Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a little understood condition that causes widespread 'tender spots' and throbbing pain in different parts of your body. It affects 1 in 100 people - more women than men - and usually starts in middle age. You'll also feel tired, have sleep problems and may get depression. Fibromyalgia has nothing to do with arthritis, although the pain can feel similar and is often worse first thing in the morning. Nobody knows what triggers fibromyalgia. It could be linked to a virus, or brought on by a stressful event or illness. Painkillers, physiotherapy and talking therapies can help. So can relaxation, massage and acupuncture.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of fibromyalgia from patient.co.uk, read on.

Fibromyalgia causes persistent pains and tenderness in many areas of the body, and tiredness. You may also have other symptoms. Symptoms may improve if you build up the amount of exercise that you do. Painkillers may not be very helpful. Low dose antidepressant medication may help.

What is fibromyalgia?

The word fibromyalgia means pain ('algia') coming from the muscles ('my') and fibrous tissues ('fibro') such as tendons and ligaments. Most people with fibromyalgia also have other symptoms in addition to the pains - see below. Therefore, fibromyalgia is sometimes called fibromyalgia syndrome, or FMS. It is a chronic (persistent) condition.

Fibromyalgia does not affect the joints, and is not an arthritis.

The main symptoms are pains, tender areas, and tiredness. Some people also develop other symptoms. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person. The severity can also vary from day to day in the same person

Pain

The pain can occur in the muscles and fibrous tissues of any area of the body. However, most commonly the pain is in the neck and back. Many areas can be affected, and some people feel the pain 'all over'. The pain can vary from day to day, and may be made worse by stress, cold or activity. After a nights sleep, you may also feel quite 'stiff' for a few hours.

Tender areas

There are usually several small areas which are quite tender ('tender spots'). If someone presses on one of these it is likely to make you wince. The common sites for these are shown in the diagram. However, most of the body is not tender, and it is not known why some small areas become so tender.

Tiredness

Tiredness (fatigue) is common, and is sometimes severe. In some cases it is more distressing than the pain. It is also common to have a poor sleep pattern. You may wake feeling exhausted. Many people feel worst first thing in the morning, but improve in the afternoon. Even a small amount of activity may make you tired. The tiredness may cause you to have poor concentration, and so you may appear to be forgetful.

Other symptoms that may also develop include:

Headaches.

Irritable bladder - you may need to go to the toilet more frequently than usual.

Symptoms similar to 'irritable bowel syndrome' - with abdominal pains, sometimes with diarrhoea, constipation or bloating.

About 1 in 5 people with fibromyalgia also have restless legs syndrome.

Painful periods.

Pins and needles in fingers and/or toes.

Feeling as if your hands or feet are swollen (although they are not actually swollen).

Depression, weepiness or anxiety.

It is not clear whether depression, weepiness or anxiety are part of 'fibromyalgia syndrome', or develop as a result of having this condition.

How is Fibromyalgia caused?

The cause is not known. There are various theories. An abnormal sleep pattern may be a factor. People with fibromyalgia often have an altered pattern of one of the stages of sleep. One theory is that here may be an abnormal amount of certain nerve chemicals (neurotransmitters). These are involved in transmitting messages between nerves and in the brain. This may explain both the abnormal sleep patterns and pain associated with fibromyalgia. Another theory is that the symptoms may be a reaction to an unknown virus infection. There may not be any one cause, and it may be that several factors interact to cause fibromyalgia.

Who gets fibromyalgia?

About 1 in 100 people develop fibromyalgia at some stage. About 9 in 10 cases are in women. In most cases it first develops between the ages of 40 and 60. It is less common in younger adults, and is rare in children.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

Fibromyalgia is diagnosed by the typical symptoms. A doctor's examination will usually be normal, apart from finding tender areas described above. There is no 'test' that confirms the condition. However, tests are advised in some cases to rule out other diseases that can cause similar symptoms. For example, your doctor may do some blood tests to rule out an underactive thyroid, early arthritis, etc. In fibromyalgia, tests such as blood tests, x-rays, scans, etc, are normal.

Note: it is common to have fibromyalgia in addition to other diseases. For example, you may have osteoarthritis in a hip or knee which causes pain. You may then also develop pains in many areas of the body. At first you may think this is due to arthritis affecting many joints. However, it is often due to fibromyalgia with the osteoarthritis remaining confined to one or two joints.

Is fibromyalgia serious?

Fibromyalgia is not an arthritis, it is not due to cancer, and does not damage any joint or tissue. It does not shorten your expected lifespan. In some cases, symptoms ease or go after a few months. However, in many cases it is a chronic (persistent) condition which tends to wax and wane in severity. Quality of life can become affected by the persistent symptoms.

Source: Goodtoknow.co.uk See Fibromyalgia (www.goodtoknow.co.uk) Also see NHS web site which has links to more information.