Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes widespread pain and tenderness throughout the body. It is considered a syndrome because it involves a collection of symptoms that often occur together, including:
- Widespread pain: Pain is usually felt in multiple areas of the body, including the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and legs.
- Fatigue: People with fibromyalgia often feel tired, even after a good night’s sleep.
- Cognitive difficulties: Difficulty with concentration, memory, and attention.
- Sleep problems: People with fibromyalgia may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
- Sensitivity to touch: Some people with fibromyalgia may experience increased sensitivity to touch, as well as to other stimuli such as sound, light, and temperature.
The cause of fibromyalgia is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but treatment can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Treatment may involve a combination of medication, exercise, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
Last month, we reported some exciting news about the link between fibromyalgia (FM) and the importance of sleep, particularly getting to the deep sleep stage. However, we did not discuss the various strategies that YOU can use to improve your quality of sleep. Let’s take a look! Establishing a consistent and better sleep pattern is…
One of the most frustrating symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM) is the inability to get a good night’s sleep! Recently, at a Harvard-sponsored conference on the subject of pain, it was stated that “…no one should have to live in constant pain with what is known about pain management in this day and age (paraphrased).” Many…
Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by a whole body, widespread pain that affects millions of people and continues to be a challenge for both doctors and patients to manage. This is probably because there is no one cause that can be clearly identified with the onset of FM. The “best” approach to managing FM requires a…
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease that results in generalized pain spread out over the body and affects over 5 million people in the United States alone. Because no one has yet determined the cause of FM, both the diagnosis as well as the treatment poses a big challenge because it’s basically a trial and…
WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA? FM is a relatively common chronic disorder where widespread pain, diffuse tenderness, and potentially a host of other symptoms may be present. The word “fibromyalgia” is derived from the Latin term “fibro” (fibrous tissue) and the Greek term “myo” for muscle and “algia” for pain. Even though FM is often described as…
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just tell your chiropractor, primary care doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant about how you’re feeling and have the condition easily diagnosed and treated? With fibromyalgia (FM), it NEVER works that way! Some doctors even think FM is a mental issue and don’t believe it’s a “real” condition.…
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition that the medical community has long had difficulty defining. As stated last month, FM is often considered a “musculoskeletal disorder” (MSK) because of the aches and pains it produces in the muscles and joints. However, this is not really accurate since FM includes many other symptoms beyond just severe muscle…
Fibromyalgia (FM) causes widespread pain to an estimated 5.8 million Americans. FM is considered a “musculoskeletal disorder” even though many of the symptoms include other systems, especially the gastrointestinal system, as conditions such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) often co-exist. It is thought that FM is a disorder that amplifies the manner in which the…
Utilizing dietary approaches to help with fibromyalgia (FM) management has been our main topic these past two issues and serves as GREAT background information for this month’s topic: Vitamin D and its role in the management of pain associated with FM. Let’s take a look!Vitamin D is found in foods such as fish, eggs, fortified…
Fibromyalgia (FM) management requires a multi-dimensional approach, of which nutrition plays a BIG role. Last month, we discussed the importance of keeping an accurate food journal and grading the reaction that certain foods, vitamins, herbs, etc. have on you. This month, let’s discuss the nutritional use of probiotics. Probiotics can be defined as the “good…