Fibromyalgia Pain: Symptoms, Triggers & Management Strategies

Pain brain signals disrupted in fibromyalgia patients

New research indicates that a disruption of brain signals for reward and punishment contributes to increased pain sensitivity, known as hyperalgesia, in fibromyalgia patients. Results published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology, suggest that this altered brain processing might contribute to widespread pain and lack of response to opioid therapy in patients with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic, musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by widespread joint and muscle pain along with…

by chronicillness•09/24/202201/15/2025•0

Fibromyalgia Cognitive Symptoms study

We are all familiar with fibrofog when it comes to fibromyalgia but fibrofog is really just part of the symptoms associated with the cognitive dysfunction of FM. An article published online on July 21 in Arthritis Care and Research has recently looked more in-depth into the symptoms of cognitive dysfunction and where it affects FM. What they looked at were four components of Executive Function: Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More….…

by chronicillness•09/23/202201/15/2025•0

Fibromyalgia Flare Researches

Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome defined by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, sleep dysfunction, and cognitive dysfunction. Fibromyalgia pain dysfunction involves increased sensitivity to pain known as hyperalgesia. People with Fibromyalgia can experience what is referred to as ‘flares’ where their symptoms get more severe. The flare study A survey in Pain Medicine recently looked into the nature of flares to ask people with Fibromyalgia the nature of these flares. They asked open-ended questions to determine…

by chronicillness•09/22/202201/15/2025•0

Brain fog tips and tricks

Brain fog is a symptom of many chronic illnesses and chronic pain. Just seems that when we get ill and our bodies get fatigued or are fighting pain, or both, add in some lack of sleep… you get brain fog. Symptoms include: I listed some of them there but really there can be more. For example, transposing numbers is also transposing letters so we can spell words wrong frequently. As well as of course forgetting…

by chronicillness•09/21/202201/15/2025•0

Paresthesia and Fibromyalgia

Paresthesia is one of the nerve symptoms of Fibromyalgia that causes the ‘pins and needles sensations, an itch, tingling, prickling, and numbness. In general, Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition, as once it starts it isn’t going away but this isn’t always the case. There can be ways to manage and reduce it at times. At least I had some luck with this but that isn’t saying much, I know, FM being the fickle beast that…

by chronicillness•09/20/202201/15/2025•0

A Flare is one of the worst fibromyalgia experiences.

The Flare-up (see here for my article on it) is one of the worst fibromyalgia experiences. I fell into it sometime last night and woke up with the most unpleasant pains. In the hips, shoulders, and back, not to mention all over aches. I was very fatigued yesterday and perhaps that was some prediction of impending doom. Here is the thing we can pace and moderate but we cannot avoid all flares. Sometimes they just…

by chronicillness•09/17/202201/15/2025•0

Lack of continuous sleep in Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia has some pretty distinctive sleep disturbances associated with it not to mention comorbid sleep issues. It is one of the key factors in the syndrome… our inability to attain refreshing sleep. I wrote a post about it here. So it interests me that they have done some recent research in this area. One of the important things about our sleep dysfunction is that since it isn’t presenting like regular insomnia the treatment likewise has…

by chronicillness•09/16/202201/15/2025•0

Brain Fog, when it isn’t just about the pain

I have been struggling with work lately. And by lately I mean always. Always struggling to function through the pain. Always not quite doing it. My psychologist said well I cannot compare apples to oranges. I cannot compare myself to people doing the same job perfectly healthy. Nor to myself when I was healthy-er. And it did occur to me that this job I am now doing wouldn’t even be a challenge to me when…

by chronicillness•09/15/202201/15/2025•0

Fibromyalgia: Expectations vs reality

Back in the day. Like 20 years back in the day I had some expectations about what fibromyalgia is and then I learned the reality of what fibromyalgia is. We all have expectations of what it will be and mean for our lives in the beginning. Even before we are diagnosed since that can take 5 to 10 years. And sometimes we believe it will be horrible forever. And others, like me, believed it wouldn’t…

by chronicillness•09/14/202201/15/2025•0

Fibromyalgia: costochondritis

I have been having severe fibromyalgia–related chest pains. The way I can tell it is fibromyalgia is that a) they are enduring and b) my sternum is extremely tender to the touch and so it is quite inflamed. I am going to the doctor to discuss it. At the moment using anti-inflammatory creams and a heating pad What is costochondritis anyway? It is swelling in the cartilage between the ribs and the sternum and the…

by chronicillness•09/13/202201/15/2025•0