Fibromyalgia
Did you know approximately 4 million people in the USA experience the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Anything from general achiness (changing day to day), headaches to fatigue, trouble concentrating, or remembering can be a symptom of fibromyalgia. The chronic disease has affected many people with several other conditions, making it particularly tricky to treat the condition. Chronic pain disorder can cause sleep problems and musculoskeletal pain.
People can develop fibromyalgia due to many reasons, including infection, surgery, and accident. In many cases, psychological stress triggers fibromyalgia, and patients suffer from both physical and mental problems. Sometimes, symptoms add up over time without any triggers. Many recent studies show that people experiencing symptoms of fibromyalgia often feel pain differently.
The nerve is signaling the spinal cord, and the brain repeatedly amplifies the pain. The condition requires medical treatment with antidepressants. Note that pain management in fibromyalgia begins with a timely diagnosis. It doesn't end here; the success of pain management treatment for fibromyalgia includes many self-care measures that help patients increase energy.
Therefore, stress management and different patient-initiated exercises are an integral part of fibromyalgia pain management. If fibromyalgia symptoms have also affected you, expanding your knowledge on chronic pain disorder can help you choose the right treatment option.
Fibromyalgia - an Overview
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition that can cause widespread pain in the body, fatigue, sleep problems, and mental and emotional distress. Fibromyalgia patients are more sensitive to feel pain compared to people who don't have fibromyalgia.
Many medical professionals refer to it as abnormal pain perception. While doctors and scientists are yet to find the underlying cause of this chronic pain disorder, you can opt for several pain management options to manage and treat fibromyalgia.
Why does Pain in Fibromyalgia Persist
As mentioned earlier, fibromyalgia is a common centralized painful condition. As such, the disorder may involve a change in several neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in your spinal cord and the brain. The injury infection and stress contribute to triggering the symptoms.
That is why pain in fibromyalgia seems to persist long. The condition causes your tendons and muscle excessive irritation because of many painful stimuli. Also, it has many key findings, including increased pain and chronic fatigue.
The persistent pain is most likely to subside with pain management techniques that act on the brain and spinal cord. Therefore, medicines that treat anxiety and depression work well for chronic pain disorder.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia causes what now medical professionals refer to as "regions of pain." When they overlap with trigger point areas (tender points), these regions of pain become debilitating. The pain in the areas causes a consistent or persistent dull ache. Your doctor diagnoses fibromyalgia if you experience musculoskeletal pain in four to five regions highlighted in pain disorder's diagnostic criteria.
Doctors refer to this diagnostic protocol as "multisite pain." It has changed compared to the 1990 diagnostic criteria for "chronic pain." The diagnostic criteria focus on the regions or areas in which the patient feels musculoskeletal pain. The severity of pain is also an essential key factor in the diagnostic criteria instead of pain duration in previous criteria. Some other fibromyalgia symptoms may include;
• Fatigue
• headaches
• non-restorative sleep (sleeping for hours without feeling relaxed or rested)
• trouble sleeping
• anxiety
• depression
• difficulty concentrating or paying attention
• dull ache or pain in the lower belly
• dry eyes
• bladder problems, including interstitial cystitis
Typically, the brain of people with fibromyalgia overreacts and misinterprets to standard signals of pain. According to medical professionals, it happens due to an abnormality in the root ganglion or chemical imbalance. Both conditions affect central pain sensitization. It is worth mentioning that fibromyalgia may affect your energy levels and emotions.
Fibromyalgia fog, for instance, is a condition that causes a fuzzy feeling and shows signs like;
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory lapses
• Trouble staying focused and alert
A Rheumatology International's study conducted in 2015 showed that people find fibromyalgia fogginess more disturbing than the pain itself.
Fibromyalgia and Pain Management
Treating fatigue, pain, and other symptoms work well to manage fibromyalgia. Fortunately, plenty of options can help you ease pain and manage fibromyalgia symptoms. As fibromyalgia includes mild to severe symptoms, it may interfere with your daily activities.
Here are some pain management solutions to help manage fibromyalgia pain.
