Fibromyalgia Symptoms & Treatment

Fibromyalgia is a condition in which excruciating pain is felt in sufferers' muscles and joints. This condition remains a medical mystery, and a cure has yet to be discovered. In the medical community, this condition is quite controversial, as many practitioners believe that fibromyalgia overlaps with symptoms of other conditions. The disease has also been linked to psychological disorders, and it is not yet known whether fibromyalgia is merely the manifestation of these emotional disorders.

Symptoms

• Because of the mysterious nature of fibromyalgia, it is difficult to conclusively identify the symptoms of the condition. Generally, sufferers complain of various spots on the body that are tender to touch and hotbeds for pain. The condition has been linked to sleep disturbances, menstrual pain and fatigue. One interesting finding is that many of those suffering from fibromyalgia also have Lyme disease. The exact causal link is still unknown.

  There are currently no tests that can determine whether one has fibromyalgia. However, in 1990 the American College of Rheumatology identified two criteria: whether pain was experienced for more than three months and whether the patient experienced pain at any of 18 identified pressure points.

  These 18 tender spots are located in the following nine areas: near the base of the skull, on the lower vertebra of the back, between the shoulder blades, above the scapula spine, at the insertion of the second rib, two centimeters distal to the elbow, in the upper and outer muscles of the buttocks, in the upper part of the thigh, and at the middle of the knee joint.

  Pain must also be experienced in all four quadrants of the body: the cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine and lower back.

Treatments

• Without having a clear understanding of fibromyalgia or its causes, doctors are unable to find an effective cure; however, there are many different ways to treat the condition's symptoms. Doctors prescribe medications for pain and sleep management as well as fatigue.

  There is some speculation as to how emotional health affects fibromyalgia and whether or not it is a cause. Many of those diagnosed with the condition also experience emotional problems, and through dealing with this, either with therapy or medication, fibromyalgia symptoms may disappear. In particular, stress has recently been singled out as a possible cause of the condition, and stress control therapies have been employed to treat fibromyalgia. Alternative methods such as acupuncture specifically aim to target fibromyalgia, while natural and ayurvedic remedies tend to focus on elevating whole body health.