subject: Chiropractor Knoxville Tn | Fibromyalgia; An Often Misunderstood Condition [print this page] Fibromyalgia is a medical condition defined by systemic chronic pain and an elevated sensitivity to pressure. Excessive fatigue, joint pain and sleep difficulties often accompany symptoms of pain.
Strongly associated with depression, post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, fibromyalgia affects women nine times more than men. Current estimates suggest that 2-4% of the population has symptoms.
It's All in Your Head; Or is it? -
For many years patients were dismissed as mental patients who were seeking attention. To this day the diagnosis is considered controversial in certain segments of the medical community. Since the syndrome doesn't have a specific set of physically definable markers, some doctors continue to reject fibromyalgia as a real diagnosis.
It is only recently that we are beginning to draw a relationship between specific changes in the brain to the clinical presentation of fibromyalgia symptoms. Even so, the relationship is believed to demonstrate a correlation, not a causative role. One theory suggested is that long term stress on the central nervous system, especially during childhood, may be a factor in the later development of the syndrome.
Patients Report a Variety of Symptoms -
While many patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia describe similar symptoms there is a lot of room for overlap, and no two cases are exactly alike. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling in the limbs to nausea, sleep disturbances, dysmenorrhea, morning stiffness and cognitive challenges.
Theories as to the causes are as disparate as the presenting symptoms, proving, once again, that medicine hasn't come as far as we might think.
Strong evidence suggests a connection between major depressive episodes and the later development of fibromyalgia. Another possibility suggests that a particularly strong response to invading bacteria may be the trigger. For all the theories and speculation, to date nothing conclusive has been determined.
Treatment Options for Fibromyalgia -
Since this is such a puzzle, it is difficult to treat. Treatment plans must be tailored specifically to the individual and may combine a number of therapies. Cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, antidepressants and more may all be used to bring the symptoms of pain under control and address the emotional aspects of the condition.
Physical treatments that address the pain, such as heating pads, physical therapy or massage can help reduce discomfort. A number of investigational treatments are in evaluation at this time; these include cannabinoids and tropisetron, but similar attempts carried out in the past have not been reassuring.
Living with Fibromyalgia -
It is fair to say that living with any long term, debilitating condition wears on a person; mind and body. Extended studies on people with a diagnosis shows that neither symptoms nor the feelings of helplessness associated with a chronic illness improve over time. While "flare ups" occur periodically, often driving patients to bed, most sufferers adapt to a more circumscribed lifestyle.
Patients with fibromyalgia face many challenges. Between the need to justify their illness and the lack of effective treatment, individuals cope with more than their share of difficulties. Alternative therapies may offer some help where traditional medicine has failed them.
