Series on Fibromyalgia. Part one: What is fibromyalgia?

The first post from my 3 part series on fibromyalgia. Here are some key things to remember about fibromyalgia:

1) Fibromyalgia is generally considered to be a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that all other causes of pain need to be ruled out. It can mimic several other conditions such as Lyme disease, which can be screened with bloodwork.

2) Fibromyalgia is non-articular, meaning it does not primarily cause joint pain. I say primarily because this condition can cause altered body mechanics which can eventually cause wear and tear on the joints leading to joint pain.

3) The physical findings of fibromyalgia are muscle tenderness, and the identification of 11 or more of 17 identified trigger points (painful points which can cause radiating pain somewhere else.) It is important when evaluating a patient to note that these points do not have to be identified simultaneously, but may wax & wane over a protracted period of time.

4) Fibromyalgia sufferers generally have high levels of fatigue, and often complain of poor sleep.

5) Patients with fibromyalgia frequently also suffer from depression, leading some clinicians to believe that it is largely a psychological diagnosis- this belief is furthered by the fact that many patients report an improvement in their pain with the use of some anti-depressant medications. I believe fibromyalgia is a physiological condition, and I will elaborate on my thoughts about this in parts 2 & 3.

6) Fibromyalgics often report a symptom known as 'fibro-fog' where they have difficulty concentrating or focusing on a task or process. This symptom seems to be exacerbated by the painful 'flare ups' in fibromyalgia's pain symptoms.

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Education

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• back pain
• neck pain
• fatigue
• fibromyalgia
• fibromyalgia syndrome
• kirschner
• andrew kirschner
• back together
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[Way2Spirited]

Great video :o) You are very clear and easy to understand, which is very important when educating people. What would you say to a psychologist that claims that FMS is purely a psychological disorder and not a "real disease"? This is what my counselor told me yesterday. I have severe chronic pain from multiple causes,when it came up in our session yesterday that FMS is one of my Diagnoses she flatly said "FMS is a psychological disorder.It is not a real disease." What would you say in response?

[xshorty2dopex]

can't wait to see the next video! this one was great. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 4 months ago.