Fibromyalgia Information

Fibromyalgia is considered to be a condition as opposed to a disease. It is chronic pain that is usually found in women, and that affects millions of people around the world. Its symptoms include widespread chronic pain, numerous trigger points, and fatigue. It is unknown as to the exact cause, but it is suspected to be a result of accidents, injuries, and traumatic abuse that can be physical, emotional, psychological and sexual.

Fibromyalgia is considered to be related to Systemic Lupus Erythematosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Patients who suffer from one or both of these diseases are often found to have fibromyalgia as well. A diagnosis is made when the patient is sensitive to a minimum of 11 of the 18 identified tender points throughout the human body.

Individuals with fibromyalgia often suffer from pain and fatigue, and may experience:

  • sleep disturbances
  • morning stiffness
  • headaches
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • painful menstrual periods
  • numbness or tingling of the extremities
  • restless legs syndrome
  • temperature sensitivity
  • cognitive and memory problems (sometimes referred to as “fibro fog”)

Fibromyalgia is treated most effectively through gentle massage, exercise, and adjustment. Because the patient experiences such severe pain, they often do not move around enough. This causes the muscles to be stiff. The goal of treatment is to loosen the stiffened muscles and get the patient moving without causing them further pain.

Treatment Expectations

With fibromyalgia, treatment needs to be taken at a slow pace. Often, the patient has trouble tolerating any type of touch or pressure suffering from, not only trigger points but tender point as well. With fibromyalgia patients, the treatment is similar to those with other conditions. However, these patients are so sensitive to pain that a gentle touch is necessary.

Benefits of Fibromyalgia Treatment

Chiropractic could possibly be the most effective treatment for fibromyalgia. Its benefits are:

  1. You can expect your trigger points and your tender points to ease up allowing you to function with less pain.
  2. You can expect to sleep better because you will be able to move around more.
  3. Less pain means a better quality of life.
  4. You will be able to exercise more with less pain.
  5. Less need for medications used to treat pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fibromyalgia patients need to make lifestyle changes to be able to function more comfortably. The biggest change the patient can make is trying not to do too much. They will also need to customize their surroundings to what is most comfortable to them.

No. The symptoms can be relieved substantially but the patient will never be completely free of the condition, nor will they ever be completely free of pain.

There are several more invasive treatments such as radiofrequency ablation in which the nerves supplying the areas causing the most pain are burned through an electric shock. This treatment can be effective for several months before it needs to be repeated. Another common treatment option involves the use of numerous medications, including substantial quantities of opioids.