Fibromyalgia - What is it?

Based on articles I've read on various sites, such as Mayo Clinic's, Arthritis Foundation and ThirdAge.com, I thought I'd share a little more info on what fibromyalgia is all about. 


Fibromyalgia is a complex, chronic and debilitating health problem that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, in conjunction with specific areas of tenderness. Like arthritis, fibro is considered a rheumatic condition which impairs the joints and soft tissues of the body. Tender points on the neck, shoulders, back, hips,  arms and/or legs can hurt when even a small amount of pressure is applied. This pain and stiffness may come and go, and move around the body. People with this long-term syndrome are very tired and have ongoing sleep problems; i.e., me :-(. Medical experts believe that fibro patients are unable to reach the restorative stage of sleep that most healthy people experience. Because of this and other symptoms, those with fibromyalgia may also deal with anxiety and depression. Symptoms and related problems can vary in intensity, and will go up and down over time. Stress worsens the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia affects 2-4% of people, 80-90% of those are women. It's usually diagnosed based on the patient's symptoms, along with the number of tender points.  At this point, there is no cure for fibro, though medications and/or holistic treatments can relieve some of the symptoms.  Getting enough sleep and exercise is very important, but both can be difficult to accomplish because of the ongoing symptoms of fibromyalgia. It's a vicious cycle...you need to exercise daily to lessen the pain and stiffness, but the pain, stiffness and fatigue make it more of a struggle to get to the place of feeling able to exercise. Sleep is also needed to lessen the overall symptoms, but with fibromyalgia it's rare that you get the quality of rest that you need. I find that very frustrating. :-( I think this in itself is what can cause the anxiety and depression...at least it does for me. 

Fibromyalgia Symptoms:

• Tenderness to touch or pressure affecting joints and muscles

• Pain in multiple areas of body

• Stiffness

• Fatigue 

• Sleep problems (can't sleep and/or waking up unrefreshed)
• Problems with memory or thinking clearly

• Fogginess...head feeling like it's in a cloud
• Unable to focus

• Depression or anxiety

• Migraine or tension headaches

• Digestive problems

• Irritable or overactive bladder

• Pelvic pain

• Sex drive diminished

• Temporomandibular disorder—often called TMJ (face or jaw pain, jaw clicking and ringing in the ears

What Causes It?
The causes of fibromyalgia are unclear. They may be different in different people. Fibro can also run in families (my Mom was diagnosed with it a couple of years before she passed). There likely are certain genes that can make people more prone to getting fibromyalgia and the other health problems that can occur with it. Genes alone though, do not cause the onset of fibromyalgia.

There is most often some triggering factor that sets off fibromyalgia. It may be spine problems, arthritis, injury, or other type of physical stress, like another chronic illness. Emotional stress can also trigger fibro. The result is a change in the way the body "talks" with the spinal cord and brain. Levels of brain chemicals and proteins may change. For the person with fibromyalgia, it is as though the "volume control" is turned up too high in the brain's pain processing center. 

Me and Fibromyalgia
I've not had any real physical trauma, but I've had chronic illness throughout my life, along with a few traumatic events. And when first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I was working in a very stressful environment. I think chronic illness, emotional trauma and my genes set me up to get fibro; and then with the depth of the stress I felt at that job, I fell off the edge of a somewhat healthy life and into the foggy, tiring and painful world of fibromyalgia.

As with all things in life though, I've had to accept the challenge of living with fibromyalgia.There's been many days when I thought it was beating me...when I felt more tired emotionally from it. Most days though, I win. I won't allow it it kick me down long-term, giving into the pain and fatigue. I'll continue to push myself past the symptoms and live as full a life as possible. :-)