Pain Killers
Medication is a useful option to manage fibromyalgia pain. Your healthcare provider may recommend some over-the-counter pain killers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, naltrexone, and naproxen sodium. The medications can precisely help:
• decrease inflammation
• reduce muscular aches
• improve the sleep cycle
Naltrexone, for example, is a medication that targets the same receptors opioids act work on. When you take its low doses, it may reduce fibromyalgia pain.
Anticonvulsants
Anticonvulsants include seizure medications that can help reduce fibromyalgia pain. The FDA in the USA has approved "pregabalin (Lyrica)" as the first anti-seizure medication for treating fibromyalgia. In addition to this, Gabapentin is another anticonvulsant that can reduce nerve pain, and doctors may suggest you. However, these drugs may come with some side effects, including:
• weight gain
• dizziness
• dry mouth
• swelling
Antidepressants
Doctors prescribe antidepressants to reduce fibromyalgia pain. The medications can help people increase some chemicals in the brain. They not only treat depression but also improve pain. Plus, medicines may help ease fatigue.
However, it is better to discuss the possible side effects of these antidepressants with the doctors. They may use many unpleasant effects, including weight gain, nausea, appetite loss, and sexual desire.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be an effective way to treat pain in fibromyalgia. The traditional healing method involves needle pricking in the skin to,
• Change neurotransmitter levels in the brain
• Promote self-healing naturally
• Treat several health conditions such as chronic pain
• Improve blood flow
A bulk of anecdotal evidence shows that people who used acupuncture techniques for treating pain in fibromyalgia benefited from relief for more than two years. But the treatment option comes with some risks, including minor bleeding, soreness, and post-treatment bruising.
Physical Therapy Techniques
Many physical therapy techniques can improve the range of motions to strengthen the muscles. That is what makes them useful for treating or reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia. However, only a professional therapist can provide a therapy program tailoring to your specific needs or symptoms.
The program may also include teaching self-care techniques and fibromyalgia education to manage pain and fatigue independently. Many recent studies show that educating people on pain management techniques may lead to better or improved performance during physical therapy.
Pain Management Alternatives for Treating Fibromyalgia
There are some alternative treatments to reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia. You can discuss these options for the following;
Medical Marijuana
Medical marijuana may help you ease the signs and symptoms of chronic pain disorder. One study showed that patients with fibromyalgia when received medical cannabis or marijuana experienced;
• reduction of stiffness and pain
• improved sleepiness or quality of sleep
• improved cognitive health
• enhanced relaxation
• feeling of well-being
However, the medical benefits for fibromyalgia related to marijuana need more researches. You may have some possible side effects, such as unfocused concentration and judgment.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy aims to help individuals set and achieve realistic goals. Therapists work with Fibromyalgia people to identify dysfunctional patterns of thought and develop techniques to control negative thoughts. CBT techniques can be beneficial in minimizing your fibromyalgia pain.
Massage Therapy
You might have heard about this technique from many people. Massage is one of the proven ways to relax muscles, reduce stress, and improve an array of motions. You might experience temporary swelling, bruising, and pain initially, but it will heal and relax muscles in the long-run.
Tai Chi
The pain management technique is new to many people. Tai Chi is typically a mind-body healing method that involves meditation, controlled movements, and deep breathing. The method is excellent for improving your balance, stamina, and muscle strength. Although the motions involved in tai chi are not strenuous, you may develop sprains and sore muscles if you try to overdo it.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is all about learning techniques to control various body functions. It can tremendously help you minimize muscle tension and fibromyalgia pain. Pain management techniques don't have any side effects. But some patients often feel exhausted and overwhelmed after completing the session. That is why you must talk to your medical professional regarding its effects.
Bottom Line
All in all, fibromyalgia can become a lifelong condition if not treated timely. It may cause pain, tenderness, and fatigue. While there isn't a single cause of this chronic pain disorder, you can treat it in many ways to relieve the pain.
It would help if you discussed with your healthcare provider all the options. From antidepressants to acupuncture to physical therapy, you have plenty of pain management options to try if one doesn't suit you. Thus, you can live a pain-free and active life with fibromyalgia.
Sources
https://www.healthline.com/health/fibromyalgia-treatments-for-pain#clinical-trials
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/fibromyalgia-how-pain-management-doctors-can-help-patients-find-some-relief/
https://www.treatingpain.com/news-updates/2019/august/fibromyalgia-pain-management-what-you-need-to-kn/