What is Fibromyalgia?

What Is Fibromyalgia? Some of the Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia:

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue
Physiological:
(feeling tired). People with fibromyalgia have "tender points" on
the body. Tender points are specific places on the neck, ● Fatigue - physical and mental
shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. These points hurt when ● Pain - widespread
pressure is put on them. People with fibromyalgia may also have
● Growing pains as a child
other symptoms, such as:
● Muscles - may experience weakness, spasms, tics,
 Trouble sleeping
 Morning stiffness twitches, cramps, burning, jumping, throbbing, tension,
 Headaches stiffness (especially in the morning or after prolonged
 Painful menstrual periods idleness)
 Tingling or numbness in hands and feet ● Reduced range of motion
 Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes ● Difficulty going up/down stairs
called "fibro fog"). ● Buckling knees
● Trigger finger/thumb
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Psychological-Cognitive symptoms:
The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown. There may be a
number of factors involved. Fibromyalgia has been ● Mental confusional states
linked to: ● Loss of short-term memory
 Stressful or traumatic events, such as car accidents ● Inability to concentrate
 Repetitive injuries ● Impaired thinking
 Illness
● Memory blanks
 Certain diseases
● Absentmindedness
● Inability to recognize familiar surroundings
Fibromyalgia can also occur on its own. Some scientists think ● Disorientation
that a gene or genes might be involved in fibromyalgia. The ● Easily distracted
genes could make a person react strongly to things that other ● Inability to comprehend written, or spoken words
people would not find painful.
● Trouble with directions
Who Is Affected by Fibromyalgia? ● Slow processing of incoming messages
● Short attention span
Fibromyalgia affects as many as 1 in 50 Canadians. Most people ● Fugue type states (spaciness)
with fibromyalgia are women. However, men and children also ● Mental fatigue
can have the disorder. Most people are diagnosed during middle ● Decision making problems
age. Women who have a family member with fibromyalgia may ● Trouble keeping track of conversations
be more likely to have fibromyalgia themselves. ● Trouble staying on, or completing tasks
● Easily overwhelmed
How Is Fibromyalgia Treated? ● Attention Deficit Disorder
● Acquired dyslexia (includes difficulty speaking known
Fibromyalgia can be hard to treat. It's important to find a doctor
words as they often come out backwards, or all mixed up)
who is familiar with the disorder and its treatment. Many family
physicians, general internists, or rheumatologists can treat ● Calculation difficulties
fibromyalgia. Rheumatologists are doctors who specialize in ● Trouble with typing, or writing, which results in the same
arthritis and other conditions that affect the joints or soft tissues. difficulties as spoken words
Fibromyalgia treatment often requires a team approach. The
team may include your doctor, a physical therapist, and possibly Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia:
other health care providers. A pain or Rheumatology clinic can A. Widespread pain in all four
be a good place to get treatment. quadrants
of their body for a minimum of three
The Canadian Food and Drug Administration have not yet months
approved any medicines to treat fibromyalgia. Doctors treat B. At least 11 of the 18 specified
fibromyalgia with medicines approved for other purposes. Pain tender points(see diagram)
medicines and antidepressants are often used in treatment. These 18 sites used for diagnosis cluster
around the neck, shoulder, chest, hip, knee and elbow
regions. Over 75 other tender points have been found to
exist, but are not used for diagnostic purposes.