Most people do not even realize they have fibromyalgia until some event occurs that requires a doctor’s attention. If a doctor suspects fibromyalgia he can do a number of different tests and in a matter of minutes know with a reasonable certainty that the patient is probably suffering with this debilitating condition. There is still no real known cause of fibromyalgia, but some research suggests that the problem may be in the nerves that send messages to the muscles. Other doctors think that the cause may be viral in nature and there is some evidence to suggest that this may be a cause of fibromyalgia.
- The one common symptom that all fibromyalgia patients experience is pain in different areas of the body. Often fibromyalgia causes wide spread pain all over the body and is often accompanied by nighttime sleep disturbance. In fact this is one symptom that often makes a fibromyalgia diagnosis easier. As the patient experiences waking up many times during the night it often leads to waking up at three or four in the morning and not being able to return to sleep. Usually the patient is unable to break this pattern and then seeks medical advice. The more the patient does not get proper REM sleep, the more their pain will increase. As they go to bed at night the pain wakes them up and a vicious cycle starts. Pain and sleep disturbance are just two of the symptoms of this condition. There are many other fibromyalgia symptoms, but these are probably the most common.
- As someone struggles with FMS they often develop more symptoms as time progresses. One fibromyalgia symptom that often develops late is fatigue. In some ways this fatigue is very common to the fatigue experienced by people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, which is also known as CFS. People with fibromyalgia syndrome often will suffer with fatigue due to the sleep disturbance problems, while others may feel fatigued as part of the overall symptoms of fibromyalgia. The entire list of symptoms is very long and is known to overlap with other chronic diseases.
- There are a number of books available on the subject but one of the best fibromyalgia books on the market today is one written by Dr. Jay Goldstein, Betrayal By The Brain. This book explores conditions in the brain that may be responsible for FMS as well as CFS. You may also want to explore the writings of Dr. Garth Nicholson, who relates the fibromyalgia symptoms to a viral infection of the body. He also sees a close correlation between chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and Gulf War syndrome. Both books will provide you will excellent advise and can be used as a reference for your doctor to help in your fibromyalgia treatment. Another great place for information is the National Fibromyalgia Association. Their website is full of information for both patients and doctors.
- Food allergies can also exacerbate symptoms of fibro. Many doctors will suggest a food allergy test to assess foods that you may be allergic to, without knowing it. The removal of certain foods from your diet may well help to relieve some of your symptoms. Many people have made changes to their diet and noticed improvement in their symptoms. This definitely is an area to consider when you are looking at different things to help your problem. There are also natural treatments which contain glucosamine and chondroitin which also help to provide relief from pain for patients.
- Although there is no fibromyalgia cure, much research has been done in the last ten years and many of the symptoms can be helped with a number of different methods. No longer do people have to suffer silently as they did years ago. No longer do they have to accept a doctor saying to them that it is all in their head. This is now a nationally recognized condition and doctors now treat their patients with the respect they deserve.
