FIBRO WHAT? - A basic introduction to a complex disorder
Fibromyalgia, yes, it's a long word, which literally translates to pain in the fibrous tissues or muscles. It is a chronic and sadly common disease that affects 2-4% of the total world population. Although the cause behind this disease is pretty much unknown to date, the symptoms are all too well known.
It is very painful for the people suffering from this disease. The pain is widespread and produces a difficult fatigue disorder.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain all over the body. It affects an estimated 5 million North Americans alone, and it can strike anyone, as it affects people from all walks of life, people of any race, age, or gender, it seemingly affects mostly women. It has been linked to depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality as well as hormonal changes which can exacerbate it. Symptoms typically worsen during periods of stress.
Fibromyalgia can be managed in part through physical therapy, medication, and cognitive behavioural therapy as well as mindfulness, meditation, gentle exercise and movement therapies such as yoga, and with the help of the right diet, nutrition, hydration and supplementation.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that can cause severe pain and stiffness throughout the body on many different levels. It is often difficult for physicians to accurately diagnose the disorder because there are no tests to diagnose it as such.
It is usually diagnosed when the patient fits a certain number of specific symptoms.
This disease mostly affects muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft fibres in the body; as a consequence, patients feel the pain in the muscle joint areas of body, such as neck, shoulder, elbow and hips, making everyday movements difficult and painful.
Sleep and energy are also affected.
The term fibromyalgia means “pain in my muscles.” but is a nervous disorder that affects the brain and central nervous system. While it commonly causes pain in the muscles and joints, tenderness to pressure or touch, fatigue and sleep disturbances, it can also cause numbness or tingling in the limbs, stiffness of the neck, headaches, migraines, depression, anxiety, nausea, brain fog, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Some experts take it as a special form of arthritis but the fact is the affected muscles in the body are not deformed like arthritis cases.
In addition to those symptoms, fibromyalgia patients often feel anxiety, along with depression. They feel lethargic and may feel frustrated in their life. This depression can also lead to emotional and mental health issues. Women may also face problems in their periods and suffer from other feminine or reproductive issues.
In a recent research it was clarified that women are more affected than men. It is also a common phenomenon that women lack calcium a little bit more than men, this may be the reason behind that, or not. More research needs to be done.
If Fibromyalgia disturbs sleep; this leads to more cognitive weakness and may even cause mental disorders. The cause behind this disease is still a mystery but the resultant effects are very acute. As established, it generally affects people of any age, but some experts have revealed that after a traumatic disease or a massive flu, fibromyalgia may start.
It is also important to Identify the tender points in the body which helps to make a diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome. At the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, other chronic syndromes such as thyroid disturbance, Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome should be checked and not just assumed eliminated. Pain in 11 to 18 tender points often indicates fibromyalgia syndrome, alongside other symptomatic factors.
Summary :
Fibromyalgia is a type of neuro-muscular pain, which affects the musculoskeletal schema of the human body. Clients can suffer from the following symptoms amongst others:
* Widespread pain for more than 3 months, in fact daily.
* Tenderness in the neck, shoulder, knee, elbow, or upper buttocks or thigh areas.
* Trouble sleeping.
* Tiredness in the morning or late in the day.
* Mood changes.
* Irritable bowel syndrome.
* Headaches, sometimes migraines.
* Difficulty concentrating and brain fog
* Numbness and tingling in hands, arms, feet, legs or face.
* Abdominal pain.
* Bloating.
* Long lasting morning stiffness
* Constipation - in some cases severe
* Diarrhoea.
* Nausea
* Fatigue that interferes with work and daily activities.
* Sleep problems (difficulty falling or staying asleep, waking up feeling tired).
Learn how to get Fibro under YOUR control. Find alternative therapy as well as mindfulness, meditation, gentle exercise and movement therapies such as yoga, and with the help of the right diet, nutrition, hydration and supplementation.
With Kindness,
Denise
xxoo
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