What is
fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. The disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3-6% of the world population. While it is most prevalent in women —75-90 percent of the people who have FM are women —it also occurs in men and children of all ethnic groups. The disorder is often seen in families, among siblings or mothers and their children - FM Aware
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome defined by chronic widespread pain with multiple tender points, fatigue, sleep dysfunction and abnormal pain processing. As we are referring to a syndrome we are looking at a collection of symptoms without a known cause. It is a complex condition that can affect every aspect of a person’s life.
Diagnostically there is no specific blood test that can pinpoint a patient has FM so several conditions with similar symptoms must first be ruled out, such as Lupus. It can take several years to be diagnosed with FM as a result. The diagnostic criteria that must be met are a) Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body a minimum duration of three months b) and to some degree of the following sleep dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction and fatigue. The pain with FM is often described as flu-like but more severe, all over body aches, muscles stiffness, muscle weakness and even muscle twitches. Pain is often more severe in the morning and can diminish in intensity throughout the day but does not disappear entirely. Pain can flare up and be significantly worse for a duration in a specific area, while still being of a moderate baseline level everywhere else. For example, a certain muscle group like the wrists may flare up with pain far more intense than the rest of the body for several months and then go back to ‘normal’.
The features of FM pain are a) there is abnormal pain processing leading to a lower pain threshold in the brain causing the brain to react faster to pain stimulus. This is referred to as hyperalgesia. B) The pain reaction is more intense. In fact, it can be so intense even a light touch to the skin is painful, called (alloyinia). And c) For the very same stimulus someone with FM will have more enduring pain than someone without. The pain will simply last longer, as the brain continues to send out the pain signal even when it is not required.
People with FM have an estimated three times as much levels of a brain chemical called Substance P which is responsible for sending the pain messages to the body. Cortisol has also been shown to be low in the day and higher at night leading to daytime fatigue and evening insomnia.
FFibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome defined by chronic widespread pain with multiple tender points, fatigue, sleep dysfunction and abnormal pain processing. As we are referring to a syndrome we are looking at a collection of symptoms without a known cause. It is a complex condition that can affect every aspect of a person’s life.
2 Invisble/January, 2015