Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition that causes musculoskeletal pain and other symptoms.
Living with fibromyalgia can be a draining experience because it affects so many aspects of your life. It’s a chronic condition with no known cure as of yet. So, the goal of treatment is to reduce its daily effects.
This article will help you better understand fibromyalgia by learning about the condition, its symptoms, and possible treatment options.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that causes abnormal pain perception and widespread pain all across the body.
Research suggests that fibromyalgia amplifies pain signals, which might turn even simple everyday sensations into painful experiences.
Fibromyalgia often starts after some form of physical or emotional trauma. In some other cases, it develops slowly over time.
Fibromyalgia symptoms
Fibromyalgia often has a wide range of symptoms.
The most apparent one is body-wide musculoskeletal pain. It affects both sides of the body and areas above and below the waist. The pain usually occurs as a constant, dull sensation. But the condition may also cause periodic flare-ups where the pain becomes really intense.
General fatigue is a common symptom of fibromyalgia, as constant pain can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to tiredness.
Fibromyalgia often comes with a wide array of psychological symptoms as well. Fibro fog is one of these symptoms that makes it difficult to concentrate. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems are also common among fibromyalgia patients.
In addition to these symptoms, some adjacent diseases often appear alongside fibromyalgia. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), clinical depression, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), migraine, and painful bladder syndrome, to name a few.
Fibromyalgia causes and risk factors
While doctors don’t know yet what causes fibromyalgia, certain risk factors might make it more likely to develop the condition.
Fibromyalgia might occur at any age, but people over 40 are more likely to develop the condition. The probability of developing fibromyalgia is twice as high for women than for men, but doctors need more research and data to identify the reasons behind this.
The condition often develops after severe physical or mental trauma, so scientists believe these events might also increase your risks.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia
Identifying fibromyalgia can be challenging because there are no direct tests for it, and symptoms may vary from person to person.
One constant symptom of the disease is widespread pain, where pain occurs on both sides of the body, both above and below the waistline. So doctors will likely ask you to self-assess your pain and explain your symptoms.
After that, they will use other methods, like bloodwork, MRI scans, and other tests, to rule out other possible causes and make the final diagnosis via differential diagnosis.
Fibromyalgia treatments
Fibromyalgia doesn’t have a typical pattern. It’s a dynamic condition where symptoms and the severity of pain might change periodically and will differ from person to person.
So, doctors usually try to adjust treatment options based on your own needs and experiences.
Below, we will list some treatment methods that are often used to ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
- Painkillers – Over-the-counter or prescription medications
- Physical therapy – Stretches and strengthening exercises
- Mental health therapy – Cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, and stress management techniques
Living with fibromyalgia
Living with fibromyalgia can be a mentally draining experience. So, in addition to these treatment methods, it might also be helpful to set up a reliable support system and find self-care techniques that work well for you.
Pain management
Finding the right pain management methods is one of the most important things when it comes to living with fibromyalgia.
Drug-free pain patches, hot and cold therapy, and massages are all excellent ways to reduce your daily pain levels without the side effects of traditional painkillers.
Stay active
Keeping an active lifestyle not only helps your body to function better, but it may also be beneficial for your mental health. It might be hard to get moving when your body and mind feel drained, so it’s best to choose some light exercises that are not too demanding.
Walking, swimming, water aerobics, or yoga are all excellent choices.
Stress management
Living with fibromyalgia can be a stressful experience. So it’s crucial to take good care of your mental hygiene and to find healthy coping techniques.
Meditation is a safe and science-backed method to maintain mental hygiene, and it has the added benefit of lowering pain perception.
If your lifestyle allows for it, try to include blocks of downtime into your schedule.
Adjust your lifestyle and mindset
When you have fibromyalgia, you’ll have to make some lifestyle changes to adjust to your condition. Practice self-compassion, and be patient with yourself.
Try to set up easy routines, habits, and failsafe methods to help you stay afloat when the inevitable pain flare-ups hit. And don’t be afraid to reach out to your friends or family for help and emotional support when needed.
Keep a healthy lifestyle
Following a healthy diet, keeping active, drinking enough water, and avoiding drugs and alcohol can all go a long way when living with fibromyalgia.
Keeping a healthy lifestyle will allow your body and mind to better cope with the symptoms of your condition, and it decreases your risk of developing other adjacent diseases.