Fibromyalgia has been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis, and fibrositis.
It is a recently named syndrome that affects 3% to 5% of the general population.
It occurs in people of all ages and consists of several different and debilitating symptoms that affect a persons' physical, mental, and social life.
Men are affected but more women are diagnosed.
Those with severe symptoms find it difficult or impossible to do even the most basic everyday tasks and up to ¼ of those diagnosed are work disabled.
The first drug treatment for fibromyalgia was approved in 2007 and more is being learned everyday.
Symptoms for fibromyalgia include deep excruciating pain all over the body especially in the muscles, insomnia, sleeplessness and sleep disorders, fatigue, brain fog, memory and concentration problems, irritable bowel syndrome, abnormal pain processing, headaches and migraines, jaw pain, nerve pain and weakness, depression, and anxiety.
People also experience tender spots and muscle knots which radiate pain and can severely restrict movement.
To diagnose fibromyalgia can be a tricky since the patient looks healthy and tests came back normal.
Diagnosis has also been controversial because there is no one thing that points to, nor is there one test that can be performed to come to a simple diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
It was once thought that the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia were all in the person's head and was not fully accepted as a diagnosis until the 1990's.
Some symptoms can be very similar to other syndromes and diseases so doctors will use a process of eliminating other causes and following certain diagnostic criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990.
This criteria includes a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body, meaning above and below your waist and on both sides of your body, for a minimum of 3 months and pain in 11 out of the 18 specially chosen tender points when a specific amount of pressure is applied.
There is no specific known cause although some theories indicate physical and emotional trauma in childhood, stress, disruption of normal dopamine-related neurotransmission, abnormal serotonin metabolism, abnormal levels of tryptophan and a protein involved in transmitting pain signals from the nerves to the brain called substance P, deficiencies in growth hormone secretion, vitamin deficiencies such as B and D, and genetic predisposition among others.
Relief from fibromyalgia comes from treating the symptoms individually rather than the syndrome as a whole.
Some drugs are helpful in relieving symptoms but lose their effectiveness over time and have uncomfortable or dangerous side effects.
The best way to get relief is by combining the many options out there such as dietary changes, pain medications, high-quality nutritional supplements, massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, exercise, stretching, counseling, support groups, and for a time if necessary the dangerous ones, anti-depressants and sleep drugs.
The best and most fundamental way to find relief is through nutrition.
There is documented evidence and scientific proof that nutrition is the way to heal our bodies.
Be careful of all these drugs that come with a laundry list of side effects worse than the malady they mask.
While some drugs can help for a time, over time they stop working or the side effects become more trouble than the drug is worth.
That's why they should be used only for a short time if possible.