Maybe you have been diagnosed with this “disease”, but you
really don’t know why you have it or where it came from. Fibromyalgia
is a chronic musculoskeletal condition that causes fatigue, multiple,
precise tender points in the muscles, and sometimes gastrointestinal
complaints. It is also know to cause severe headaches and sleep disorders,
and it is more prevalent in females.
The diagnosis of fibromyalgia should not be used as a “wastebasket”
diagnosis for people with generalized muscle aches and pains. Criteria
that must be present include:
1. Subjective aching of more than 3 months duration;
2. Subjective stiffness of more than 3 months duration;
3. Point tenderness at multiple sites (there is a specific chart to
map out these tender points);
4. Normal, specific blood tests (not listed here).
These
are only some of the criteria, but it is a good place to start if you
think you may have any of the above symptoms. Chronic fatigue, sleep
disorders, changes in symptoms with anxiety and stress are a few of
the other symptoms.
There is not one cause of fibromyalgia. There are many theories on why
it occurs, but the list is long. Some of the factors could be a decrease
in serotonin levels, which can cause depression and an increased sensitivity
to pain, a deficiency in vitamins and minerals, a compromised immune
system, or even a thyroid problem.
A study done in the Chiropractic Management of Spine-Related Disorders
states that 45.9% of patients with fibromyalgia who have received chiropractic
care reported moderate to great improvement. Chiropractic scored among
the most effective measures, with only rest providing more improvement.
They also found that the most effective therapy is encouragement of
life-style changes such as rest, relaxation, moderate stretching, and
aerobic exercise, along with chiropractic care.
This article is not meant to explain the diagnosis fibromyalgia in full,
and there is still much more to be known about it. If you or anyone
you know is suffering from these symptoms, there are measures that can
be taken to help support the body’s immune system and decrease
the pain.
