25% of women and 27% of men are unable to work after developing FMS
Massage has been one of the most effective ways in relieving FMS
pain
The only proven effective treatment for fibromyalgia is a
multidisciplinary approach including medications, nerve blocks,
counseling and aerobic exercises.
Fibromyalgia (Fie-Bro-my-al-gia) Syndrome (FMS) is a chronic
invisible illness. It is not a musculoskeletal dysfunction. It's a
disorder of the informational substances such as neurotransmitters,
hormones, peptides, and other biochemical messengers which regulate
and run the systems of the body and mind. It causes hypersensitivity
to all sorts of stimuli, so it can amplify pain. There are no
trigger points (TrPs) in FMS, only tender points, which do not refer
pain.
Fibromyalgia
often occurs with chronic myofascial (my-oh-fass-shall) pain (CMP),
which is a neuromuscular chronic pain condition with TrPs that can
cause muscle weakness and dysfunction, and incapacitating,
intolerable pain. TrPs can also cause extreme dizziness, migraines,
buckling knee, clumsiness and calf cramps. Pains in localized parts
of the body - the back, hands, neck and other areas- are a symptom
of TrPs. Achy, body-wide pain is a symptom of FMS, but all
widespread pain is not FMS. TrPs can occur all over the body in CMP,
for example, causing widespread pain. FMS will amplify the pain of
TrPs.
In FMS, sleep
is often fragmented, and there seems to be a problem with the
microstructure of sleep. People with FMS wake up feeling that they
haven't slept at all. You are denied refreshing sleep, and sleep is
when the body does much of its repair and biochemical regulation.
The person with FMS can't recover from exercise, stress and work,
like healthy people. They are constantly in a state of sleep
deprivation unless they find a combination of medications, lifestyle
modifications and diet that work for them. If people with TrPs are
immobile at any time, such as during travel or sitting in a meeting
or movie, their muscles get stiff and painful. It can feel like you
are wearing a wet suit several sizes too small, your range of motion
is limited, and your muscles are weak. Morning stiffness with both
of these conditions can be severe. Symptoms fluctuate from hour to
hour and day to day and may worsen with changes in barometric
pressure, humidity, cold or heat. If you overextend your limits, you
may have extra pain for days or weeks.
Symptoms can be
severe, yet blood tests, x-ray and other common diagnostic tests
cannot diagnose FMS or TrPs, although there may be a way to document
FMS (see Algometry). TrPs are easy to diagnose if your medical care
provider has been trained to do so. FMS and CMP are two of the most
common sources of chronic pain, and the most undiagnosed or
misdiagnosed of illnesses.
Most FMS
patients have memory and cognitive impairments. Doctors often refer
FMS patients to psychologists or psychiatrists because of this, yet
studies show that psychologically, these patients have no more
abnormal psychology than arthritis patients. People with FMS and CMP
are often misunderstood and doubted, and this, in addition to the
chronic pain and other symptoms, could cause anyone to feel
depressed and confused. An American College of Rheumatology study in
1992 found that the impact of FMS on your life is as bad, or worse,
than Rheumatoid Arthritis. They listed one major factor in this as
"clinician bias" FMS & CMP patients don't look sick and their
symptoms vary, so they are often misunderstood and disbelieved by
clinicians, family and friends.
FMS and CMP are
not progressive, but symptoms may worsen if they are perpetuating
factors are not identified and dealt with promptly and adequately.
If you have FMS and CMP, you have a history of widespread pain and
wake up every morning feeling like you've been ran over by a truck.
You may have headaches and loss of balance. Looking both ways when
going into traffic can cause dizziness. You may have short-term
memory loss and other cognitive dysfunctions, and you may not always
have control over your muscles, TrPs are incredibly painful areas
that often feel like knots, hard lumps, or taut bands of fibers in
the muscles, and can be everywhere and often refer pain to some
other part of the body. They can cause irritable bowel syndrome,
dizziness and loss of balance, buckling ankles and knees, pelvic
pain, painful intercourse in women, impotence in men , and many more
symptoms. The tightened and rigid myofascia surrounding the muscles
can entrap nerves, blood vessels, and ducts. TrPs can cause burring
of the eyes, double vision, leg cramps, trouble swallowing,
sciatica, numbness or tingling. Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Migraines,
TMJD, Piriformis Syndrome, and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome are some of
the conditions that can be caused by TrPs. Muscles contracted by
TrPs can pull bones out of alignment and lead to osteoarthrits.
There is no
cure for FMS right now. There are medications and therapies that
help some symptoms of FMS and CMP. The key to reducing symptom load
is always to identify every perpetuating factor (such as lack of
restorative sleep, poor diet and posture, chronic pain, etc.) and
deal with each of them as thoroughly as possible. It takes a
commitment on the part of the patient to practice a healthy
lifestyle, including good nutrition, a program of gentle stretching
and moderate exercise, and avoidance of smoking and other bad
habits. There must be a recognition by both the patient and her/his
companions in life (including the medical care team) that balance to
optimize the quality of life. Be patient, compassionate, and listen.
Ask if there is something you can do to help.
