From
Lubbock Online:
Imagine being in pain most of the time, over most of your body. You go to your doctor, who gives you medicine that doesn't help. You go back to your doctor several times, but the pain never gets better. You begin to feel discouraged, you stop going to the doctor and you start to live with the pain.
"That is the picture of unrecognized fibromyalgia," said Dr. Anne C. Epstein, an internal medicine specialist who has a special interest in fibromyalgia.
Four percent of the population has fibromyalgia, said Dr. Naga Bushan, a rheumatologist. It is more common among women, he said.
Fibromyalgia, as Epstein explained, is a condition in which a person is in pain nearly all the time, and the pain is all over the body. But, she said, it's not a normal pain. It doesn't get better or worse with exercise.
Epstein said there is nothing wrong with the parts of the body that hurt. Instead the disorder is in the chemical messages that the nerves use to send pain sensation to the brain.
It is unclear what causes fibromyalgia, but there are a number of causes that seem to trigger it, Epstein said. Injury, such as from an automobile accident, or stress can bring on fibromyalgia, she said.
But pain isn't the only aspect of fibromyalgia, both doctors said.
Chronic headaches, memory problems, tingling in hands and feet, irritable bowel syndrome and depression may accompany the pain in people with fibromyalgia, Bushan said.
Fibromyalgia is a treatable condition.
Pain unrelated to the fibromyalgia, such as localized pain and muscle and joint pains, must be managed in someone with fibromyalgia. Fatigue must be managed as well.
Several medications have been shown to help people with fibromyalgia, she said. Some antidepressants, anticonvulsants and a new medication, pregabalin (Lyrica) , have been shown to help people with fibromyalgia.
In addition to medication, Epstein said a regular sleep, eating and exercise program can help. Even gentle physical therapy can be beneficial for someone with fibromyalgia, she said.
Bushan said education about available medications and their side effects is a very important part of treatment. He also said a psychologist can help someone with fibromyalgia learn to cope with the condition, as well as help the person to learn relaxation techniques.