Fibromyalgia (pronounced fie-bro-my-AL-juh) is a real medical condition. It includes all-over muscle pain that can make it hard to do even day-to-day tasks. The pain may vary from mild to severe. The muscle pain from fibromyalgia is one of the most common types of chronic widespread pain in the U.S. They may not know what is wrong with them or what is causing their pain. They may feel alone. Once, there was no FDA-approved treatment for fibromyalgia

• Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness.
• Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and un-refreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia

If you suspect you have CFS/FM, you should start by educating yourself. Familiarize yourself with the general symptoms and develop a clear understanding of your personal medical history and profile.

• Pain: The most prominent symptom of fibromyalgia is pain. Unlike arthritis, the discomfort is not in the joints but in the muscles and ligaments. The pain is commonly located in the neck, shoulders, back, and hips. The tenderness is worse in the mornings and has been described as flulike, burning, throbbing, aching, or stabbing.
  
  
• Fatigue: Another frequent complaint associated with fibromyalgia is fatigue. In fact, it occurs so commonly that some doctors think fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are the same disease. The severity of the fatigue can range from mild to incapacitating. In its worse form, fatigue can be so debilitating that some people have trouble keeping their jobs. No amount of sleep at night or rest during the day is helpful.
  
  
• Fibrofog: Another common symptom is a mental haziness some people call fibrofog. This refers to the inability to concentrate, memory loss, and depression that occurs with fibromyalgia.
  
  
• Other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia are headaches, nervousness, numbness, dizziness, and intestinal disturbances
• Chronic fatigue Abnormally high pain sensitivity especially in the muscles, and joints (arthritis) Insomnia or unrefreshing sleep Chronic stiffness especially in the shoulders, back and neck Reduced levels of Human Growth Hormone Reduced levels of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) resulting in low or no energy Hormone and endocrine imbalances Chronic toxin accumulation from the skin, lungs, intestines, blood stream and brain Depressed immune function and activity

 

Diagnosing Fibro

Diagnosis is based on the exclusion of other conditions, especially chronic fatigue syndrome and myofascial pain syndrome; the patient's history of symptoms; and evidence of tender points located at specific areas of the body.

Tender points are 18 specific points located from the neck to the knees. To diagnose fibromyalgia, at least 11 of these points must be painful when touched. Some physicians believe a patient can have fibromyalgia even if the required number of tender points is not met. In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology defined two diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia:

• At least 11 of 18 designated tender points are painful when pressure is applied to them.
• The patient has experienced widespread pain for at least 3 months in all four quadrants of the body (i.e., right and left sides of the body and above and below the waist) or axial skeletal pain (cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine, anterior chest).

Differential Diagnosis

Imaging tests and electrophysiological studies of the nerves and muscles may be performed to rule out illnesses with similar symptoms, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Lyme disease, muscle diseases (e.g., myofascial pain syndrome), hypothyroidism, and bacterial and viral infections.

Research shows that 50-70% of patients with fibromyalgia also fit the criteria for CFS. However, patients with CFS usually do not meet the criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia that has been established by the American College of Rheumatology. There is additional physical evidence that the two disorders are distinct.

Pain is a hallmark of fibromyalgia and fatigue is a hallmark of CFS. Patients with fibromyalgia may have high levels of substance P in their spinal fluid and CFS patients may not. CFS is thought to be viral in origin, and while a virus is suspected in fibromyalgia, there is no evidence to support it. Symptoms such as fever, sore throat, and swollen glands are more common in patients with CFS. Aerobic exercise often improves muscle function and reduces pain in fibromyalgia, but CFS patients often find that exercise is impossible and worsens symptoms.

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