FIBROMYALGIA: CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS, TRIGGER POINTS, AND MORE

EVERYTHING YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA

HISTORY | TYPES | CAUSES | SYMPTOMS | IN WOMAN | IN MEN | DIAGNOSIS | DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA | FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO AVOID | TRIGGER POINT | PRESSURE POINT | NATURAL TREATMENT | STATISTICS

The History of Fibromyalgia

Throughout the twentieth century, people who complained of having chronic pain all over their bodies were diagnosed as having fibrositis (an inflammatory disease of the muscles).

However, in the 1970s a group of researchers came to believe that chronic muscle pain, tender points, and sleep abnormalities are all linked together. Then in 1976 fibrositis was renamed fibromyalgia in hopes of better defining this group of symptoms.

Etymology Of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia comes from:

Fibro is Latin and refers to the connective tissues (i.e. ligaments, tendons) in the human body.

Myo is Greek for muscles

Algeria is Greek for pain.

Together these words describe fibromyalgia’s main symptoms:

• Muscle pain
• Tendon pain
• Ligament pain

While this name is relatively new, the condition has been around for quite some time. Probably, Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) and Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833–1896) both had fibromyalgia.

Types Of Fibromyalgia

There are essentially 2 types of fibromyalgia:

Primary Fibromyalgia: There doesn’t seem to be any solid evidence as to what causes fibromyalgia of this type but many factors are thought to play a role here.

Secondary Fibromyalgia: This type of fibromyalgia mainly affects men. So, what causes fibromyalgia? It is usually caused by a primary disorder (i.e. repetitive stress, strenuous labor, Lyme disease, endometriosis, surgery).

Fibromyalgia Causes

Here are some of the fibromyalgia causes that they have come up with this far.

• Stress

Studies have shown that a lot of people who suffer from fibromyalgia pain usually have a lower level of cortisol. This is the stress hormone that helps your body and mind cope with stressful situations. Of course, stress also leads to anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness, which are other symptoms of fibromyalgia.

• Depression

Depression can be another fibromyalgia cause, especially if the depression lasts for a long time. However, there are a lot of other times when depression will set in after a patient is diagnosed with this syndrome.

• Sleepless Nights

Many patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are unable to fall into a deep sleep. This is unfortunate because your body requires this sleep to repair its muscles and become energized for the next day. However, whenever the body cannot do this it will become fatigued and sore.

This process is dependent upon your body having enough melatonin to help it relax at the end of the day. Melatonin is created in your brain by serotonin. If you have fibromyalgia, more than likely you don’t have enough serotonin or melatonin.

• High Levels of Toxins

Another answer to the question of what is fibromyalgia and what causes it is that most patients have a high level of toxins in their muscle tissue. These toxins come from the food and drink that is consumed. The most harmful one is lactic acid, which comes from milk. Meat can also become toxic within the human body and if these toxins aren’t removed they can aggravate the muscle tissues.

• Nutritional Deficiencies

Other fibromyalgia causes include not having enough vital nutrients in your body. This is especially true if you are deficient in calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin — nutrients that work together to keep your muscles healthy, enable you to sleep at night, decrease your stress level and thus make it less likely for you to develop depression. Now you can see why it is so important to make sure that your body is properly nourished: It will help keep you from developing fibromyalgia, to begin with.

• Serotonin Abnormalities

You have probably already noticed that serotonin plays a big role in fibromyalgia causes. However, what exactly is serotonin? It is a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep and cognitive functioning (i.e. mood, concentration, pain levels). A lot of medical professionals feel that this is the cause of fibromyalgia. This is why a lot of patients who suffer from fibromyalgia are oftentimes prescribed “Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors,” which are meant to properly regulate your body’s neurotransmitters.

• Dopamine Dysfunction

A lot of medical professionals also blame a dysfunction in dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter, for the development of fibromyalgia. This chemical is known to assist in a lot of the brain’s most basic functions. For instance, it helps you to focus on what you are doing, helps you move the different parts of your body, helps you to be coordinated, and also assists with your fine motor skills.

