Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by long-term, diffuse soft tissue pain in the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons.  Since it’s a long-term illness, it has been linked to depression, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, headaches, morning stiffness, numbness of the hands and feet, and anxiety.  Fibromyalgia may develop on its own or along with other autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) or Lupus.  With Fibromyalgia, the patient will complain of long-standing tender points throughout their body.  Tender points vary from trigger points in that tender points are sore to the touch but do not radiate pain upon palpation like trigger points do.  Since Fibromyalgia can mimic the pain of Fibromyalgia, diagnose is extremely important.  RA is an autoimmune disease in which the body is attacking its own synovium, the lining that coats the inside of joints.  RA can also cause joint deformity and destruction, visible on x-ray.  However, Fibromyalgia is much more vague in the signs rather than the symptoms.  A physician’s diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is obtained via case history and the presence of eleven out of eighteen tender points on the body.  Fibromyalgia sufferers will describe the pain as being a gnawing, radiating, shooting, deep ache that ranges from mild to severe in nature.  Some patients complain of pain that improves during the daytime but increases into the evening; however, most patients describe day-long unrelenting pain that continues into the evening.  Pain seems to be exacerbated by stress, cold weather, exercise, and anxiety. 

Treatment

Since this disorder is so vague, treatment options may be difficult to implement.  However, the patient should ultimately lower their stress levels, eat a balanced nourished diet, exercise regularly, and apply most heat compresses to sore muscles.  In 2007, the pharmaceutical drug Lyrica was the first approved drug by the FDA used for the treatment of Fibromyalgia.  Since then, two more drugs have been approved by the FDA.  In addition, Chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture are all excellent alternatives for the treatment of Fibromyalgia.  They work simultaneously to balance the musculo-skeletal and nervous system.  Chiropractors work with the most important system in the human body the nervous system.  The nervous system controls and coordinates every single organ system and body part in the body.  When interference is present in the spinal column, it may put pressure on the spinal nerve roots that corresponds to a specific organ or body part.  When this happens, that particular organ or body part cannot function at 100%, leaving the body to develop disease processes and reduced range of motion in that joint.