Fibromyalgia – What is it… Exactly?
November 17, 2009
There are many conditions that can be attributed to specific causes with a clear origin and means of diagnosis. However, there are also conditions that are obscure and can only be diagnosed by eliminating other, more common conditions. Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of those conditions where the degree of pain and disability can be profound and life quality interrupting, yet all the tests come back negative and there are no other conditions to explain the collection of symptoms. It is at that point when the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is typically made.
FM is typically a chronic (symptoms have been present for at least 3 months) condition where the patient complains of widespread, generalized muscle, ligament and tendon pain accompanied with fatigue and multiple tender points on the body that hurt with only light pressure. To be considered “widespread,” it usually affects both sides of the body and is both above and below the waist. It occurs in approximately 2% of the population in the US and women are 3-4 times more likely to develop FM. The risk of FM increases with age and can be secondary to other physical or emotional trauma, or it can occur all by itself. No obvious pattern usually exists as signs and symptoms can vary depending on weather, stress, physical activity, and even the time of day.
Sleep quality is an issue that seems well agreed upon as regardless of the number of hours in bed, the deep, restorative stages of sleep are seldom reached. Other sleep disorders frequently associated with FM include sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
Causation for the most part is unknown but genetics (family traits), infections (can trigger or worsen FM), and after physical or emotional trauma (eg., post-traumatic stress disorder) have been linked to FM. An explanation as to why it hurts so much centers around a theory called “central sensitization.” This is basically a low threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to the incoming pain signals. Certain chemical (neurotransmitters) changes in the brain have been identified resulting is hypersensitivity creating an overreaction to pain signals.
The American College of Rheumatology has established two diagnostic criteria that include 1) widespread pain lasting at least 3 months, and 2) at least 11 out of 18 positive tender points using just enough pressure to whiten the fingernail bed. There are no direct blood tests to confirm a diagnosis of FM but other conditions can affect or cause FM can be diagnosed with blood testing. These include thyroid disease (thyroid function blood tests), inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid (ESR), and a complete blood count to assess anemia and infection.
To learn more about Fibromyalgia, register for a Free, In- Office Evaluation. If you are looking for faster service, feel free to give us a call at one of our two New Jersey locations. For our Bayonne, NJ location, call 201-339-8889, and for our Scotch Plains, NJ location call us at 908-490-1800. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $245 Value).
Article by Dr. Eric Chludzinski, DC. Dr. Chludzinski is the founder of Hudson Center for Spinal Care located in Bayonne and Scotch Plains, New Jersey. In preparation for his career, Dr. Chludzinski attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. He continued his studies at Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, GA graduating in the class of 2002 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr. Chludzinski services all of Union County and Hudson County, including Jersey City, Hoboken, Harrison, Kearny, Newark, Elizabeth, Westfield, Clark, Fanwood, Plainfield, Watchung, Mountainside, Berkeley Heights, and South Plainfield.
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