What is Fibromyalgia? Living with fibromyalgia is tough. It invades all parts of your body and affects your quality of life. The major symptom is pain,
A list of common fibromyalgia symptoms and uncommon fibromyalgia symptoms. Includes a free symptom tracking checklist and resource explaining cause of fibro symptoms.
"It affects everything."
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are found in so many other illnesses. That's why diagnosis is problematic. Here are 14 reasons why it may NOT be Fibromyalgia... Fibromyalgia has many, varied and fluctuating symptoms. It should be considered when a patient describes a history of widespread pain, with no evident cause, that lasts three months or more. As well as this chronic musculoskeletal pain, whichaffects the bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves and tendons they have fatigue and sleep problems and stiffness. These symptoms are usually accompanied by a number of other conditions such as sensitivity to chemicals, irritable bowel or restless legs and depression or anxiety. The symptoms can often start, or worsen, during a period of severe psychosocial or physical stress. Fibromyalgia presents a unique medical problem: Its symptoms are so common, that it is both underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. Because there are no blood tests or scans to easily diagnose it, many physicians have trouble detecting the disorder. It can NOT be easily confirmed or ruled out with a simple blood test. It can't be seen on an X-ray or MRI. Instead, fibromyalgia appears to be linked to changes in how the brain and spinal cord process pain signals. Because there is no test for fibromyalgia, your doctor must rely solely on your group of symptoms to make a diagnosis and rule out other conditions. The key symptoms of fibromyalgia are also commonly found in many other illnesses, and a thorough examination and investigation needs to be undertaken in order to ensure there is not another pathological cause for the symptoms – particularly if there are any ‘red flags’ in the patient’s history suggestive of another serious pathology (Table 1). Table 1. Red flags Older age at new symptom onset Weight loss Night pain Focal pain Fever or sweats Neurological features History of malignancy Doctors need to rule out: arthritis lupus multiple sclerosis chronic fatigue syndrome polymyalgia rheumatica hypothyroidism depression polymyositis hyperparathyroidism adrenal insufficiency myasthenia gravis cushing’s syndrome sjogren's syndrome Infection: chronic viral infection, HIV, hepatitis, Lyme disease So if a doctor asks you about your mood, or skin rashes, or sends you for a blood test of your antibodies or an MRI they are just doing their job. They are ruling out these 14 conditions which have similar symptoms to Fibromyalgia. It is important to do so because these 14 conditions have specific treatments. Symptoms NOT usually found in Fibromyalgia include: arthritis: swelling and redness, loss of motion in joints lupus: butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, anemia, abnormal blood clotting multiple sclerosis: brain lesions on an MRI chronic fatigue syndrome: profound fatigue that is more intense than pain, sore thoat polymyalgia rheumatica: average age of onset is 70, elevated levels of inflammatory proteins in blood. hypothyroidism: thyroid autoantibodies are common depression: polymyositis: muscle weakness in proximal muscles: upper arms, thighs. hyperparathyroidism: presence of hypercalcemia adrenal insufficiency: severe exhaustion, not typically associated with chronic widespread pain. myasthenia gravis: neurologic signs characteristic of specific disease. cushing’s syndrome: characteristic facial and skin signs of Cushing’s syndrome sjogren's syndrome: dry eyes and dry mouth, presence of anti bodies specific to Sjogren's Infection: chronic viral infection, HIV, hepatitis, Lyme disease Getting a Diagnosis I suggest that you keep a diary of your symptoms. This should make it easier to talk to your doctor or specialist. Especially if you have memory problems, writing things down will provide the doctor with the information that they need to make a correct diagnosis. When you go to a consultation go with: a list of questions a list of current medications a brief medical history including your parents main conditions a list of your symptoms When writing the list of your symptoms try and remember what were your first symptoms and what year they started and then the next symptoms and the year etc. as many doctors ask these questions. More clues for fibromyalgia diagnosis (from MayoClinic) People who have fibromyalgia also often wake up tired, even after they've slept continuously for more than eight hours. Brief periods of physical or mental exertion may leave them exhausted. They may also have problems with short-term memory and the ability to concentrate. If you have these problems, your doctor may ask you to rank how severely they affect your day-to-day activities. Fibromyalgia often coexists with other health problems, so your doctor may also ask if you experience: Irritable bowel syndrome Headaches Jaw pain Anxiety or depression Frequent or painful urination Remember that all ongoing pain should be evaluated. I am saying this because after a while of not getting a diagnosis you may start to question whether the pain is all in your head. Lee Good has 20+ years of experience helping people with chronic illness to understand research information and is recognized as a leader in patient advocacy. She is the WEGO winner, 2018/19 for building the best patient community around Fibromyalgia and editor at Fibro Blogger Directory, which is a community of fibromyalgia bloggers. RESOURCES: Fibromyalgia: Understand the diagnosis process MayoClinic Diagnostic challenges: Australian Family Physician Musculoskeletal Pain: Cleveland Clinic
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A list of common fibromyalgia symptoms and uncommon fibromyalgia symptoms. Includes a free symptom tracking checklist and resource explaining cause of fibro symptoms.
