Learn how Fibromyalgia is diagnosed, including key symptoms, diagnostic criteria, and the tests used to rule out other conditions.
It’s a trickle at present, but the conversation around chronic pain between doctors and patients is no longer one way only. Over the past few months, the constant messaging suggesting chronic pain patients are dying in dramatically increasing numbers because of opioid overdoses has been questioned. Understand, the messaging was indeed clever. Chronic pain patients weren’t directly and specifically named, but the messaging caused listeners and readers to believe it was pain patients whose lives…
A recent study threw up an interesting notion on the root of fibromyalgia. The study suggests that fibromyalgia could be caused by malfunctions in two chief body systems – the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA). These two body systems are key in regulating the production of important hormones and managing stress responses by the body. Imbalance in the two-body systems can lead to sleeplessness, lack of energy, higher pain sensitivity, mood…
Fibromyalgia, a widely misunderstood illness, confuses and frustrates both patients and doctors alike. I know because I’ve seen it from both sides—as both a physician and a woman with the illness myself. This common chronic disease is characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and brain fog. It’s estimated that 5 million Americans currently suffer from the disorder, and close to 90 percent of those diagnosed are women. Still, there remains a lot of confusion about what the…
Results released from a national survey of U.S. women with fibromyalgia, illustrate the private and prolonged physical and emotional struggles patients with this condition face, underscored by delays in diagnosis, which a majority of respondents report as being one year or longer. As a result of fibromyalgia, two thirds (67%) of respondents say they are unable to keep up with household chores, nearly half (47%) report that their work-life or career has been negatively affected, and…
I stood in my closet this morning, looking around as though I’d never been there. I couldn’t remember what I was doing, why, or what I should do next. So I stood still, waiting for it to come to me. Moments before I had been violently panting like a wild animal, bent over in pain and hugging my own body. I’d simply gone upstairs to get dressed for the day, but just as it does…
Fibromyalgia may be known to cause widespread pain and fatigue, but there are a number of other symptoms and side effects we don’t talk about as often. For many with fibro, gastrointestinal symptoms are unfortunately a common occurrence. Although researchers are not yet clear on whether the fibromyalgia itself causes these digestive issues to occur, studies have shown that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other GI issues frequently coexist with fibromyalgia. While this may be the case for some, others might have…
One of the worst things about fibromyalgia, besides the chronic pain and fatigue, has to be the way that people who suffer from fibromyalgia are at risk of so many other conditions like autoimmune diseases and especially, chronic headaches. It’s estimated that up to forty percent of people with fibromyalgia suffer from migraines or some other form of a persistent headache. But like fibromyalgia, it’s hard to get to the bottom of what’s causing your headaches.…
Logan, Utah. Statement from Sharon Waldrop, Vice President of the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association on Lady Gaga’s recent announcement that she suffers from the illness: “We commend Lady Gaga for the incredibly brave act of revealing her fibromyalgia diagnosis. By sharing her story with the world, she is giving voice to the estimated five million Americans like me–overwhelmingly women–who suffer from the illness. Fibromyalgia is characterized by a long list of symptoms, including…
Millions of people get affected by this disease in the USA annually. Although it is not a well-known syndrome and its diagnosis can be very difficult, Fibromyalgia is a very painful and serious problem. The causes and the symptoms of this disorder are not very clear and most people including medical professionals are not sure about what leads to its development and how are the symptoms related to the causes. Fibromyalgia continues to baffle researchers and…
Fibromyalgia is referred to as a worse chronic pain condition due to which a person’s muscles and tissues have painful tenderness and achiness. It can be shown up in the age between 20 to 30s, but most people can have this condition later in life. Moderate to severe pain can arise in multiple areas of the body due to this chronic pain. Young people find it difficult to deal with fibromyalgia because it can be…