Learn About Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM or FMS) is a condition that causes chronic musculoskeletal pain. In other words, in people with fibromyalgia, the brain misunderstands everyday pain and other sensory experiences, making the person more sensitive to pressure, temperature (hot or cold), bright lights, and noise compared to people who do not have fibromyalgia.
Wolfe (2010 and 2011) and Bennett (2013) have devised modified and alternative criteria, respectively, primarily for clinical and epidemiological research.1,2 Widespread pain of at least a 3-month duration remains a hallmark What is fibromyalgia? of the syndrome; however, both sets of criteria can be assessed by patient survey, and both eliminate the tender point count of the 1990 ACR criteria, which was challenging for clinicians to assess reliably.

Dr. Crofford noted that The biggest challenge is making sure they start off at a slow pace and build back up slowly so they don't try to do too much too soon.” Internists who refer patients to physical therapy should ensure that the therapist has experience with fibromyalgia and that the proper diagnosis is communicated, she added.
If a patient has joint symptoms, an internist could also check rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, and if a patient reports weakness (which is not particularly characteristic of fibromyalgia), internists could also check creatine phosphokinase, she said.

An exercise program is crucial in the treatment of fibromyalgia and should include stretching, strengthening, and aerobic exercise Many patients with fibromyalgia find it difficult to institute a regular exercise program because they feel they are too tired to exercise and they may perceive that their pain and fatigue worsen when they begin to exercise.
Although the results of their analysis indicated that depression and catastrophizing show consistent associations with a number of parameters associated with pain and treatment outcomes, it is also reported that these sequelae may be present in any number of conditions, and not only fibromyalgia.
The diagnosis is based on clinical criteria from the American College of Rheumatology ( 1 ), which include a combination of widespread pain and the presence of various other cognitive and somatic symptoms, such as those listed above, which are graded in severity.

However, these patients are always at risk for worsening of their symptoms in the future and should maintain efforts for a healthy lifestyle, including sleep hygiene, ongoing exercise, and stress management Fibromyalgia patients have a higher rate of disability than the general population, but seeking permanent disability status is generally discouraged because it frequently leads to worsening of symptoms.
Many patients diagnosed with FM by a rheumatologist or a pain medicine specialist report having another health care professional state that: FM does not exist.” 6 , 9 The discussion as to whether FM exists or not raises the question as to what defines the existence of a disease.

If the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia prevent you from performing your daily activities smoothly, you must seek the help of your medical practitioner who will describe a course of pain relieving medicines and anti inflammatory drugs to relieve the muscle pain.
In a recent study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research , researchers discovered that doctors at a university rheumatology clinic over-diagnosed fibromyalgia in 43 patients out of 121 who met the criteria, and missed it entirely in 60 patients.
Participants in the study were interviewed and gave stool, blood, saliva and urine samples, which were then compared with those of healthy control subjects, some of whom lived in the same house as the fibromyalgia patients or were their parents, offspring or siblings.