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"Fibro doesn’t care if you have things to do that day; if it is a bad pain day, it is a bad pain day.”
Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness and a well-recognized disease that affects around 3 to 5 percent of the population of the whole world. The symptoms of this illness are severe muscle and body pain, poor sleep quality, trouble concentrating on things.
The answer might surprise you! The name does not fit the illness and fibromyaliga is NOT solely a pain symptom. We'll bust some myths for you.
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If you're living with fibromyalgia, you know that every day is a new challenge. On the outside, you may look healthy and as if you're living well. But in reality, you might be suffering from severe pain, chronic fatigue, and emotional anguish. There's so much to think about – from managing your symptoms to finding ways to cope to simply getting through the day. I've put together this list of 12 essential tips for living with fibromyalgia. I hope these tips will help make your life a little bit e
What is Fibromyalgia? Living with fibromyalgia is tough. It invades all parts of your body and affects your quality of life. The major symptom is pain,
Research tells us that 50 percent of people with fibromyalgia report pain in their feet. Here I will discuss some of the reasons, what can be done about them and share my own personal story with fibro and feet problems. Fibromyalgia is a long term pain disorder. This means that you live with pain each and everyday and it can be in any part of our body. Today I am talking about the feet. The foot has three areas; the ankle, the middle and the toes. They have many muscles, nerves and joints... actually there are 26 bones and 33 joints in each foot. The feet bear the weight of our body, so it’s not surprising that we get pain in this area. As well as pain in the feet pain can be referred to our ankles, knees, hips and back from problems in the feet. If your foot pain is persistent, your doctor can help determine the best treatment. The feet are complex as can be seen in this illustration of the muscles. There are many conditions that cause foot pain. These conditions may not be caused by fibromyalgia but fibro is what amplifies the pain. Osteoarthritis may cause episodes of pain and swelling in one or multiple joints. It can also cause bone enlargement and changes in the shape of feet, which may also cause pain. Between 10-15% of people with osteoarthritis also have fibromyalgia. Treatment includes: Anti-inflammatory drugs. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Wearing pads or arch supports. A steroid injection into the foot. Using canes or braces to support the joints. Using an orthotic in the shoes. Physical therapy. Wearing custom shoes. Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the heel. It is an inflammation of the band of connective tissue on the surface of the foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. Usually, it hurts the worst in the morning when first getting out of bed. You feel it in your heel or the arch of your foot. Treatment includes: Resting your foot. Specific heel and foot muscle stretches. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Wearing shoes with both an arch support and a cushioned heel. Heel spurs are a growth of bone on the bottom of your heel. You can be caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes or from postural problems or from running. They hurt when you walk, run or stand. They are more common in people with flat feet or high arches. Treatment includes: Resting your foot. Wearing a horseshoe shaped pad. Using an orthotic in the shoe. Wearing shoes with shock-absorbing soles. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Trying physical therapy. Morton's neuroma causes a thickening around the nerves between the base of the toes (usually between the third and fourth toes). You may` feel pain, or numbness on the ball of your foot. It can be a result of wearing high heels or tight shoes. Treatment includes: Wearing shoe inserts to reduce pressure on the nerve. A steroid injection into the foot. Taking pain relievers. Don’t wear high-heeled shoes or ones with a narrow toe box. Avoid activities that put pressure on the neuroma. Ask your doctor about surgery. Sesamoiditis is the inflammation of tendons near the big toe. It’s a form of tendinitis, common with runners and ballet dancers. Treatment includes: Resting your feet. Icing where it hurts. Wearing a pad under the toe. Taping the toe to immobilize the joint. Wearing low-heeled shoes. Asking your doctor about steroid injections. Flat feet, happen when the arches of the feet flatten. It can cause foot pain. Treatment includes: wearing shoe inserts