Getting Diagnosed With Fibromyalgia
The first step in getting suspected fibromyalgia diagnosed is to find a physician, nurse
practitioner or other health care provider who is knowledgeable and compassionate. Maybe it should be the other way around:
compassionate and knowledgeable.
The only sure way to find the right health care provider is by trial and error. You can narrow the field by talking to other people, especially people with fibromyalgia or who suffer some kind of chronic pain,
and asking for recommendations. Rheumatologists are specialists in treating fibromyalgia, but many times an internist or family
doctor is just as knowledgeable and helpful as a specialist.
Make an appointment with your chosen health care provider and tell
him or her your story. Describe your pain and other symptoms and tell her how long you have had them. Answer their questions,
and get a sense for how you are being treated. If you feel disrespected, or that you are not being taken seriously, make an
appointment with a different health care provider. Keep going until you find a professional that you can relate to. Diagnosing
and treating fibromyalgia is a partnership between you and your healthcare provider, and you need to be able to work together on this.
You
can expect that a health care provider who is knowledgeable about fibromyalgia will take a health history, perform a physical examination,
do some blood work and perform a point tenderness test. That’s the minimum.
The blood work will usually be to make sure
there aren’t other problems, like rheumatoid arthritis, causing your symptoms. The real “test” for fibromyalgia is trigger point
tenderness. The doctor will press on 18 specific areas of your body to test for tenderness. If you have achiness all over
and are unusually tender over 11 or more of these trigger points, they will usually conclude that you have fibromyalgia.
Even
this is a bit tenuous, though, because, as you know, the pain of fibromyalgia comes and goes. There are many other trigger points
over your body that may be tender. The ones that are used for diagnosis were chosen by researchers as the ones most commonly
affected.
Until recently, there have been no diagnostic tests for fibromyalgia, other than trigger point tenderness. A
few tests are beginning to be used now, though. Your doctor may or may not order these tests; they are not widely used yet and
their usefulness hasn’t been proven. The tests are:
§ Cytokine levels, which
are often abnormal in people with fibromyalgia.
§ APA assay (antipolymer antibody). APA levels are thought to be elevated in people with fibromyalgia.
§ Sleep study. This may be done both because most FMS patients have sleep abnormalities, so an abnormal sleep test makes the diagnosis clearer, and
to identify and treat specific sleep problems.
§ MRI or PET scan. People with
fibromyalgia have abnormalities in both MRI and PET scan.
§ EEG. Some
researchers have discovered EEG abnormalities in people with fibromyalgia.
As more research is done, better, more definitive
tests for fibromyalgia may become available. That would be a huge benefit for both patients and health care providers, because
diagnosing fibromyalgia would be easier and more certain.
In the meantime, there is help -- a downloadable ebook that reveals Guaranteed All-Natural methods to help you overcome debilitating Fibromyalgia pain. Click here for further information on this ebook entitled Natural Cure To Fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms Explained
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome (fibromyalgia syndrome, or FMS), or a cluster of problems. People
who have fibromyalgia suffer with pain, either all over or in particular places, have sleeping problems, are overwhelmingly tired
and may have many other symptoms.
Five to ten per cent of the population has fibromyalgia. Most of them are women,
but men and children do experience the symptoms also.
Pain is the most distinguishing characteristic of fibromyalgia. Medically,
it’s described as generalized musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness. For the pain to be diagnosed as fibromyalgia, it has
to be present in all four body quadrants (arms and legs) for at least 3 months, and there has to be pain when pressure is applied
to at least 11 of the 18 identified trigger points.
That’s the medical description. Here is how people with fibromyalgia
describe it.
“I can hardly move because of the pain I’m in. I’m fighting to stay mobile.”
“There is no way to describe
the pain. You live with it on a daily basis.”
“What people don’t realize is that I am in pain all the time, every day.”
“Sometimes
you think, no big deal, it’s just pain. It’s not life threatening. Sometimes you wish it was. At least there’d be
an end in sight.”
The pain waxes and wanes, varying in intensity. People have good days and bad days. Some days it’s
not too bad; some days it’s pretty much disabling. The pain of fibromyalgia often gets worse on cold or humid days, when you
haven’t slept well, when you are too inactive or too active, when you are stressed or when your hormones change.
The second most
disabling characteristic of fibromyalgia is fatigue. Recent findings suggest that the fatigue is due to a stage four sleep disorder
called alpha EEG anomaly. During deep stage four sleep, the brain has bursts of awake-like activity, so there is not enough
undisturbed deep sleep for the body to get sufficient rest.
In addition to alpha EEG anomaly, many FMS sufferers also
have sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep), limb movement and jerking and restless
leg syndrome. All of these contribute to the fatigue of fibromyalgia.
Again, this is how fibromyalgia sufferers describe
their fatigue.
“The fatigue is worse than the pain.”
“Some days going to the bathroom feels like a ten-mile hike.”
“On
bad days, all I can do is turn on the TV for the kiddies and vegetate with them.”
Pain and fatigue are the most disabling features
of fibromyalgia, but there are other distressing symptoms too. 40-70 per cent of fibromyalgia sufferers experience irritable
bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems. Constipation and diarrhea, abdominal pain, excessive gassiness, nausea and
gastroesophageal reflux are common.
