Having the right fibromyalgia doctor can make the difference between struggling silently in pain or managing your disease confidently. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or feel overwhelmed by your massive list of prescriptions that seem to not do much, it’s never too late to do your research and change your fibromyalgia doctor. The five mistakes fibromyalgia patients make when choosing their doctor: 1. Choosing a general practitioner While a general practitioner is great to go to…
Complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS) affects approximately 5% of all injuries that occur yet remains poorly understood. Characterized by severe, debilitating pain, the chronic condition most often affects a person’s limbs and can get progressively worse over time. There are two forms of CRPS, known simply as Type 1 CRPS and Type 2 CRPS. In this blog, we look at the characteristics of each and compare differences. Read on to find out more. Complex regional…
Fibromyalgia fatigue feels like a constant state of weariness that diminishes your energy and mental capacity. Fatigue is the second most prominent symptom of fibromyalgia and can be even more debilitating than the pain. The overwhelming tiredness makes our bodies feel heavy and weak. It contributes to brain fog increasing memory loss and forgetfulness. Studies have shown that the amount of fatigue a person with fibromyalgia experiences directly impacts the amount of pain they have.…
A major risk of leaving fibromyalgia untreated is that symptoms such as chronic pain, fatigue, headaches, and depression can become excruciatingly worse over time. Fibromyalgia also has a huge impact on mental health and anxiety and mood disorders can also worsen if you don’t treat fibromyalgia. How to Treat Fibromyalgia The treatment of fibromyalgia varies considerably from patient to patient depending on individual symptoms. No single treatment works for the condition and most sufferers find…
Fibromyalgia ranks among the most puzzling and common chronic pain conditions. Fibromyalgia pain moves around from one area of the body to another or it seems to be everywhere at once. We experience several different types of pain. The intensity of the pain also changes. It can be very difficult to describe fibromyalgia pain to others. We often feel misunderstood and disbelieved. It is hard for people who do not have chronic pain to understand…
What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome of chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue, thought to be caused by abnormalities in the pain pathways in the central nervous system. Fibromyalgia specifically means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, generally all the softer, more fibrous tissues in the body. There is a sense, according to most patients, of ‘aching all over, with the related symptoms of a chronic case of flu. Muscles often feel…
Do you experience pain from a simple touch? Do you cringe when someone goes to give you a hug? Do these simple gestures result in excruciating pain? Skin pain is another one of those fibromyalgia symptoms that just doesn’t seem to make sense. This type of pain is called Allodynia and is usually felt as a burning sensation. Allodynia is believed to be a hypersensitivity to stimuli that would normally not cause pain. The pain…
Chronic pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia can often make working very difficult. Whether you are expected to be on your feet all day or are tied to a desk, musculoskeletal pain and fatigue, as well as the impact that fibromyalgia can have on cognitive abilities, can have a huge bearing on a ‘normal’ working life. However, with prescribed medication as well as pain management which can help control daily stress, many people with fibromyalgia…
An overactive sympathetic nervous system, also known as the body’s fight or flight response is closely linked to fibromyalgia. The fight or flight response is designed to help us function in emergency situations. It is meant to be a response that only lasts a short time and then turns itself off. With fibromyalgia, the fight or flight response gets stuck in the “on” position playing havoc with our body, our emotions, and our ability to…
Fibromyalgia is a real and disabling condition and not just something that is “all in the mind”. Fortunately, the days are long gone when GPs told patients that there was no such thing as fibromyalgia and that it was all in their heads – doctors now accept and regularly diagnose fibromyalgia and other chronic fatigue conditions. Is fibromyalgia classed as a disability? In the UK, a person is considered disabled if they have a physical…