptoms of fibromyalgia include very painful menstruation in the women.
- Other common symptoms of fibromyalgia are anxiety, depression, and a sudden sensation of the feet and joints.
Diagnosis and treatment to get effective pain relief for fibromyalgia
First of all, it is necessary to follow the symptoms and be sure of the fact that the disease is fibromyalgia. For this, you need to visit the doctor. There is no lab test for detecting fibromyalgia, and hence, the doctor solely has to rely on the symptoms. If you experience a widespread body pain which lasts at least more than three months, then the chances are that it might be fibromyalgia.
The treatment of fibromyalgia includes both medications and self-treatment. The most important thing that is to be kept in mind is to improve the health in general. However, medicines can cause pain relief for fibromyalgia and improve the sleep. However, do not take any drugs without a doctor’s permission. Apart from medicines, a person can take the help of therapies to better the physical condition. Exercising can build agility, flexibility, strength, and stamina which help you to avoid diseases like fibromyalgia and also reduce the effect of it. Yoga is a great way of self-care too. The following acts as pain relief for fibromyalgia.
Getting enough sleep makes a person suffering from fibromyalgia feel a lot better. Making a bit of change during working causes the stress to reduce providing comfort to the patients with fibromyalgia. Proper nutrition and diet chart helps a lot for those suffering from the disorder.
There are other treatments for fibromyalgia available like
- Massage therapy
- Water therapy
- Light to moderate aerobics
- Application of heat and cold
- Acupuncture
- Herbs
- Cognitive therapy
Certain medications like Duloxetine, Pregabalin, and milnacipran are prescribed to provide relief from the pain and fatigue. With no specific causes and no specific cures, the condition of fibromyalgia needs medical attention along with self-care. The symptoms can be treated, and the condition can be effectively managed with the help of the same. You can opt for a combination of treatments that would prove effective.