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Fibromyalgia, What is IT?Fibromyalgia is defined as a common rheumatic syndrome indicating widespread pain in fibrous tissues, muscles, tendon, and other connective tissues, resulting in painful muscles without weakness. A major characteristic of Fibromyalgia is a pretty constant pain at defined tender points. A tender point is a point that hurts only when pressed.Don’t confuse it with a trigger point that is a point that leads to traveling pain. Another important condition that is related to Fibromyalgia is fatigue. If there is one defining characteristic of Fibromyalgia, it is long-standing pain at defined tender points. There are usually 11-18 tender points that include fibrous tissue or muscles of the neck, shoulders, chest, rib cage, lower back, thighs, knees and arms (elbows). For a physician to make this diagnosis, the pain needs to be there at least three months.Many Fobro suffers describe the pain as a deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning pain that ranges from mild to severe. Many times, the pain wakens people right out of sleeps. Usually, pain improves during the day somewhat and then increases again as evening approaches. The pain of Fibro can increase with increased activity, cold, damp, anxiety and even stress.Approximately 96% of Fibro patient’s report chronic, sometimes debilitating fatigue. For some people, the fatigue is mild while for others it is debilitating as they are always tired and can’t muster up any energy for anything.The good news is that many people say that the fatigue is not always constant. They say that they can feel somewhat energetic in the morning and totally wiped out in the afternoon. Another big symptom is insomnia. Fibor people seam not to get enough stage 4 (Delta) sleep. Stage 4 (Delta) sleep is the time when the body mends itself, the nerves and muscles rejuvenate themselves. You see, even though you may be sleeping for 8-10 hours, if you don’t reach stage 4 sleep then you will wake up tired and fatigued because you body did not rejuvenate. In this instance, it is not the quantity of sleep but the quality of sleep that matters.There are other common symptoms that are associated with Fibro. These are but not limited to 1) headaches, especially tension headaches and migraines. 2) “Irritable Bowel Syndrome.” 3) “Irritable Bladder.” 4) cold sensitivity. 5) night time temperature regulation difficulty. An example of this would be first feeling hot and then cold and then hot again at night. 6) impaired memory/concentration. This is commonly known in the Fibro community as “Fibrofog.” 7) dry eyes and mouth. 8) dizziness. 9) weight gain that you can’t get rid of with diet and exercise. 10) constant sinus drainage. Specific symptoms may come and go. Some lasting days, some lasting months.Different papers that I have read state that Fibro mainly affects women aged from 20-50 years old. One paper states that it occurs in 2% of the population, another stated the incidence is about 9 in a 1000. Either way, it is a common condition that can be debilitating. The cause of Fibromyalgia is unknown. Some have made hypothesis about the cause. The first being Fibro is associated with changes in the metabolism of the crainiofacial and skeletal muscles, thereby decreasing blood flow, which can cause chronic fatigue and weaknesses. Another hypothesis is that it is cause by a micro-organism such as a virus (in lab tests, none have been identified to date). Still others say that the cause may be physical or emotional trauma. Finally, some studies have indicated that there is a possible inherited tendency.How do you diagnosis Fibromyalgia? In medical terms, Fibromyalgia is an exclusionary diagnosis. What does that mean? It means that there is no direct test that will conclusively diagnose this disease. There is no laboratory test, no microscopic test or X-Ray exam that will diagnose Fibromyalgia. These tests will be ordered however to rule out other medical conditions’ that may seem like Fibromyalgia. Such conditions are Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, Lupus, Lyme disease, Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis. Your doctor has to play the role of detective to rule out these other diseases before he/she can make the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.TREATMENT - OK so the question exists, if we don’t know what causes it how can we treat it? That is a reasonable question. According to doctors that I have spoken to and the research that I have done for this article, the most important thing that you can do is to get yourself into a stage 4, Delta sleep. Remember, earlier I said that the insomnia associated with Fibro has to do with being deprived stage 4, Delta sleep. This stage is only 12-15% of the total sleep and is called the recuperative stage. How does one get into a Delta sleep? The best way is to exercise. I know that at this point that you are saying wait a minute, I am in so much pain, how can I exercise? I’m not saying that it will be easy. I’m not saying that it won’t hurt. I am saying that exercise will help you get to Delta sleep. What is suggested is to walk, swim (only in warm, not cold water) or ride a bike. A recumbent stationary bike is well tolerated. The key is to do an aerobic exercise that is of the non-impacting nature. Exercise is also important because it keeps the blood flowing and the muscles moving. Of course do the exercise to your tolerance. Another way to get into Delta sleep is through medication. Some of the common drugs for this are amitripyline, doxepin, trazadone, or flexeril. Some have asked the question. Does sleep deprivation cause Fibro or does Fibro cause sleep deprivation?Of course any time you are taking medication, you should be under the care of your doctor. For days with mild to moderate pain, medications such as Aspirin, Ibuprofin and Acetominophen are the drugs of choice. For days when the pain is moderate to severe, narcotics prescribed by your doctor may be in order.Traditional Medicine doesn’t give alternative therapies much of a chance to help Fibro. However, I tend to disagree. I have heard stories of people getting incredible relief from taking 1 scoop of Whey protein powder a day. Another story was about a man who claimed he cured himself of Fibro by increasing the oxygen saturation in his body. Although I am not advocating either of these two solutions, I think that you the individual need to try to find something that will help you. That being said, I’m going to outline some alternative treatments that I have researched below for Insomnia and Fibro. If something seems appealing to you, you may want to discuss doing it with a health care practitioner before you give it a try. Insomnia-First off, you may want to discuss taking Myoinositol, Niacinamide, Calcium. Also, avoid taking a B-complex vitamin especially B-6 after 5 pm. There are homeopathic remedies that deal with Insomnia, some are: Ignatia, Chamomilla, Calcarea Carbonica, Nux Vomica. Just to name a few. Of course, you might want to avoid caffeine in all forms, and alcohol especially near bed time.Fibromyalgia-First off, you may want to discuss taking Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Essential Fatty Acids, Lecithin, Bile Salts tablets, Antioxidant tablets, Choline and Wheat Germ in cereal. There are homeopathich remedies that deal with Fibromyalgia, some are: Chelidonium, Cholesterinum, Podophyllum. You might want to avoid any food that causes you any distress.Again, prior to doing any of the above, please check with your health care practitioner. It is not intended for medical advice. It is intended to open discussion between you and you practitioner.Finally, please do not discount trying Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Biofeedback. A team approach with your Rheumatologist may be your ticket to a better quality of life. |
