Pain that spreads are, Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain (muscle and bone) that extends often accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood changes in feelings. This condition is caused by the strength of pain signals in the brain that makes the pain is getting stronger.

Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time without any obvious trigger.

Patients more often women than men suffer from fibromyalgia. Many people who suffer from fibromyalgia also have tension-type headaches, bloating or diarrhea is not clear why, anxiety and depression.

Symptoms and Signs

Perceived pain patients with fibromyalgia pain is often described as a constant, usually starts in the muscles. Pain then usually spread on both sides of the body. Fibromyalgia is characterized by additional pain when firm pressure is done to certain areas of the patient's body, called tender points. These points are located on the back of the head, between the shoulder blades, on the shoulders, the front sides of the neck, upper chest, outer elbows, upper hips, the hips, the knees.

Patients also often experience fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up feeling tired, even though they reported sleeping for long periods of time. Sleep is often disturbed by pain, and many patients with fibromyalgia have other sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, which typically worsen symptoms. Fibromyalgia patients are also often experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms.

Causes

The exact cause is unknown to date. Fibromyalgia is most likely involves a variety of interrelated factors as mentioned below:

a. Genetics

Fibromyalgia tends to be found in one family, there may be certain genetic mutations that may make a person more susceptible to developing the disorder.

b. Infection

Some illnesses appear to trigger or aggravate fibromyalgia.

c. Physical and emotional trauma

Posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with fibromyalgia.

How to Diagnose?

In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) mentions two criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia:

1. Widespread pain lasting at least three months

2. There are at least 11 tender points around the body of a possible 18 points which usually complain

In fact in practice, complaints of fibromyalgia are often not settled and gone away. Some patients also often said that pain to move.

Current condition of fibromyalgia can be diagnosed if there is:

1. Widespread pain lasting at least three months

2. There is no other underlying condition that may cause pain

Treatment

Medications can help reduce pain in patients with fibromyalgia and improves sleep. Common options are usually given on day-to-day practice includes:

1. Pain relievers: Acetaminophendapat relieve pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia but their effectiveness varies and depends per individual. The doctor also may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.

2. Antidepressants: Antidepressants such as Duloxetine class of SNRI (Cymbalta) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help ease the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. This drug Serotonin balance and Norepineprine are considered instrumental in increasing pain in the brain.

Your doctor may prescribe amitriptiline or fluoxetine as an antidepressant drug that can also help. For those patients with heart problems are not advised to use amitriptiline.

3. Epilepsi drugs: Drugs that actually intended to treat epilepsy are often useful in reducing some types of pain. Gabapentin is sometimes helpful in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms, while pregabalin (Lyrica) is the first-line drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia.

Non-pharmacological treatment

Patients who experience fibromyalgia often experience problems in an atmosphere of feelings and moods discomfort associated with chronic pain lasting and difficult to heal. Patients often require therapeutic counseling to cope with the pain condition.

Behavioral Pain (Pain Behavior) is a term used in everyday practice in the case of patients whose behavior is almost overwhelmed with pain conditions. It is triggered too often patients experience pain that does not subside problem though basic complaint is not found.

Patients are also advised to be able to cope with environmental stress conditions and physical fatigue that can result in increased pain perception of patients. Atmosphere of negative feelings and be able to improve the response of the patient's pain perception. It is sometimes necessary for cognitive therapy to change negative perceptions of patients. Patients who experience fibromyalgia need to keep working because it will be better than the patient does not do anything.

Enough sleep is highly recommended in patients with fibromyalgia. Uncomfortable sleeping conditions experienced as a feeling of pain can be treated with anti-insomnia drug use small doses help patients sleep better and pain medication to improve sleep quality, limit naps.

Exercising regularly is very necessary fibromyalgia patients. At first, exercise may increase the pain but do it gradually and regularly often reduce symptoms. Proper exercise may include running, swimming, cycling, and aerobics. A physical therapist can help you develop a home exercise program. Stretching, good posture and relaxation exercises are also very helpful.

Acupuncture or acupuncture aims to restore the body's normal balance (harmony) by inserting very fine needles through the skin to various depths. According to Western theories, needles cause changes in blood flow and levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord. Several studies have shown that acupuncture can help relieve fibromyalgia symptoms, while others are not empirically demonstrate the benefits.

Massage therapy can reduce your heart rate, relax muscles, improve range of motion in joints and increase production of natural painkilling substances your body. This often helps relieve stress and anxiety.

Practices Yoga and Tai Chi can help fibromyalgia patients. This technique combines meditation, slow movement, breathing and relaxation. Both have found to be helpful in controlling the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Core is highly multidisciplinary fibromyalgia treatment. Patients often do not get a fix from only one side of the treatment and this often affects the atmosphere and the feeling of patients. Treatment with drugs also need to be assisted by a non-drug treatment as part of an integrated therapy that can be done.

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