There are a lot of people who suffer from fibromyalgia that have tested positive whenever it comes to being low in dopamine. Having low levels of this neurotransmitter oftentimes results in things such as body tremors, stiffness, muscular pain throughout your entire body; cognitive impairment, which is oftentimes simply referred to as “fibro fog;” and difficulty with moving.

All Fibromyalgia Symptoms List: Understanding The Warning Signs and Symptoms

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, meaning that it is a cluster of problems, which is why you will want to have an all fibromyalgia symptoms list. On this list, you will find a cluster of problems but it is still important to understand that these symptoms vary widely from person to person. It is also important to note that while between 5 and 10% of the population has fibromyalgia, most of them are women. Some of the most prevalent fibromyalgia symptoms that these patients complain of are pain throughout their body and issues with sleep that causes them to become very fatigued.

• Fibromyalgia Pain

Intense pain is fibromyalgia’s most distinguishing characteristic. The medical community usually describes this chronic pain as generalized musculoskeletal aches, pains, and stiffness. To be diagnosed as true fibromyalgia, it must be present in all 4 quadrants of your body for at least 3 months. It also has to be painful whenever someone applies pressure to 11 of the 18 known trigger points.

While the medical community describes the discomfort or pain of fibromyalgia in this way, patients will often tell you that this chronic pain condition leaves them barely able to move. This is because the pain is constantly there all of the time. Unfortunately, it is really difficult to describe this pain unless you have to live with it daily. One thing is for sure though and that is the fact that this pain will wax and wane in intensity. This means that you will have some good days and some bad or disabling days. Sometimes this is due to the weather, at other times it can be because you haven’t slept well, have been either too active or too inactive, or simply that you are stressed or have another type of hormonal change within your body.

• Chronic Fatigue

Another common fibromyalgia symptom is fatigue. This is because of disruption in stage 4 sleep. Usually, during this time the brain in fibromyalgia patients will have bursts of awake-like activity so they don’t get enough uninterrupted sleep to be able to awaken properly rested. Most of these patients also suffer from sleep apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep), limb movement, and jerking or restless leg syndrome, which further adds to their fatigue.

• Syndrome

Some of the other things on your list of symptoms for fibromyalgia may be considered milder symptoms but they are still an important part of your all fibromyalgia symptoms list. These symptoms include:

Anxiety and depression are common because of the constant pain and fatigue patients must live in.

Confusion and difficulty in thinking make it more difficult to perform mental tasks. This is commonly referred to as “fibro fog.”

• Headaches
• Restless leg syndrome
• Skin sensitivity and rashes
• Dry eyes and mouth

A Final Word About Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

Since fibromyalgia is an invisible disease, an all fibromyalgia symptoms list will prove quite helpful. This is because while you may look fine on the surface, underneath you are probably exhausted and in a lot of pain. For this reason, some people just don’t understand how disabling this disease is whenever it is left unmanaged. Even when it is properly managed, fibromyalgia symptoms can still be difficult to live with.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms In Women: Affecting Mainly Women Around The World

A lot of times fibromyalgia symptoms in women will be mistaken for menopause. However, the symptoms of fibromyalgia are quite clear and include muscle stiffness and soreness; tenderness around your knees, elbows, hips, and joints; and pain and numbness in your hands or feet. Fibromyalgia is a disease that affects your joints and soft tissues and causes fatigue. Since this syndrome affects mainly women, doctors believe that it is related to menopause.

Curing Fibromyalgia

Unfortunately, there is no way of curing fibromyalgia symptoms in women today. Instead, there are just some different types of treatments that are aimed at helping to ease the various symptoms of this syndrome. These treatments vary depending upon your symptoms but usually include:

• Exercises that are specific to the areas that are affected
• Pain-relieving medication
• Muscle relaxants
• Massage therapy
• Heat therapy
• Hydrotherapy (A therapy that involves doing certain movements in the water to help with your circulation without placing pressure on your joints.)