Many fibromyalgia sufferers are distressed by associated mental and emotional problems that
manifest themselves alongside the physical ailments. Anxiety and depression are common. It’s not known whether they are
independent factors, or if they are related to living in constant pain and fatigue and the social stigma of fibromyalgia. People
also complain of confusion, experiencing difficulty thinking clearly and a reduction in ability to perform mental tasks. This overall
mental fogginess has been termed “fibro fog.”
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include headaches, restless leg syndrome, skin sensitivity
and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, Reynaud’s syndrome, and various neurological problems.
Fibromyalgia is an invisible disease. Sufferers look fine on the surface. However, under their outward appearance they are often exhausted and in excruciating pain. Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that is, at its worst, incredibly disabling. The symptoms have to be managed, and even then the
pain and fatigue wax and wane. It’s a difficult disease to live with, but it’s not hopeless. Medical care and lifestyle
management can make a big difference in how you feel if you are suffering from fibromyalgia.
An all-natural incredibly effective way of curing Fibromyalgia is at your fingertips; discover how you too can cure your Fibromyalgia symptoms forever. You can get more information on this downloadable ebook here: Natural Cure To Fibromyalgia
6 Fibromyalgia Pain Relief Strategies
Treating the pain associated with Fibromyalgia can be a difficult task since cures that
help one person might not help you. Here is a list of popular and common pain remedies that should help your symptoms.
1 Entering into a consistent and relaxing exercise routine is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways of dealing with Fibromyalgia.
Not only does exercise help keep you fit and trim, it also helps with blood flow throughout the body. It can also help normalize sleep
patters and reduce the amount of time it takes for your body to recover from injury. Please remember to never start an exercise routine
without consulting a doctor first.
2 A low carb and high protein diet is another popular
way to help relieve Fibromyalgia pain. Not only will eating right help your body overall, by eliminating high amounts of saturated
fat, refined white sugar, caffeine and alcohol, you can eliminate many common symptom triggers. Combine that with a beneficial exercise
routine, and you will be well on your way to a healthier body and less pain.
3 As any
long time sufferer of Fibromyalgia can tell you, nothing feels better than a good heating pad. Pads help with circulation and also
help to loosen up muscles and joints that can ache during severe bouts of Fibro flare-up. There are many different pads you can use,
cordless and the old-fashioned plug-in kinds. There are also chemical heating pads that you can use and even wear under your clothes
during the day. Some of these pads can last up to 8 hours.
4 The use of topical pain
medications is another popular way to deal with Fibromyalgia. But a quick trip to your local drug store reveals an overwhelming choice
in pain relief rubs. The industry standard is, of course, Bengay. But if you’ve tried it and didn’t care for the results, there are
literally a dozen other choices available. And if none of the name brand medications seem to do the trick, there are also a slew of
homeopathic remedies and all-natural creams that many sufferers swear by.
5 Meditation
might not be a cure-all for pain, but it can help relieve a lot of stress that can be a major trigger for Fibromyalgia symptoms. Meditation
is a very personal, and for most a private practice. Most people require a quiet place, maybe some soothing music and the ability
to completely relax. Meditation can also give a big boost to self-confidence by putting practitioners in the mindset that they can
control their Fibromyalgia, and thus their pain, as well.
6 A final helper for pain
is deep tissue massage. By helping to stimulate blood flow in the joints and muscles that are aching, symptoms and pain can be reduced.
This works much the same way as a heating pad, but many Fibromyalgia sufferers swear by the deeper and more complete relief of a massage.
You may need to experiment with this option. Try and find a masseuse who has dealt with fibro patients before, as initially the pain
can stop you continuing with the massage.
Fibromyalgia can be a painful and debilitating ailment. Fortunately, there are many
non-drug methods of dealing with the chronic pain caused by this condition. You may have to try several methods before you find one
that is right for you, but there is hope for everyone with Fibromyalgia.
Simple, All-Natural Treatments For Combating Fibromyalgia
Do you want to join other people who have discovered simple methods
for combating painful, debilitating Fibromyalgia symptoms?
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Here is some of the information that is covered, in her book called 'Natural Cure To Fibromyalgia':
*
First and foremost, the natural Fibromyalgia treatment option that will eliminate your symptoms and have you feeling better in no
time!
* The four biggest risk factors for developing Fibromyalgia - and what this means to you.
* Common prescription drugs that are
used to manage the symptoms of Fibromyalgia – and the effectiveness and side effects of each!
* How a doctor tests for and diagnoses
whether you have fibromyalgia – read this and you’ll know exactly what to expect.
* 6 conditions with similar symptoms to Fibromyalgia
– and how to determine the difference.
* How to properly manage and treat Fibromyalgia – while not life threatening, this condition
can become very debilitating if not managed properly.
* And so much more!
“Natural Cure To Fibromyalgia” contains all the treatment
information, as well as the lifestyle and dietary information, you need to know to soothe your Fibromyalgia symptoms.
* How to reduce
Fibromyalgia symptoms through exercise
* The dramatic positive effect diet can have on Fibromyalgia symptoms
* Why detoxifying your
body can lessen your Fibromyalgia symptoms
* Relaxation techniques that you can use to calm your body and reduce your stress
* How to
limit or reduce your exposure to allergens
* What nutritional supplements, vitamins and herbs to take to reduce your Fibromyalgia symptoms
So, if you are sick and tired of always feeling in pain, and want to discover how to banish your Fibromyalgia symptoms for good, then now is your opportunity to get your copy of this comprehensive e-book.
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Fibromyalgia