Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a highly debated chronic condition that presents itself with intense muscle pain and stiffness among other symptoms like joint pains, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, anxiety and similar physiological and psychological symptoms. The reason why fibromyalgia is still highly debated among physicians and researchers is that clinical trials and patient examinations do not reveal conclusive physical signs to justify the condition and the pain and disturbance experienced by the patients.
Currently, there are two camps in the medical world: one considers fibromyalgia as a psychosomatic disorder, while the other accepts it as a disease. This is also why the condition is called the Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) by those belonging to the first camp. This debate also makes the situation harder for fibromyalgia patients as they are sometimes considered people with psychological problems rather than a real physical condition that causes pain.
We will explain the known causes, symptoms and treatments of fibromyalgia briefly on this page; you can find the extended and detailed explanations and information about the symptoms, causes, pain relief methods and treatments in the other fibromyalgia articles published on this section of our site.
Fibromyalgia: Symptoms
Fibromyalgia actually has two sets of symptoms: physical and cognitive. The physical symptoms include pain and stiffness in muscles and joints, painful muscle spasms, sleep problems, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome (abdominal pain and nausea), tingling sensations in the skin (face, arms, legs, etc.), a swelling sensation in hands or feet (without really swelling), heightened sensitivity towards external elements like odors, light, noise, etc. and extra painful menstruation periods.
The cognitive symptoms on the other hand include having difficulty concentrating and remembering, short-term and long-term memory problems, inability to multitask, anxiety and depression.
Fibromyalgia: Causes
The exact cause of fibromyalgia is not yet revealed by physicians and researchers (and this is partly why some still consider it a psychosomatic disorder rather than a physical disease). However, there are numerous theories and hypotheses that reveal certain causalities. First of all, certain clinical researches show that fibromyalgia patients are more responsive to external stimuli and more prone to perceive them as pain while other people don't. This can be attributed to the increased production of substance P and the spinal fluid’s nerve growth factor in individuals suffering from this condition.
Researches also revealed that genetics and stress can indeed be contributing factors for fibromyalgia. While the exact gene that causes family members to inherit the condition, it is thought that the inheritance through the family is polygenic. It should also be noted that some of the genes responsible for inheritance of fibromyalgia are also contributors for other conditions like chronic fatigue and depression. In addition stress, growth hormone deficiencies, anxiety, depression and physical trauma are also considered as factors that contribute.
Fibromyalgia: Treatment
As with any other disease or condition that can’t be explained by doctors, fibromyalgia does not have a real cure or treatment. Since the real causes are unknown, the treatments that are applied today are naturally aimed to alleviate the symptoms of the condition. As the condition itself is still subject to debate, the treatments proposed by doctors also vary according to their perception of the condition and include both medications aimed to alleviate the pain and psychological or behavioral therapies that reflect the perception that the condition is indeed psychological.
As we have specified in the beginning, fibromyalgia is too broad a subject to be explained in a single page; that’s why we have created the Fibromyalgia category on our site. You can find further information and details about causes, symptoms and treatments in the articles published in this section.