Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be difficult as there's no specific test to diagnose the condition. The symptoms of fibromyalgia can also vary from person to person and are similar to those of several other conditions. The GP will ask you how your symptoms are affecting your daily life.
If you have fibromyalgia, one of the main symptoms is likely to be widespread pain. This may be felt throughout your body, but could be worse in particular areas, such as your back or neck. The pain is likely to be continuous, although it may be better or more severe at different times.
Chronic (long-term), widespread pain is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia. You may feel the pain all over your body. Or, you may feel it more in the muscles you use most often, like in your back or legs. The pain may feel like a deep muscle ache, or it may throb or burn.
There is no specific blood test to diagnose fibromyalgia. Your physician may take blood to screen for other diseases and rule other diseases, such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), polymyalgia rheumatica, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus.
Several rheumatic diseases can mimic fibromyalgia. These include sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme disease, polymyalgia rheumatica and lupus. They have symptoms of widespread pain along with joint involvement. Most rheumatic diseases are treated with medication and physical therapy.
Fibromyalgia is often triggered by an event that causes physical stress or emotional (psychological) stress. Possible triggers include: a serious injury, such as after a car accident.
A major risk of leaving fibromyalgia untreated is that symptoms such as chronic pain, fatigue, headaches, and depression can become excruciatingly worse over time. Fibromyalgia also has a huge impact on mental health and anxiety and mood disorders can also worsen if you don't treat fibromyalgia.
Although there's currently no cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments to help relieve some of the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with.
Fibromyalgia was formerly classified as an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease but is now considered to be an illness that primarily affects the central nervous system.
While MS and fibro may have some symptoms in common, they are ultimately distinct conditions with very different causes and treatments. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis are both chronic diseases with no cure. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis can both cause some of the same symptoms.
You may have problems falling or staying asleep, or you may still feel exhausted after waking up. The fatigue may be made worse by complications of fibromyalgia. These are called secondary causes and may include: sleep apnea.
Results: There were four parent stages of FM identified and labeled: 1) regional FM with classic symptoms; 2) generalized FM with increasing widespread pain and some additional symptoms; 3) FM with advanced and associated conditions, increasing widespread pain, increased sleep disturbances, and chemical sensitivity; ...
A fibromyalgia attack is also known as a flare-up. An attack can come on suddenly and cause mild to severe pain. These attacks may cause aching, burning, throbbing, or stabbing.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are: Chronic, widespread pain throughout the body or at multiple sites. Pain is often felt in the arms, legs, head, chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks. People often describe it as aching, burning, or throbbing.
First-choice treatments for fibromyalgia are exercise and lifestyle changes. Studies prove these are very effective. Medications might help reduce fibromyalgia pain by 30% in some people. They work best in combination with non-medication therapies.
Regular gentle exercise is one of the most effective ways that fibromyalgia flare ups can be avoided or diminished and pain managed. Exercise in moderation may increase pain at first but may help prevent or improve pain over time and build up endurance, muscle strength, avoidance of depression, and boost moods.
Fibromyalgia tender points tend to be symmetrical in the body. They are located both above and below the waist around the neck, chest, shoulders, hips, and knees. The tender point should cause pain in that exact area when the doctor presses on it with enough force to turn their fingernail white.
Fibromyalgia, or Fibromyalgia Pain Syndrome, is a chronic and widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder. It is defined as a long-term, body-wide pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons – the soft fibrous tissues in the body.
Fibromyalgia is associated with low levels of many vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins like vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Many people are also deficient in vitamins A, C, E, and K. Many dietitians recommend getting all your vitamins and minerals through your diet.
Fibromyalgia Might Be an Autoimmune Disorder, A New Study Says. Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition commonly thought to originate in the brain, might actually be a disorder of the immune system, according to a new study.
There are no lab tests that can diagnose fibromyalgia. However, because many other conditions have symptoms similar to those or fibromyalgia, your doctor may order tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
get up at the same time every morning. try to relax before going to bed. try to create a bedtime routine, such as taking a bath and drinking a warm, milky drink every night. avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before going to bed.