Fibromyalgia
“I HURT ALL OVER”
Fibromyalgia (pronounced fi-bro-my-al-juh)
is a very common and often undiagnosed cause of
musculoskeletal pain. The condition affects nearly 4 million
Americans, mostly women between the ages of 20 and 50, but
it can occur in people of all ages.
People with fibromyalgia typically complain of hurting all
over and non-restful sleep. Even with adequate amounts of
sleep, people with fibromyalgia still wake up feeling
unrested. The lack of restful sleep seems to exacerbate or
worsen the symptoms, resulting in a vicious cycle of
increasing
fatigue and pain.
There is no laboratory test to diagnose fibromyalgia. It is
often a “diagnosis of exclusion,” meaning that your doctor
will try to rule out other causes of the symptoms.
Conditions that must first be ruled out include lupus,
rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and sleep apnea. A
diagnosis of fibromyalgia may be confirmed by identifying a
number of “tender points,” which are certain areas of the
body that are painful to the touch.
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but it is not a deforming
or life-threatening disease. The most important aspect of
treatment is education. Learning about the condition and
what causes the symptoms is very important in recovery.
Aerobic exercise for 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a
week
can also be useful for improving sleep quality.
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other
arthritic conditions may also have fibromyalgia. In fact,
fibromyalgia should be considered a possible explanation for
symptoms in arthritis patients whose pain is not improving
despite improvement in joint swelling.
The above information about fibromyalgia is from Dr. Zashin's
book,
Arthritis Without Pain, a comprehensive guide for patients considering or undergoing treatment with the TNF blockers Enbrel®, Remicade®, or Humira®.
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