Many researchers believe that repeated nerve stimulation causes the brain and spinal cord of people with fibromyalgia to change. This change involves an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain.
More recently, however, studies have linked fibromyalgia with malfunctioning neurotransmitters, neurochemical imbalances and other neuropathic conditions. “Today, it's more widely accepted that fibromyalgia is primarily a neurogenic disease,” says Philippe Berenger, MD, a pain management specialist at Cleveland Clinic.
One of the main theories is that people with fibromyalgia have developed changes in the way the central nervous system processes the pain messages carried around the body. This could be the result of changes to chemicals in the nervous system.
Fibromyalgia tends to run in families, so genetic factors are likely to contribute to the disorder, but little is known for sure about the specific genes involved. Researchers believe that environmental (nongenetic) factors also play a role in a person's risk of developing the disorder.
The symptoms of FM and overlapping chronic pain disorders include chronic pelvic, bowel, and bladder pain, exhaustion, sleep disturbances, mood disturbances, and chronic headaches. These are not symptoms usually attributable to a peripheral neuropathy but rather to centralized pain.
Fibromyalgia was formerly classified as an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease but is now considered to be an illness that primarily affects the central nervous system.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain in muscles and soft tissues all over the body. Researchers think it may be linked to sleep problems, stress, or immune, endocrine, or biochemical problems. Symptoms may also include lack of energy (fatigue), sleep problems, depression, headaches, and other problems.
There's no cure for fibromyalgia, but your healthcare provider will help you find a combination of treatments that relieve your symptoms. Even though experts don't know what causes fibromyalgia, it's real — and so are your symptoms. They might come and go or be hard to describe, but how you feel is valid and important.
Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, including children. However, most people are diagnosed during middle age and you are more likely to have fibromyalgia as you get older. Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. If you have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, but there are plenty of effective treatments, therapies, and lifestyle modifications to ease your pain, boost your energy, and reduce your worst symptoms.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by altered frontal and cerebellar structural covariance brain networks.
If you have fibromyalgia, one of the main symptoms is likely to be widespread pain. This may be felt throughout your body, but could be worse in particular areas, such as your back or neck. The pain is likely to be continuous, although it may be better or more severe at different times.
The condition typically develops between the ages of 25 and 55, but people of any age can get it, including children and older people. It's not clear exactly how many people are affected by fibromyalgia, although research has suggested it could be a relatively common condition.
Other health conditions that cause similar symptoms must be ruled out before a fibromyalgia diagnosis can be made. Medical tests that may be ordered during the diagnostic process include blood and lab tests, imaging studies, and nerve function tests.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes pain throughout the body. Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that covers multiple conditions resulting from peripheral nerve damage.
The pain from fibromyalgia is what typically prompts people to visit a neurologist, and this specialist may prescribe medications to control your pain. Pain Management doctors treats all forms of pain, including that caused by fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is often diagnosed and managed by a rheumatologist, which is an internal medicine doctor who has specialized training in joint and musculoskeletal diseases. Multiple sclerosis is diagnosed and managed by a neurologist, which is a doctor who specializes in treating disorders of the brain and nervous system.
The most helpful treatment approach for fibromyalgia is a combination of self-care, physical activity and cognitive-behavioral therapy. But medication may also be needed. Many drugs prescribed for fibromyalgia work to turn down “pain volume” in the central nervous system (CNS).
Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is still a somewhat controversial diagnosis, because it is not yet fully understood and its symptoms can overlap with many other conditions. Some people even say that it's a “garbage can” diagnosis that's only given when no other one can be made.
Other researchers believe fibromyalgia is caused by a lack of deep sleep. It is during stage 4 sleep that muscles recover from the prior day's activity, and the body refreshes itself. Sleep studies show that as people with fibromyalgia enter stage 4 sleep, they become more aroused and stay in a lighter form of sleep.
Researchers found that fibromyalgia, a condition involving widespread musculoskeletal pain, was more than three times as common in people who were later diagnosed with MS.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.
Fibromyalgia can be associated with ocular symptoms (foreign body sensation, irritation) and visual disturbances (blurred vision), coexisting with dry eye syndrome and reduced corneal sensitivity. Cases of scleritis, including the necrotizing form, accompanying fibromyalgia have been reported.
The study involved 20 patients with Fibromyalgia who received MSCs. The researchers found that MSCs could reduce inflammation and improve the patient's immune system function. These studies suggest that stem cell therapy may be a promising treatment option for Fibromyalgia.