BACKGROUND
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by several somatic symptoms including chronic musculoskeletal achiness, stiffness, and exaggerated tenderness at specified tender points
(1). In the past, research analyses of the specified causes of this disease have been deemed inconclusive. It has been said that various psychological and physiological complications can initiate the events that lead to the development of fibromyalgia including psychological trauma, physical trauma, and/or certain viruses (i.e., Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV) (2). Accrued evidence from neuroimaging of the brain has shown that patients with fibromyalgia experience pain differently than those without the disease due to dysfunction in the central nervous system responses and detection of pain stimuli (1). The most recently updated criteria for diagnosis of fibromyalgia includes scores on the Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and on the Symptom Severity
Scale (SS) score of 7 or higher or 5 or higher respectively or a WPI score of 3-6 and an SS score of 9 or higher (6). Individuals must also experience symptoms at a similar level of severity for at least three months (6). Although fibromyalgia is incurable, it is treatable and non-life threatening
(5). It is estimated to affect 900,000 Canadians currently and women are estimated to be four to nine times more likely to develop fibromyalgia than men (3). In 2014, it was found by Statistics
Canada that among Canadians 12 years or older, 1.7%
There are so many common secondary symptoms that it is not unusual for a patient to be treated by multiple specialists for those symptoms over a period of years before they are diagnosed with FMS. Secondary symptoms need not be present for diagnosis, and will vary from one patient to the next.
Have you ever wondered what fibromyalgia is or how people living with it felt? People with fibromyalgia experience pain in ways no one else can really understand. Fibromyalgia is no mystery and it is caused by biofilm bacteria. Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread of musculoskeletal and chronic pain disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout your entire body. I effects people physically, mentally, and socially. The pain experience is described as deep muscular aching, shooting, throbbing or stabbing pain. It can occur in people of all ages including children and there is no cure for fibromyalgia but the pain can be controlled by a variety of medications. Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. It effects more than 5 million people in the United States, mostly women have it but men can have it to.
The cause of pain can be puzzling and is not always related to specific pathology (Croft et al.,
Chronic pain has four mechanisms. Nociception is a neural signal of threatened or damaged tissue, and is the classical pain pathway. Central pain states are thought to be caused by abnormal activity in neurons in the afferent pathway. The mechanism for this is not completely understood, and a person may perceive pain where there is no tissue damage. Behavioral pain is communicated by a
More than 12 million Americans have fibromyalgia. Most of them are women ranging in age from 25 to 60. Women are 10 times more likely to get this disease than men.
150 CRPS diagnosed patients over a period of 4 years at a Korean chronic pain center were observed in this case study. Some tests that were done include neuromuscular conduction, quantitative sensory, autonomic function tests, infrared thermography, 3-phase bone scan, along with pain scale questions (Choi, 2008). Based on the results of the case study, CRPS affects men and women at all ages. The most common causes linked to the condition within this study were injuries and surgeries. The majority of patients reported the condition occurred in one extremity. 76% reported that the most effective treatment was the sympathetic nerve block (Choi, 2008). This is one case study done, so little can be concluded based on the results. In the future more case studies should be done to compare
Many people do not realize what effects your body can get when it does not have the proper physical needs to stay strong and healthy. One of the effects is a rheumatic syndrome called FIBROMYALGIA, also known as Fibrositis and Myofasical pain syndrome. This syndrome is diagnosed with a history of at least three months of widespread pain and tenderness in eleven to eighteen of tender-point sites. These points include: the neck, the shoulders, the chest, the rib cage, the lower back, the thighs, the knees, the arms(mainly the elbows), and the buttocks. The pain in these areas is defined as an overwhelming characteristic of FIBROMYALGIA and is long standing. These points are the trigger points,
Because, fibromyalgia is not physically visible. Health officials believe that it’s not a real disease. It has become a stigma against most fibromyalgia patients that they have accepted the pain that is overlooked by social security. According, to an article written by disability examiner once they have received a case and the only allegation is fibromyalgia, this makes their case poor. However, if another condition or disease is diagnosed along with fibromyalgia such as any muscle disease. Automatically their case is stronger and they’re more likely to be approved for disability. Not only, but also health officials have stated fibromyalgia patients must be severe enough to be disabling and have medical evidence and most times their cases do
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases the word “fibromyalgia” comes from the Latin term for fibrous tissue (fibro) and the Greek terms for muscle (myo) and pain (algia); therefore, the term literally means muscle and connective tissue pain. Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 10 million people in the United States and 3-6% of the world population. This disorder occurs in men, women, and children of all ages and ethnic groups. As in the case of a number of other pain disorders fibromyalgia is most prevalent in women, for instance, 75-90% of people with fibromyalgia are women ("Prevalence",n.d.). Fibromyalgia can be described as a syndrome that affects the musculoskeletal, nervous, immune, digestion, and endocrine systems. The most commonly reported symptoms include: chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, headaches, heightened pain in response to tactile pressure (allodynia), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and cognitive dysfunction (known as “fibrofog”) and memory trouble ("Centers for Disease”, n.d.). Even though there is no known cause for the etiology of fibromyalgia researchers have numerous assumptions including: a family history of fibromyalgia, hormone imbalances, and being exposed to stressful or traumatic events such as car accidents, infections, or repetitive bodily injuries("Office on Women 's Health”, n.d.) . Boston’s Gail K. Adler, MD, PhD, and fellow Harvard Medical School researchers conducted a study on
The symptoms of Job (7:3-4, 30:16-17) describes the musculoskeletal disorder called fibromyalgia (FM). Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal disorder with a characteristic widespread pain and high painful response to pressure. Other symptoms include sleep disturbances, joint immobility, tiredness, tingling, difficulty in swallowing and numbness. The patients may also suffer from the psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Though the term fibromyalgia is recently being used, the symptoms of this disease were observed during 1500 BC
Fibromyalgia was initially thought to be a musculoskeletal syndrome since maximum of the pain was felt in the muscles and other soft tissue. However, recent studies and research have shown that fibromyalgia is a central nervous system ailment which causes uncharacteristic pain processing and leads in pain amplification. The three chief symptoms that are common to virtually everybody who struggles with fibromyalgia are pain, tiredness and sleep disorders.
Exact cause remains unidentified, however it is believed that the patient’s genes and environment may be contributing factors.
According to the case study in the text it states that sixty six percent of all women and
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a musculoskeletal illness (which causes chronic pain) and a chronic fatigue disorder. It can also change sleep patterns and cause the following: digestive disorders, chronic headaches, painful menstrual periods, temperature sensitivity, morning stiffness, numbness or tingling of extremities, and even cognitive memory problems. The name fibromyalgia comes from "fibro" in Latin meaning tissue, "my" in Greek meaning muscle, and "algia" (also Greek) meaning pain.(source 5)
A study done by the American Academy of Family Physicians states that around three million Americans between the ages of 18-54 have this disorder. This disorder can impact both men and women equally.