According to a 2015 study some people find mental fogginess’ from fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms In Men: Men Can Have Fibromyalgia Too

While fibromyalgia predominantly afflicts women, it is important to understand that fibromyalgia symptoms in men are also possible. However, most incidences of this syndrome do occur within women, which is why it has erroneously been labeled as a “woman’s disease.” This has also led a lot of people to ignore the fact that it can equally affect men. Recent medical studies have shown this and the fact that men are oftentimes overlooked, so there may be a lot more men who are suffering from the symptoms of fibromyalgia than previously believed.

Why Men Are Oftentimes Misdiagnosed

There are various reasons why a lot of men suffering from fibromyalgia go undiagnosed. One of the main causes is believed to be that doctors have different conceptions and beliefs about men. Of course, there is also the theory that fibromyalgia is a “woman’s disease” and thus whenever fibromyalgia symptoms in men occur, they simply go improperly diagnosed. With these things in mind, it is clear that doctors need to become more receptive to the idea that fibromyalgia symptoms can and do occur in both men and women alike.

Another reason why fibromyalgia symptoms in men oftentimes go inaccurately diagnosed is that men simply deny or underestimate just how serious the symptoms they are experiencing are. Even when male symptoms are intense, men will not seek timely medical diagnosis and tests, thus placing their health in jeopardy.

What Is Known About Fibromyalgia In Men

Just like women, men can develop fibromyalgia early on in life. The highest incidence of fibromyalgia in men occurs between the ages of 20 and 45-years-old. For some reason, it is a lot less likely for fibromyalgia to occur in people who are over 45-years-old regardless of their gender.

According to a 2018 survey fibromyalgia badly affect a person’s mental physical health their quality of life career and relationships.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosis — Getting Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia Properly Diagnosed

Fibromyalgia is difficult to understand and thus receiving a fibromyalgia diagnosis is difficult as well. Here is what you should be on the lookout for whenever you are seeking a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Tender Points

To receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis you will have had to have pain for at least 3 months. This is an aching pain, similar to what you would expect from tired muscles. The fibromyalgia pain needs to be present throughout your entire body but some specific places will be tender to your touch. These include your:

• Knees
• Hips
• Collarbone
• Biceps
• Nape of your neck
• Top of your back
• Shoulders
• Between your shoulder blades
• Elbows
• Top of your buttocks
• In your spine directly above your butt

You may find that all or just some of these points on your body are tender. It is also very common for these tender points to be present on just one side of your body.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Criteria: Do You Have Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

There are no single fibromyalgia diagnosis criteria that are used for diagnosing this syndrome. Instead, most patients will go through several blood tests and x-rays, all of which come back normal before receiving their diagnosis of fibromyalgia. As such, these tests are only useful in helping to rule out other conditions (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis) because they cannot be used to confirm the fact that you have fibromyalgia syndrome. 2016 Revisions to the fibromyalgia Diagnoses criteria.

Fibromyalgia Diet — What Foods and Drinks Are The Best For Fibromyalgia Sufferers

A good fibromyalgia diet should be well balanced and full of foods that are high in nutrition. These are whole foods that are not processed. With this being said, here are some of the things that your diet should include, as well as some foods that you will want to make sure to avoid.

• Eating Plenty Of Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of “phytochemicals,” which can help reduce pain levels. So, you can eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want while on the fibromyalgia diet. Some people have found that juicing is a great part of their fibromyalgia diet plan.

• Getting Plenty Of Vitamin D

Research has shown that Vitamin D deficiency can lead to both muscle and bone pain. So, it should come as no surprise that a good fibromyalgia diet will contain a lot of Vitamin D, which can be found in:

Fish: Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna, Sardines, and Shrimp

Skim and 1% low-fat milk

• Milk products: Fortified low-fat yogurts and Swiss cheese

Cod liver oil

Shittake mushrooms

Fortified cereals

Egg yolks

• Include Plenty Of Dairies

Dairy products are also good because they contain a lot of calcium. However, studies show that your body will not readily consume this calcium without enough Vitamin D is present. Furthermore, dairy is high in acid that is neutralized with calcium, which means that your body will draw calcium out of your bones to keep your bloodstream from becoming too acidic. Essentially this means that if you don’t have enough Vitamin D you will be losing more calcium than you can absorb.

