What causes debilitating fibromyalgia pain and fatigue?<\/p>\n
Researchers are still unraveling the secrets of this chronic condition, but they\u2019ve discovered that trauma \u2013 due to a car accident, a violent attack, a fall or even surgery \u2013 is a key factor in most cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the brain is activated and reliving the trauma,\u201d explains Ginevra Liptan, M.D., director of The Frida Center for Fibromyalgia in Portland, Ore., and author of Figuring Out Fibromyalgia: Current Science and the Most Effective Treatments (Visceral Books, 2011).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems to get stuck in a chronic \u2018fight or flight\u2019 stress response.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most women experience occasional problems like muscle pain, fatigue or trouble sleeping. But if you have fibromyalgia, you face them more frequently and for long periods.<\/p>\n
One reason some people develop symptoms of fibromyalgia after trauma, and others don\u2019t, may be linked to genetics, experts say.<\/p>\n
\u201cFibromyalgia, like depression, is more common in those who have first-degree relatives with the condition,\u201d says Jeffrey Thompson, M.D., associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic and former director of the clinic\u2019s fibromyalgia center.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia, and expert advice on how to deal with each one.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia Symptom #1: Pain
Many people with fibromyalgia have chronic general pain and muscles that are tender to the touch.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because the nervous system\u2019s method of processing pain signals becomes highly sensitized. So pressure that should just be mildly uncomfortable can be agonizing, Thompson says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe brain \u2018over-senses\u2019 pain signals,\u201d Liptan adds. \u201cThis is also known as \u2018pain amplification.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
Pain levels also may gradually increase over time, as if you were slowly turning up the volume on your iPod.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia treatment: You have to find ways to \u201cturn down the volume\u201d of pain. One method is by directly attacking the knots in muscles that continually generate pain signals.<\/p>\n
Your doctor can inject a local anesthetic (usually lidocaine) into the location (known as a \u201ctrigger point\u201d) to physically break up the knotted tissue. This can also be accomplished with acupuncture, Liptan says.<\/p>\n
Targeted massage can also help break up painful areas. People with fibromyalgia who received myofacial release \u2013 a hands-on, soft tissue therapy involving gentle stretches \u2013 experienced pain reduction that lasted up to a month after treatment, according to a 2010 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.<\/p>\n
If these treatments fail to bring the fibromyalgia pain under control, another option is prescription medications such as Lyrica (pregabalin), an anticonvulsant also used to treat nerve pain, and Cymbalta (duloxetine), an antidepressant, to reduce that amplification of the pain signal.<\/p>\n
You and your doctor may need to go through some trial and error to find the most effective treatment and right dosage, Liptan says.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia Symptom #2: Sleep Problems
With the \u2018fight or flight\u2019 response continually activated, it\u2019s no surprise that people with fibromyalgia suffer from significant sleep difficulties, says Liptan. They wake up in the morning feeling exhausted and unrefreshed.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because people with fibromyalgia often don\u2019t reach that deep, restorative stage of sleep. Women with the condition had twice as many \u201carousals\u201d \u2013 moving to lighter sleep levels \u2013 as those without it, according to a 2004 study in the Journal of Rheumatology.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatients look like they\u2019re asleep and they might even dream, but they\u2019re not going through the normal cycles of sleep,\u201d Liptan explains. \u201cThey stay in the lighter stages \u2013 they float on the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n
In some cases, other sleep problems may further sabotage shut-eye.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout half of people with fibromyalgia also have a second sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome,\u201d Liptan says.<\/p>\n
This sleep deprivation can also cause \u201cfibro fog,\u201d which leaves you struggling to concentrate during the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you keep healthy people awake for three nights and give them tests for short-term and working memory and their ability to multitask, they score identically to people with fibromyalgia who have gotten their normal amount of sleep,\u201d Liptan says.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia treatment: Getting a good night\u2019s sleep is crucial to managing multiple symptoms of fibromyalgia, from pain and fatigue to foggy brain.<\/p>\n
The good news is that there are ways you can naturally encourage your brain to get deeper sleep \u2013 and the No. 1 method is exercise, according to Liptan.<\/p>\n
\u201cExercise is vital for fibromyalgia,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge trigger for your brain to get more deep sleep at night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Repetitive activities that involve contracting and relaxing groups of muscles, such as gentle aerobics, light resistance training, yoga or tai chi, are especially beneficial, according to Thompson.<\/p>\n
So is practicing good sleep hygiene, such as getting to bed and waking up at the same time each day, avoiding caffeine and not watching TV or surfing the Internet right before bed. A calming nighttime ritual, such as taking a bath or practicing guided relaxation or deep breathing, may also relax you and prime your body for rest.<\/p>\n
If exercise and sleep hygiene methods don\u2019t do the trick, a low dose of an antidepressant such as trazodone can restore normal stages of sleep, says Thompson.<\/p>\n
And cognitive behavioral therapy \u2013 talk therapy that focuses on challenging unhelpful thoughts and behaviors \u2013 can often help those with the condition stay focused and organized, he adds.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia Symptom #3: Depression
About half of those with symptoms of fibromyalgia have had an episode of major depression in their lives, according to Bruce Solitar, M.D.,a rheumatologist at New York University Langone Medical Center and an associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine.<\/p>\n
Research bears this out: People with fibromyalgia were three times more likely than others to have had depression, according to a 2006 British study published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.<\/p>\n
\u201cOften, treating the depression helps [fibromyalgia patients] feel better,\u201d Solitar says.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia treatment: Antidepressants such as Cymbalta \u2013 known as SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) \u2013 may ease depression and relieve pain.<\/p>\n
Cognitive behavioral therapy is also useful in treating depression and helping people with fibromyalgia better cope with their condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt reroutes negative thinking,\u201d Liptan says.<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia Symptom #4: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), characterized by irregular bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation and discomfort, can go hand-in-hand with fibromyalgia \u2013 as can irritable bladder syndrome, which is marked by frequent urination and pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe functioning of the bowel and bladder are controlled by the same part of your brain as the stress response,\u201d Liptan says. \u201cWhen that\u2019s in overdrive, it seems to affect other systems as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fibromyalgia treatment: Prescription medications such as antidepressants or anticonvulsants, along with getting a good night\u2019s sleep and exercising, can significantly improve bowel and bladder irritability.<\/p>\n
Depending on the patient, different foods and beverages can cause flare-ups in IBS.<\/p>\n
Liptan recommends writing down your food and drink intake on a daily basis, as well as your symptoms, to pinpoint food sensitivities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Taken from: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pain and fatigue, trouble concentrating, difficulty sleeping? These could be symptoms of fibromyalgia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-430547","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"\n