Fibromyalgia Treatment Options

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals. Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome at the present time is very difficult as it has multiple etiological factors and psychological predispositions; however, a patient centered approach is essential to handle this problem.

Symptoms

The primary fibromyalgia symptoms are:

Widespread pain throughout the body

A heightened, painful response to pressure at many tender points on the body

Individuals with fibromyalgia may also experience these symptoms:

Moderate to severe fatigue

Difficulty sleeping

Joint stiffness

Headaches

Tingling, numbness or a burning or prickling sensation in hands and feet

Painful menstrual periods

Irritable bowel

Problems with thinking and memory

Diagnosis

Fibromyalgia can be hard to diagnose. It sometimes takes visits to several different health care providers to get a diagnosis. One problem is that there isn't a specific test for it. And the main symptoms, pain and fatigue, are common in many other conditions. Health care providers have to rule out other causes of the symptoms before making a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. This is called making a differential diagnosis.

Causes

The general consensus is that fibromyalgia is the result of a hypersensitive and hyperactive central nervous system, with the brain and spinal cord having developed heightened pain activity. Various risk factors have been suggested, such as genetic predisposition, trauma, multiple surgeries or chronic stress, but these are not definitive.

Treatment

Treat Fibromyalgia with a combination of treatments, which may include medicines, lifestyle changes, talk therapy, and complementary therapies:

Medicines

Over-the-counter pain relievers

Prescription medicines that were specifically approved to treat fibromyalgia

Prescription pain medicines

Certain antidepressants, which may help with pain or sleep problems

Lifestyle changes

Getting enough sleep

Getting regular physical activity. If you have not already been active, start slowly and gradually increase how much activity you get. You may want to see a physical therapist, who can help you create a plan that is right for you.

Learning how to manage stress

Eating a healthy diet

Learning to pace yourself. If you do too much, it can make your symptoms worse. So you need to learn to balance being active with your need for rest.

Talk therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can help you learn strategies to deal with pain, stress, and negative thoughts. If you also have depression along with your fibromyalgia, talk therapy can help with that too.

Complementary therapies have helped some people with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But researchers need to do more studies to show which ones are effective. You could consider trying them, but you should check with your health care provider first. These therapies include

Massage therapy

Movement therapies

Chiropractic therapy

Acupuncture

There is ongoing medical research on fibromyalgia on many fronts. There is active research on the genes responsible for fibromyalgia, new medications, and new non-medication therapies to help pain. One recent study found that non-restorative sleep, when one wakes up feeling tired after a full night of sleep is strongly tied to developing widespread pain. Medical researchers have linked anxiety to developing widespread pain.