Studies have shown that people who suffer from fibromyalgia syndrome have a high level of lactic acid in their muscle tissues. This is probably because their muscle tissues aren’t getting enough oxygen.

Fibromyalgia Diet Foods To Avoid: Don’t Eat These Foods!

There are some foods that you should not include in your fibromyalgia diet. The following list of foods should not surprise you though:

• Aspartame (a.k.a. Nutra Sweet) stimulates pain receptors in what is an already overly active nervous system,
• Nitrates, which are usually used in preservatives and as an MSG flavor enhancer.
• Yeast is believed to encourage the overgrowth of yeast in your body, which will cause or enhance joint and muscle pain.
• Gluten Whenever it is removed from your diet, you will not be as tired.
• Soda
• Caffeine and chocolate because can interfere with your sleep. Even if you need some to help you wake up in the morning, you should not have any 12 hours before bedtime.
• Alcohol can disrupt your sleep causing you to be fatigued throughout the day.
• Salt
• Fried food

Fast food contains a lot of artificial ingredients that are toxic to your body and can aggravate the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

• Red meat, especially when it is cured or smoked
• Foods that have a lot of acid in them
• Nightshade plants (i.e. tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes)

You may also find some other foods that will negatively affect your fibromyalgia symptoms. When you do, you will want to stop eating these foods as well. Also, while on a fibromyalgia diet you will want to pay close to the labels on the food you buy so that you are certain to avoid any foods that may be bad for you.

Fibromyalgia Trigger Points

There are fibromyalgia top 10 common trigger points that you should know about. These are what doctors use to describe the areas on your body where the most intense pain is located.

What Trigger Points Are

Trigger points are the places where whenever pressure is placed upon them pain is caused in other areas of your body. This is a common term used within fibromyalgia. Herein there are 18 different fibromyalgia trigger points on your body that are sensitive to the slightest amount of pressure. These are quite controversial because they are so difficult to locate even though those who suffer from this syndrome find them easy to identify because of the pain that they cause. One theory behind this pain is that the muscle tissue in this area has too much oxidation but not enough oxygen. For this reason, most medical professionals recommend taking anti-oxidants.

Treating Trigger Points With Mangosteen

While there are some differing opinions out there, some do believe that you can reduce the pain in your fibromyalgia top 10 common trigger points by taking nutritional supplements and making adjustments to your diet. As was mentioned earlier, anti-oxidants are usually recommended as a treatment for fibromyalgia tender points. It is believed that these naturally occurring compounds will reverse or prevent oxidation’s effects. This oxidation is a natural part of aging but it happens too soon and too fast whenever diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

There are a lot of powerful anti-oxidants (xanthones) found in mangosteen, which is a fruit. This fruit has been the subject of over 1,000 studies. These studies have suggested that fibromyalgia patients should include mangosteen in their diet. You can purchase it as either a juice or a puree.

Manipulating Fibromyalgia Trigger Points

Acupuncture and massage therapy are also suggested as forms of tender point therapy. Trigger-point injections are also suggested. These injections don’t have any side effects but are meant to promote healing. However, you shouldn’t think of them as a type of “cure” since the myofascial trigger points will recur if you don’t follow through with your treatment program. This will usually include a special diet, nutrition supplements, and a specially designed regular exercise program.

Fibromyalgia Pressure Points: All 18 Of Them

Until recently nobody knew that fibromyalgia pressure points could be used to determine whether or not a person had this syndrome. Of course, it is important to know how long these points have been painful. It is also important to have at least 11 of the 18 fibromyalgia pressure points. Nevertheless, this type of diagnosis is still important.

