The lack of any scientific information about the disease may also lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. People think that Fibromyalgia is not a real illness rather it is psychological and this is not true at all, the fact is that the FMS disease is very much real and it is a very complicated disorder which manifests itself in different symptoms all over the body of the sufferer. There is continuous pain and the patient develops certain tender points on the body, which become excessively sensitive to touch and pressure. The presence of different symptoms in the disease is real and medical. The patient is surely not a hypochondriac in the FMS disorder. Earlier the disease was considered as purely psychological and emotional and related to only women but now it is not so and even men can be diagnosed with the FMS disorder.

Disease

People also think that the disease is life threatening and cause loss of life to the sufferer, but the fact is that the disease is not at all fatal. Patients who have chronic conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and migraines are more likely to have fibromyalgia. But it has not been confirmed that the disease can kill the patient. There is one more myths about the FMS condition which states that the disease is quite new and is hardly seen around, but the fact is that the disorder had been there but it was known by different names because of the symptoms it showed. The misconception was cleared in 1980 by giving it a different name that summed up the condition of the disease.

There is the misconception that the FMS attacks only women and not men, this is partially true but men and women are at the equal risk of getting the disorder; it is only that women are more prone to the disease than men.

* A common fibromyalgia flare up is triggered by stress. Patients who in the past never gave too much through to the stressful nature of their jobs suddenly realize that their bodies have been suffering for years. In some cases these stresses may be curtailed with a change in workload, surrounding, or position within a company. When this is not an acceptable solution and the work stress still triggers fibromyalgia flare ups, patients may have to decide to let go of a job that is more or less harming their bodies. It is interesting to note that they are taking a step that will help them to live an overall better life, but only after they have been taught by their fibromyalgia flare ups that this job to which they more or less clung – sometimes for years – has little to offer.

* Another lesson fibromyalgia flare ups are teaching patients is that their body requires a certain level of predictable care. Those accustomed to eat on the run, are now warned that this may cause a flare up. Instead, they are urged to sit down and enjoy a meal in peace and with sufficient time to allow the body to extract the nutrients from the food. Rest is another trigger that may cause fibromyalgia flare ups. People are known to curtail their sleep in favor of entertainment, work, and sometimes useless activities, even though their bodies are exhausted. When fibromyalgia is present, ignoring such bodily demands is unwise. Incidentally, giving in to the body’s need for rest makes the patient’s entire life a healthier one.

* Weather is the kind of trigger that is not within the framework of changeable variables in the life of a patient. On the other hand, if the pain is triggered in areas of high humidity or cold, such as Colorado, a move to a more stable climate, such as Arizona, is often considered a great way of eliminating a trigger.

* The flare ups associated with fibromyalgia also teach the patient a little something about her exercise habits. In some cases women have been known to overdo the strain they put on their bodies and the care they take of them in the aftermath of an exercise sessions. When exercise – which is most certainly vital in keeping a fibromyalgia healthy – leads to a flare up, it is important for the patient to take a very good look at the experience and ascertain which part of the exercise regimen is most likely contributing to the body’s triggering a pain episode. In some cases, a reworking of the exercise routines leads to trigger avoidance.

Remedy

The reason for more women are prone to it is due to extra weight. When it comes to pain, women do not start on a level playing field. A wide range of studies has shown that women, on average tend to feel pain more intensely than men do, while they are also more susceptible to a variety of painful conditions that include migraines, arthritis, the muscle disorder known as fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorders, pelvic pain and abdominal pain of various kinds. Women are at higher risk than men for experiencing almost every type of pain that is been studied. They are more likely to have multiple pain conditions. They are more likely to be disabled by the pain than men are. One possible understanding for why it is more racially acceptable for women to talk about pain.

More at risk

It is commonly believed that more women get it than men and that these people are neurotic, obsessive and unduly focused on symptoms and this is their problem, not chronic fatigue. It is found no evidence to support any of this. The syndrome was misunderstood because sufferers commonly delayed seeking help for a year by which time several other secondary problems like weight gain, depression and marital difficulties had set in.

The Research

The research in the FMS disorder also concentrates on the pain in the disease and hope for a better understanding of the nature of the pain in the disease. The patient’s hypersensitivity to the stimuli that is not very painful is the main object of research in the FMS disorder. Scientists are trying to know the exact nature of pain in the FMS disorder. The scientists are of the opinion that the female reproductive hormones may be playing a role in the increased sensitivity of pain in the disorder. The research is also focusing on the role of the sex hormones in females that affects the heightened sensitivity to pain. The stress factor in the evolution of the FMS disorder is also being examined by the scientists because the way the patient’s body responds to the different kinds of stress also has a very significant bearing on the progress of the disease.