shoe adjustments resting Neuropathy is nerve damage in the feet. The pain can be burning, stinging, or feel like electricity. It can happen anywhere in the feet. Treatment includes: Pain relievers. Anti-seizure medications. Topical treatments. Specific Antidepressants that may block the nerve pain. Tendinitis is inflammation and irritation of the tendons, the bands attaching the muscles to the bones. Treatment includes: Resting your foot. Taking pain relievers. Steroid injections. My own personal story with fibro and feet problems. I have a history of fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy. I was a ballet dancer for many years so I am no stranger to foot pain. Also I have always had a large bone on the heel of both feet which I recently found out is called Haglund's deformity. It has never really caused me a problem until recently except for finding shoes that were soft at the back. Switch to lower heels About seven years ago I decided I would never wear heeled shoes again. I wore them very rarely but the last two times I did they caused so much pain and I went over on my right heel both times. I had difficulty just walking in normal shoes but having so much pain, from fibro, in the legs and hips and feet it is hard to work out where the problem is originating from. My foot pain did not improve. I started to focus on my feet more. I have found thick rubber soled shoes very helpful. I prefer lace up walking shoes for the best comfort. I was never a person who even wore shoes around the house so this is a big, and beneficial, change for me. I also researched and bought support socks which really do give a feeling of extra support. Also wearing supportive socks is very soothing and does seem to reduce the tingling. The ones I really like are Thorlos Unisex Walking Thick Padded Crew Sock or any sock that is padded in the foot. I find they really give more support and less pressure on the foot. My peripheral neuropathy became unbearable, as besides being in the feet and legs, hands and arms it was in my face. The doctor at the pain clinic suggested a small anti-depressant dose which worked brilliantly to block the sensations. Once these tingling pain sensations were blocked I could feel other pains in my feet when I walked or stood too much. The pain on walking increased and I did develop plantar fasciitis in one foot. I did the prescribed exercises and stretches and after a while the pain subsided. I then developed pain in the achilles area and the heel. I also realised that the bone that protudes at the back of my heel, (haglund's deformity) was causing a pulling sensation and also aching a lot of the time. See the doctor. If you are like me it is difficult to work out what is wrong with your own feet and you really need an expert to navigate through all the pain and limping. I am still awaiting my appointment with the specialist and will update this when I find out the official diagnosis. How I keep moving. What I have learnt is it is important to keep my joints moving. However I needed to try different types of exercise because of the painful feet. I am exercising in water. The buoyancy of the water takes the pressure off my ankles and feet and I can move more freely than I can on land. I can also get my heart rate up, for a short while, so this may help with weight loss. Support shoes I went to the Athletes Foot shoe store where they assess your walk and they said my right foot was pronating which means it needs an arch support. I purchased the shoes they suggested and I can feel that they support my feet much better but I still have foot pain. I also purchased the shoe inserts they suggested which I can put in my other shoes. These orthotics have a slight arch and extra heel support. So my suggestions for reducing foot pain include: Switch to lower heels. Lose weight if you need to. Exercise in water. Wear support socks. Wear support shoes designed for your foot. Wear orthotics. See a foot doctor: a podiatrist or an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon. So you can see that feet problems can be ongoing and complex. I have learnt a lot but am still awaiting professional help. Do you have a foot problem that I have not mentioned here? I would love to hear about it. RESOURCES: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) U.S. National Library of Medicine. WebMD Arthritis Australia
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"I thought it was completely normal to feel the way I did."
A list of common fibromyalgia symptoms and uncommon fibromyalgia symptoms. Includes a free symptom tracking checklist and resource explaining cause of fibro symptoms.
What is Fibromyalgia? Living with fibromyalgia is tough. It invades all parts of your body and affects your quality of life. The major symptom is pain,
