Information and facts on Fibromyalgia Syndrome

 

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a rheumatic disorder with chronic muscle pain that seems to have no physical  cause. This pain is usually described as burning, throbbing, shooting and stabbing. People with fibromyalgia have other symptoms such as: bad headaches, insomnia, depression, anxiety, dry skin, dry mouth, dizziness, memory impairment, PMS, palpitations,. The pain and stiffness occurring with fibromyalgia normally is  worse in the morning. Women are affected by fibromyalgia syndrome more then men. The disorder can go away then come back. Fibromyalgia is believed to be mainly an immune system disorder. It appears also related to CFS chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic muscular pain that has no obvious physical cause. It most -commonly affects the lower back, the neck, the shoulders, the back of the head, the upper chest, and/or the thighs, although any area or areas of the body may be involved. The pain is usually described as burning, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. The pain and stiffness is often greater in the morning than at other times of day, and it may be accompanied by chronic headaches, strange sensations in the skin, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). 

Other symptoms often experienced by people with fibromyalgia include premenstrual syndrome, painful periods, anxiety, palpitations, memory impairment, irritable bladder, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, a need for frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, dizziness, and impaired coordination. Such activities as lifting and climbing stairs are often very difficult and painful. Depression is frequently part of the picture as well.  The most distinctive feature of fibromyalgia, however, is the existence of certain "tender points" or pairs of spots where the muscles are abnormally tender to the touch:

• around the lower vertebra of the neck

• muscles connected to the base of the skull

• muscles of the neck and upper back

• muscles of the mid-back

• at the insertion of the second rib

• around the upper part of the thigh bone

• the middle of the knee joint

• the side of the elbow

• the upper and outer muscles of the buttocks

Most people with fibromyalgia also have an associated sleep disorder known as alpha-EEG anomaly. In this disorder, the individual's deep sleep periods are interrupted by bouts of waking-type brain activity, resulting in poor sleep. Some people with fibromyalgia are plagued by other sleep disorders as well, such  as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, bruxism, and sleep myoclonus (a sudden rapid contraction of a 
muscle or a group of muscles during sleep or as one is falling asleep). Not surprisingly, given all these sleep difficulties, people with fibromyalgia often suffer from chronic fatigue that can range from mild to  incapacitating.

This disorder is much more common in females than in males, and most often begins in young adulthood. In most cases, symptoms come on gradually and slowly increase in intensity. They can be tmade worse by a number of different factors, including overexertion, stress, lack of exercise, anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, trauma, extremes of temperature and/or humidity, and infectious illness. In the majority of cases, symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal daily activities; a significant number of people with fibromyalgia are actually disabled by the condition. The course of the disorder is unpredictable. Some  cases clear up on their own, some become chronic, and some go through cycles of flare-ups alternating  with periods of apparent remission.

The cause or causes of fibromyalgia are not known. Some evidence points to a problem with the immune system; certain immunologic abnormalities are common among people with fibromyalgia. Their significance and relationship to the syndrome are not understood, however. A disturbance in brain chemistry may also be involved; many people who develop fibromyalgia have a history of clinical depression. Other possible causes that have been proposed include infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, or with the fungus Candida albicans; chronic mercury poisoning from amalgam dental fillings; anemia; parasites; hypoglycemia; and hypothyroidism. Some experts believe that fibromyalgia may be related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which causes similar symptoms, except that in fibromyalgia, muscle pain predominates over fatigue, whereas in CFS, fatigue predominates over pain.

Because mal-absorption problems are common in people with this disorder, higher than normal doses of all supplemental nutrients are needed.

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In all matters related to your health please contact a qualified, licensed Medical Consultant or Doctor.