The research in FMS is also looking into the problem of sleep disorders that are also related to the FMS condition. It has been seen that even the medications for improving the sleep of the patient have not proven helpful, and scientist have found similar conditions or symptoms with insomnia patients. The role of genes in the FMS disease has been again and again discussed by scientists and the disease seems to run in the family so scientist are also doing research in this direction so that a conclusion may be drawn and the relation may be established.

Study

There has not been any confirming study, which suggested that the disease is contagious, but it is indeed hereditary. The age factor which is targeted by fibromyalgia includes individuals in the age group of twenty to fifty. But one must be alert all the time if one sees symptoms like continued muscle pain and stiffness for more than three months. It is reality in the condition of fibromyalgia that the pain it inflicts is twice that of rheumatoid arthritis. One also needs to know the reasons which worsen the condition of fibromyalgia and these include cold or damp weather, anxiety or stress, the continued activity and inadequate sleep also make the fibromyalgia condition worse. If one also remains inactive for a long time then the symptoms may also develop.

The importance of exercises in the FMS condition is very high and one has to follow it strictly if one wants any relief from the chronic pain in the muscle and bone joints. Inactivity makes the muscles of the body weaker and shorter. The stretching exercise helps a great deal in making the muscles more flexible and reduces their stiffness.

Find The Info You Need

When you are diagnosed with any disorder, you want as much information as you can on the subject. It’s no different with fibromyalgia info. You can ask your doctor but your doctor is likely busy and doesn’t have time to tell you every bit of fibromyalgia info that you seek. You can read books but books are so impersonal, as is any information you get over the internet.

So, if you’re looking for a personal connection with someone who actually has the same disease you’re suffering from, and you’re also looking for fibromyalgia info, you can find all of this and more at a fibromyalgia support group.

Where To Find A Support Group Near You

The best way to find a fibromyalgia support group near you is to search the internet. The internet is full of fibromyalgia info but it’s also a great way to find people who are suffering just as you are. There’s bound to be a fibromyalgia support group near you and, if there isn’t, you can probably find some kind of online chat room where you can still get fibromyalgia info in real time, you just won’t be sitting there in front of the person you’re speaking to. For a lot of people, the internet chat room often sounds better.

When you meet a support group for the first time, it can be nerve racking but you should understand that everyone is there because they are suffering from the same thing you are. And, it’s likely that they are there just to get fibromyalgia info just like you.

However, not only are support groups good for fibromyalgia info but you can also share stories and other experiences that should make living with the disease much easier. Hopefully, you can find some kind of treatment by talking to the support group so that you no longer have to experience the pain and discomfort that comes from suffering from fibromyalgia.

Nervous System Effects

The role of the dysfunction of the nervous system has been most closely linked with FMS disease. The nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord. Any injury to the nervous system may result in the dysfunction of it. The injury can be caused by an accident, undue stress, and infection. The injury to the nervous system affects the secretion of the neurotransmitters and hormones, as well as blood flow, causing serious pain and other symptoms. In a research finding it was concluded that persons having neck trauma are more at the risk of fibromyalgia than those who do not sustain any neck injury. The study stated that the individuals with neck injury are thirteen times more at the risk of FMS than those who do not have any.

The injury to the central nervous system also affects the brainwave pattern in the patients. The brainwaves show the electrical activities of the individual’s brain. The brain has four kinds of brainwaves and each is responsible for a certain kind of function and the injury to the nervous system can seriously impair the brainwaves causing the sleep disturbances and the patient may experience cognitive dysfunction like concentrating and remembering things which are the symptoms of the fibromyalgia disorder. The injury to the nervous system can affect such neurotransmitter like the serotonin and dopamine which are very important in regulation of certain functions in the body. Thus the nervous system is very closely related to the development of FMS.

* Realize that the complete avoidance of all fibromyalgia flare ups is quite frequently not possible. No matter how careful patients are about recognizing the potential for a fibromyalgia flare up, those who suffer an increase in pain because of a weather related conditions know that the humidity or air pressure are beyond their control. At this point pain relief, pain management, and also early awareness of the potential for a flare up and subsequent rescheduling of activities that might be inconsistent with such pain will be in order.

* Some fibromyalgia flare ups are avoidable. It is surprising how the body reacts to external stimuli that affect the psyche more than the body, but as patients get to know the likely trigger events that could potentially wreak havoc with their bodies, a good regimen of pain avoidance or trigger avoidance may be worked out. For example, if a certain work related interaction brings with it an almost inevitable fibromyalgia trigger situation, it may be best to work around this situation by avoiding it altogether whenever possible.

* Other triggers are quite personal in nature. Interactions with some family members or friends may cause fibromyalgia flare ups. Avoiding this kind of stress is tricky and not always completely possible; however, since the interactions should be seen as harmful, unwanted, and so confrontational and thus you’re your fibromyalgia get worse rather than remain neutral, it is advisable to greatly curtail the interactions. Sometimes it is this little bit of rationalization a fibromyalgia patient needs to let go of bad relationships.

