Raise awareness about Fibromyalgia by understanding its symptoms, impact, and the importance of support for those living with this chronic condition.
Having to go to appointments with my doctor here in Rhode Island, so we can again fill out the form for the state to confirm that I still qualify for a handicap sticker for me, causes a humiliating and heartbreaking feeling to have to be reminded that I have two incurable conditions. And yet, I have to get that signature to confirm that I am still dealing with this future. And then, when I am…
If you have fibromyalgia, there’s a good chance you experience migraines too. They can be quite debilitating. Mine sent me to the ER once, but not because of pain. It’s because the migraine effects were mimicking a seizure in many ways. And migraines can hit you whether you have fibromyalgia or not. So what can you do about them? Well, there are medications, of course. You can also just ride them out. Or you can…
People with fibromyalgia often ask, “Is fibromyalgia genetic?” It’s a hard question to answer, especially when little is known about how fibromyalgia works. But it’s something that could be relevant to getting the best possible treatment. So let’s look at the evidence. Is fibromyalgia genetic? If you have fibromyalgia, there’s a good chance that you know someone in your family who also has it. According to research, fibromyalgia does tend to run in families. And that implies…
During a pain flare, feeling anything touch your body can be excruciating. On those days, you’ll likely reach for soft, comfortable clothes that don’t add to your pain. Hello leggings, goodbye tailored pants. While you could just throw on an old T-shirt, wearing something that’s fashionable and comfortable can help boost your mood and make you feel more confident if you have to run out to the pharmacy or go to work. Luckily, there are many brands out there that…
Many fibro patients suffer from a condition called Costochondritis, apart from common symptoms of fibromyalgia. In this condition, wearing a bra becomes difficult and sometimes even becomes impossible because it causes pain in the rib cage and breasts. Wearing the right bra can reduce the pain significantly if you are suffering from Costochondritis. What is Costochondritis? Inflammation of the cartilage that links the ribs to the breast bone is Costochondritis. It is very sudden and…
After two hourlong sessions focused first on body awareness and then on movement retraining at the Feldenkrais Institute of New York, I understood what it meant to experience an incredible lightness of being. Having, temporarily at least, released the muscle tension that aggravates my back and hip pain, I felt like I was walking on air. I had long refrained from writing about this method of countering pain because I thought it was some sort…
Many fibromyalgia sufferers have been told that the pain is “all in their head.” New research indicates there may be some truth to that, and that overactive brain networks could play a role in the hypersensitivity of fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disorder characterized by deep tissue pain, fatigue, headaches, mood swings, and insomnia. There is no known cause and successful treatments have been elusive. In a lengthy study published in the journal Scientific…
I’m a fairly open person when it comes to physical and mental illness, but I can also be very reserved, especially about my chronic pain and fatigue. It’s not because I don’t want to share about what’s going on with me, but because I don’t want people to think I’m a “whiner” or “attention seeker.” I am neither of those things. In fact, I’m quite the opposite. A lot of people know I have fibromyalgia. What they don’t…
Women are far more likely than men to get Fibromyalgia Causes —a disease that causes pain and tender points throughout the body. Between 80 and 90 percent of people who are diagnosed with this condition are women, according to the National Institutes of Health. The reason for this gender inequality may have to do with hormones, immune system differences, or genes. But researchers still aren’t exactly sure why women get Fibromyalgia Causes in much greater…
The opioid crisis has revealed another real ongoing problem: a lot of people have chronic pain. For example, Lady Gaga recently revealed that she suffers from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says afflicts 4 million people (or 2% of the adult population). This number may actually be an underestimate because determining the real number of people that have fibromyalgia can be a pain. Fibromyalgia is frequently underdiagnosed…