Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain that feels like it's in the joints, though the joints themselves aren't usually damaged, affecting areas like the knees, hips, neck, shoulders, elbows, and jaw (TMJ), often accompanied by muscle aches, stiffness, fatigue, and increased pain sensitivity (tender points). Pain is common in the soft tissues around joints and can feel like a deep ache or burning, often worse in the mornings.
The pain has been described as burning, aching, stabbing, tingling, throbbing, soreness or numbness (loss of feeling). It may change based on the time of day, activity level, weather (especially cold or damp conditions), sleep patterns and stress.
In arthritis, the pain is typically localized to the joints, while in fibromyalgia the pain is often widespread throughout the body. Stiffness: Both conditions can cause stiffness in the joints and muscles, which can make it difficult to move.
More than two-thirds of those with fibromyalgia also have stomach pain, bloating, gas, and nausea on a regular basis. Constipation or diarrhea can also occur regularly.
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.
On the front of the neck above the collarbone. Just to the right and left of the breastbone (sternum) about 2 in. (5 cm) below the collarbone. On each forearm just below and to the outside of the crease of the elbow.
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.
TNX-102 SL (Tonmya; Tonix Pharmaceuticals), cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets, has been approved by the FDA to treat fibromyalgia in adult patients, making it the first new treatment approved for the musculoskeletal and chronic pain disorder in over 15 years and the fourth treatment approved overall.
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.
Analysis of electroencephalograms indicates that patients with FMS take longer to fall asleep and have frequent arousals, extended stage 1 sleep, and little slow wave sleep (1), which may indicate a vigilant arousal state during sleep (3).
The most widely used criteria for diagnosis are:
Because fibromyalgia is complex in nature and difficult to diagnose, a rheumatologist will perform a complete medical history and a full physical exam. A physical exam can help reveal signs of inflammation throughout the body's joints and musculoskeletal system.
The symptoms of fibromyalgia, including chronic pain and swelling, can be confusing as they may mimic those of inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. However, swelling in fibromyalgia is usually mild and doesn't cause redness or warmth in the affected areas.
Unlike inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia does not cause joint damage and is not a threat to other organs. However, fibromyalgia is often associated with persistent muscle, joint, bone, or soft tissue pain, particularly in areas that have been noted as trigger points or localized points of pain, as well as fatigue.
Key Points. Acute pain in multiple joints is most often due to inflammation, gout, or the beginning or flare up of a chronic joint disorder. Chronic pain in multiple joints is usually due to osteoarthritis or an inflammatory disorder (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or, in children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Fibromyalgia Accentuates Pain
Likewise, any toothache or gum infection will be a far more intense and uncomfortable experience for someone suffering from fibromyalgia.
Instead, the diagnosis is made by a physical exam of pressure points. When light pressure is applied to the surface of the muscles throughout the body, patients with fibromyalgia find this painful, especially at the specific tender point areas used for diagnosis.
There are no specific tests that can confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia . But you may have lab tests to rule out other diseases.
The pain most often affects the muscles and the points where muscles attach to bones. These are the ligaments and tendons.
There are no gold-standard treatments for fibromyalgia. Treatment is focused on symptom management. A multidisciplinary approach and individualized treatment plan that incorporates a combination of interventions can help improve outcomes.
Cyclobenzaprine and tizanidine are muscle relaxants that may be used to help manage symptoms of fibromyalgia. These medications can reduce muscle tension and improve sleep, addressing common challenges faced by those with the condition.
Milnacipran (brand name: Joncia®) belongs to a class of medicines called serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). Other similar drugs from this group are used to treat depression and anxiety, but in Australia milnacipran is approved specifically to treat fibromyalgia.
Doctors may do the following to diagnose fibromyalgia:
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome [for succinctness, CFS] and fibromyalgia [FM] are medically unexplained illnesses, predominantly in women, characterized by disabling fatigue and by widespread pain with tenderness, respectively.
Doctors sometimes recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease deep muscle and joint pain caused by fibromyalgia. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are available without a prescription.