Understanding How Many Pressure Points There Are

Within the past couple of years, there have been some medical professionals that have diagnosed people with having fibromyalgia even though they do not have 11 or more of the fibromyalgia trigger points. This is because of the other symptoms (i.e. sleep difficulties, irritable bowel syndrome) that are also involved with this syndrome. Nevertheless, most medical professionals will still require that you have at least 11 tender points that are responsive before they will make a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Using Pressure Points To Form A Diagnosis

The specific fibromyalgia pressure points that are used in diagnosing this syndrome include are situated between your knees and throat and into the elbow region. Medical research has shown that there are more than 75 pressure points located on the human body. These are responsive to pressure in that they will cause the person to have pain or severe discomfort. A lot of these tender points are not being used yet though.

Where The Pressure Points Are Located

Normal people don’t have any issues whenever you press on these areas of their body even though they will feel a little bit of pressure. However, people with fibromyalgia will find this type of pressure to be extremely painful. With this in mind, the pressure points to diagnose fibromyalgia are located in the following areas:

• On the front and back of your neck
• In your shoulders
• Between your shoulder blades
• Your second rib
• Between your ribs
• In your elbows
• On your knees (the middle of your knee joint)
• On your buttocks
• Your upper thighs

While these are the approximate locations of these pressure points, only a medical professional knows precisely where these trigger points are located. This is why it is so difficult to self-diagnose this syndrome. There are also other questions that your medical professional should be asking in regards to these body pressure points as well. All of this will help them to give you a good diagnosis.

What Causes Trigger Points To Form

Some of the possible reasons why fibromyalgia trigger points include:

Myogelosis: The result of inadequate treatment of fibroconnective tissue.

• The requirement of more blood in these areas.
• They could be the result of peripheral nerve pain.

Fibromyalgia Natural Treatment: Doing It Nature’s Way

Fibromyalgia natural treatment is a good way to combat the numerous symptoms that are a part of this syndrome. This chronic illness can affect any area of your body but usually is found within your shoulders, neck, pelvis, and hands. Today a lot more people are turning to natural remedies to avoid the serious side effects and addictive nature of a lot of the more conventional medications. Natural care for fibromyalgia doesn’t include the use of any of these medications.

Good Sleep Hygiene Sleep disturbances are common, which is why this is one of the natural remedies you should seek. Natural treatment for sleep problems includes going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. It is important to make sure that the area that you are sleeping in is free from any distractions and kept at a temperature that is comfortable for you. Furthermore, it is important to avoid caffeine unless you drink it first thing in the morning. Otherwise, you will not be able to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you are able, you should try to do some light exercise throughout the day (yoga is one of the exercises that comes highly recommended for the treatment of fibromyalgia). Before bed, you should do some relaxation exercises. If you find that none of these natural treatments work to enable you to sleep better, then you may need to try sleep medications but beware of anything that is addictive, which is oftentimes the case with this type of medication.

Emotional Support

Emotional support from your friends and family is a very effective type of fibromyalgia natural treatment. Since a chronic illness can pose some serious challenges within a person’s life (on a physical, psychological, and emotional level) it is important to open lines of communication and establish a support system of family and friends. This type of fibromyalgia support will have a positive effect on you.

Fibromyalgia Statistics

About 4 million US adults or about 2% of the population have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia

Approximately 1 in 50 Americans or between 3 to 6 million people have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia according to the American College of Rheumatology.

According to 2017 statistics, 54.5 million adults suffer from arthritis — equating to about 25% of the population. Common types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, and fibromyalgia.

What role does education play in fibromyalgia?

Women who have attained a higher level of education are better equipped to attain a higher quality of life. Therefore, most of these women tend to suffer from less pain and fatigue when they develop fibromyalgia. For this reason, researchers have come to believe that education plays a bigger impact on fibromyalgia than ethnic identity or genetics. This is something that will need to be studied further in the future, especially in those countries that have high immigration rates and much more multicultural diversity (i.e. the United States and Canada).