Fibromyalgia is a mystery in many ways. Commonly confused with arthritis, the condition has an unknown cause, no definitive diagnostic tests, and no current cure. With so much uncertainty surrounding it, fibromyalgia can be overwhelming to deal with. However, the pain of the condition can be managed with the aid of qualified healthcare professionals. 

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition in which the body experiences pain from head to toe. It is also associated with difficulty sleeping and cognitive difficulties. The name of the condition combines the Latin “fibro,” referring to fibrosis tissue, and “myo”—muscle—and “algia”—pain—from Greek. The name is apt relative to the universal nature of the pain it causes. Roughly 4 million adults are affected across the United States, accounting for about 2% of the adult population.

The First Signs of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia pain manifests itself in a number of ways. It can be debilitating, disrupting normal routines with overwhelming body-wide pain. It can also manifest as more of a soreness or stiffness across the body. In addition to the pain, patients may experience extreme tiredness or fatigue; difficulty sleeping or problems during sleep; a muffled ability to concentrate, focus, or remember things; depression and anxiety; or migraines or headaches.

Some symptoms are not as common but still relatively consistent. Patients should be wary of numbness or tingling in hands and feet; digestive problems, including bloating, abdominal pain, and constipation; and jaw disorders referred to as temporomandibular joint syndrome in which the joint of the jaw cannot function properly without pain.

Weighing the Risk

While the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, there are many risk factors that go into its development. Age is a prominent one: the likelihood of developing the condition increases as one enters middle age and beyond. Sex also seems to play a role as women are twice as likely to develop the condition.

Those with a personal or family history of the condition should be mindful and consult with their doctors. Developing the condition also links between having lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. A history of physical trauma (such as experiencing repetitive injuries) or mental trauma  (like PTSD) makes one more susceptible, as apparently does obesity.

As mentioned above, there is no one conclusive test to diagnose the condition. Diagnosis is made after a series of other tests ruling out other conditions. This process of elimination is referred to as a diagnosis of exclusion. The process looks at personal and family health history, X-rays and other diagnostic scans, and blood tests.

Treatment

Unfortunately, fibromyalgia has no cure. In the throes of body-wide pain, that understanding can be especially daunting, but there is hope. Pain management strategies are available in a number of different venues:

Medication

Analgesics, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter pain relievers, are the most common treatment of fibromyalgia pain. While they work as a suppressant of symptoms rather than a true healing treatment, that is often all that can be expected with a diagnosis.

Exercise 

While physical exertion can seem counterintuitive when the body is wracked with pain, aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening techniques can fortify the body to better deal with fibromyalgia pain.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

CBT is a helpful resource for managing depression associated with a chronic disease. This kind of talk therapy gives people more effective strategies of acting and thinking to mitigate the overwhelm of depression.

Massage

When looking for the right massage therapies for chronic pain, look for facilities that administer clinical massage therapy. These methods are more conducive to providing pain relief that is medically helpful, offering more lasting tempering of symptoms.

Acupuncture 

Acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever. The practice goes back thousands of years to ancient China and involves strategically placing microneedles at the body’s pressure points. Many have found the method successful at relieving pain.

Chiropractic

Another form of alternative medicine is chiropractic care, in which a chiropractor administers calculated quick thrusting movements to facilitate the realignment of the spine. Doing so better equips the body’s natural healing processes to work correctly. 

Education

While not as immediate as swallowing a pain killer, patient education classes can help those with fibromyalgia better understand their condition and manage the pain response. Such classes are commonly offered in primary care or community settings.

Fibromyalgia should be treated by medical professionals. If fibromyalgia is sending pain across your entire body, you do not need to suffer alone. Speak to a trusted rheumatologist to find the right strategies for you.