Fibromyalgia Pain
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome (not a disease) in which there is chronic, widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. It is recognized as one of 2 common muscle pain conditions, the other being myofascial pain syndrome.
People who suffer with fibromyalgia often experience fatigue and at least 11 of 18 possible tender points - places on the body where slight pressure causes pain. It can, however, be a difficult condition to diagnose. Fibromyalgia is, above all else, a chronic muscular pain syndrome, but it is associated with a number of other symptoms that include:
- Sleep disturbance
- Headache
- Morning stiffness
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Interstitial cystitis (IC)
- Difficult or painful sexual intercourse
- Mood disturbance
Some statistics about fibromyalgia pain:
- For unknown reasons, between 80% and 90% of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women; however, men and children also can be affected. [As stated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).]
- According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, women diagnosed with fibromyalgia are typically 20 to 50 years of age.
- Symptoms decrease with age, and older patients tend to have less pain, depression, illness impact and better sleep.
What causes fibromyalgia?
Doctors don't actually know what causes fibromyalgia. One theory, called "central sensitization," states that people with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain as a result of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals. So pressure on a spot of the body that wouldn't hurt someone without fibromyalgia could be extremely painful to someone with it.
Other beliefs as to the cause of fibromyalgia include:
- Sleep disturbances
- Injury or trauma
- Infection
- Abnormalities of certain parts of the nervous system
- Changes in muscle metabolism
- Psychological stress
- Hormonal changes
How is fibromyalgia pain treated?
Despite the increase in recognition of fibromyalgia, treatment still remains challenging.
Fortunately, fibromyalgia isn't progressive or life-threatening. Treatments and self-care can improve fibromyalgia pain. Probably the single most important and effective therapy is aerobic exercise, which can be especially helpful in combination with medication, cognitive behavior therapy or other pain treatments such as acupuncture, biofeedback and hypnosis.
NOTE: ULTRAM® ER has never been studied in specific fibromyalgia patients.
If you think you may suffer from pain due to fibromyalgia, complete a pain profile to take to your doctor.