Remember that stress is a big trigger of fibromyalgia work ups; unfortunately, what one person perceives to be a stressful event has little effect on another. This underscores that the experience of the disease as well as the recognition of flare up worthy triggers is more or less entirely individual and cannot be made across the board. Speculation suggests that it is up to the patient’s personality type to determine which interactions and relationships have the most likely stressful effect and which the sufferer can weather with little worry that they trigger an unpleasant fibromyalgia event. Keeping a journal is a good idea and enables you to gauge your responses to various potential flare up trigger events.

Many women report that their symptoms of fibromyalgia intensify in their pre-menstrual phase and then ease when their menstrual period passes. This flare-up of symptoms is thought to be the result of fluctuating hormones. Many physicians believe that this phenomenon accounts for the nearly 50 to 1 ratio of fibromyalgia among men and women. Thus, fibromyalgia and pregnancy are not going to be easy companions for the next nine months of a woman’s life.

Some obstetricians go as far as regarding fibromyalgia and pregnancy in the “high risk” category simply because the many symptoms of fibromyalgia will be aggravated during this state. When doing an initial screen with a new patient, many physicians ask about possible fibromyalgia symptoms along with pregnancy. If the expectant mother gives positive responses for trigger point pain, irritable bowel, depression, increased pain during stress, oral thrush or sleep disturbances, an obstetrician may diagnose both fibromyalgia and pregnancy.

Special Concerns With Fibromyalgia And Pregnancy

Experts in this auto-immune disorder who treat expectant mothers liken fibromyalgia and pregnancy to be a constant state of pre-menstrual syndrome. The normal conditions of pregnancy are often complicated by the presence of pre-existing fibromyalgia.

Obstetricians and rheumatologists monitor expectant mothers with a history of fibromyalgia to make certain that they are sleeping and eating well with an emphasis on taking a pre-natal magnesium supplement to ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia during pregnancy. The exact effects of fibromyalgia on pregnancy are still not clear; obstetricians are limited at this point to treating the symptoms without fully understanding them.

Special diets that are high in serotonin-producing levels are recommended throughout pregnancy since the anti-depressants often used as a treatment for fibromyalgia are not safe for use during pregnancy. Similarly, pregnant women are unable to take sleep medications and minor tranquilizers like Klonopin during their pregnancy.

The obstetrician makes specific recommendations for appropriate sleep hygiene and stress release for women facing both fibromyalgia and pregnancy. Since all of the medications commonly prescribed for fibromyalgia pass into breast milk, these medications are contraindicated for breast feeding mothers. For pregnant women, the physical challenges of both pregnancy and fibromyalgia are considerable obstacles.

With proper medical care by an obstetrician who understands this complex syndrome, expectant mothers can find relief from their symptoms and deliver a healthy child as well.

Although fibromyalgia is a recent term, it is a very common disease, affecting over three percent of all people. However, this disease is more likely to develop in women rather than men. The risk of having fibromyalgia also increases with age.

People with this condition usually experience stiffness and pain of muscles, joints or their entire body, especially in the morning. Some people report numbness in joist and muscles, poor concentration and memory. Other warning signs of this condition include migraine, depression, headaches and jaw pains.

Common symptoms of fibromyalgia include pain or swelling of joints and tissues. Because of this, patients may have trouble sleeping, become tired easily or feel weak every day. Some people experience dryness in their eyes, develop sensitivities to medications and certain foods or become vulnerable to cold. Some patients report pain in the abdomen and joint dysfunction.

Fibromyalgia may occur because of illness, infections, accidents, injuries, stress, emotional and physical trauma or surgery. However, the exact causes of this condition are unknown.

Treatments And Prevention

When your doctor believes you may have fibromyalgia, he or she may refer you to a certified rheumatologist because these doctors specialize in the diagnosis and treatments of conditions related to bones, muscles and joints. Usually, a person with this condition experiences widespread pain for three months or more.

Unfortunately, there are no known cures for fibromyalgia. However, patients can perform a few things to manage their condition and lessen the symptoms associated with it. Medications are available to reduce pain. These include medications that increase serotonin levels, such as tetracyclic and tricyclic antidepressant medications as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).

Rheumatologists often recommend patients with this disease to follow regular exercise routines to reduce overall pain and strengthen bones, joints and muscles. Patients should start with mild exercises to prevent muscle straining and promote strengthening of muscles.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia also reduce when heat is applied. It also helps in relaxing stressed muscles and reducing swelling or pain. Applying hot compress or taking a hot shower can give patients temporary relief from widespread pain. While fibromyalgia can affect the lives of the patients significantly, some patients lead a healthy and normal life when treated early.