An in-depth guide on Fibromyalgia, covering its symptoms, causes, treatments, and tips for managing this chronic condition effectively.
What Is Chronic Pain? Pain is a complex phenomenon made up of physical, mental, and social components. At a basic level, the ability to perceive pain has helped people survive throughout the ages. Without feeling the uncomfortable sensation when you touch a stove, which causes you to remove your hand, the heat from the stove would end up causing far more damage to the cells in your hand, than it did before you felt the…
Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and interstitial cystitis (IC) — a painful bladder condition — frequently occur together. Women may be up to 10 times more likely than men to develop it. Having IC alone can impose a lot of restrictions on your lifestyle and, like fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS), it’s linked to depression. Also, like FMS and ME/CFS, IC can be difficult to diagnose, treat and manage. Some people have good luck with basic…
Breaking the Cycle of Appointment Fatigue in Chronic Pain Management Living with chronic pain means navigating a constant balancing act—managing symptoms, medications, work, relationships, and self-care. At the core of this juggling act lies an unspoken burden many patients face: appointment fatigue. This term refers to the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that comes from attending endless medical appointments, undergoing tests, meeting new specialists, and often, repeating the same explanations of symptoms without seeing long-term…
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…
Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome often go together. Because of the frequent overlap and some similar symptoms, they’re often mistaken for the same condition and, as a result, people with both are sometimes only diagnosed with and treated for one. That’s a real problem, for three major reasons: Some researchers use the name “chronic myofascial pain” (CMP) instead of myofascial pain syndrome because of evidence it’s a disease, not a syndrome. (A “syndrome” is a set…
Sensitivity to environmental stimulation, including bright lights, loud noises, and even certain smells, can make living with fibromyalgia particularly challenging. You might wake up each morning wondering what new trigger may exacerbate your fibromyalgia symptoms. “I deal with everything on a day-to-day basis,” says Stephanie Parker of Dover, Del., who believes her symptoms are consistent with fibromyalgia but has not yet been formally diagnosed. The symptoms keep her from participating in daily family activities, such as watching her…
Emotional: a word used often nowadays to insult someone for their sensitivity towards a multitude of things. If you cry happy tears, you’re emotional. If you express (even if it’s in a healthy way) that something is bothering you, you’re sensitive. If your hormones are in a funk and you just happen to be sad one day, you’re emotional AND sensitive. Let me tell you something that goes against everything people have probably ever told you.…
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…
Have you ever tried resting in bed, but the sheets are somehow painful enough to keep you awake? Have you ever been outside on a warm day only to have a cool breeze or gust of wind hurt your body all over? Or how about this one: has the elastic on your sleeves, pants, or socks bothered you so badly that you just had to change clothes or go naked for a bit? If you’re…
People with fibromyalgia have chronic pain that results from inflamed muscle and tissue. Fibromyalgia causes painful and achy spots in the muscle and can prevent people from being active. Pain can range from mild to severe, and some people who have fibromyalgia have a hard time getting out of bed. Aside from chronic muscle pain, fibromyalgia can also lead to anxiety, depression, isolation, and others due to the pain endured by sufferers. As a treatment,…