16 Jun Fibromyalgia Questions and Answers
According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 10 million people, mainly women, in the United States alone. This disease can be difficult to diagnose, but is based on a your symptoms, medical history and a thorough physical exam. The hallmark of this disease is pain and stiffness in muscles, extreme fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, tender points and difficulty with completing the tasks of daily life. Mile High Spine & Pain Center is here to help you diagnose your symptoms and to find solutions and answers to your chronic pain without resorting to pharmaceuticals or invasive treatments.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder that is characterized by widespread pain and sensitivity (sometimes to the slightest touch) in the entire musculoskeletal system coupled with extreme fatigue. This chronic disorder affects the muscles and tissues in multiple areas and makes them feel like they have been overworked or pulled even if you haven’t done anything that would have caused that. Some research supports the idea that that Fibromyalgia results from stress-induced changes to your metabolism and healing process, but all agree that finding the specific catalyst for this disorder is difficult.
Causes of Fibromyalgia
The causes of Fibromyalgia are still unknown, yet research has found some links between Fibromyalgia and the following:
- Stressful or traumatic events, such as car accidents
- Repetitive injuries
- Illness
- Certain diseases
- Genetics (that cause increased pain sensitivity and pain memory)
It is important to know that not all patients suffering from Fibromyalgia have any of the conditions listed above. Some cases of Fibromyalgia seem to come on spontaneously. There is still much to learn about this disease.
How Common is Fibromyalgia?
If you suffer from the chronic pain and fatigue Fibromyalgia causes, you are not alone. Fibromyalgia is the most common musculoskeletal condition after osteoarthritis.
Because diagnosing Fibromyalgia can be extremely challenging, it is thought that even more might be suffering from this condition than we think. The wide range of symptoms that characterize this disease can be easily confused with other problems. Fibromyalgia symptoms resemble those of osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. Some experts classify Fibromyalgia as an arthritic disorder, but Fibromyalgia differs in that the pain and stiffness is not localized in one area but widespread and known to change locations randomly.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Patients suffering from Fibromyalgia are not limited to conditions of musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. The following are other common symptoms found in those suffering from Fibromyalgia:
- Trouble sleeping (often from joint pain)
- Joint pain
- Morning stiffness
- Headaches
- Painful menstrual periods
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called “fibro fog”).
- Anxiety
- Depression (often from inability to sleep, exercise, and chronic pain)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
Fibromyalgia Treatment Options in Broomfield
Doctors of chiropractic care, such as Dr. Hettick at Mile High Spine & Pain Center, believe in total body wellness and are trained to treat a variety of complex symptoms. Patients suffering from Fibromyalgia often find success with chiropractic medicine because it combines several different, natural treatment methods that offer you relief while helping to repair your inflammation and pain. Our non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical pain management and services: 1) target muscle pain and trigger points; 2) help with sleep problems and depression; and 3) manage stress and anxiety. A lifetime of dependence on pain medications does not have to be how you deal with Fibromyalgia–there is a better way.
While there is currently no cure for Fibromyalgia, there are treatments available that can help alleviate your symptoms and that can help keep some of the known triggers (fatigue and stress) from creating them:
- Therapeutic Massage Therapy. To manipulate the muscles and soft tissues and relieve deep muscle pain.
- Myofascial Release Therapy. Works on a wider range of muscles to gently stretch, lengthen and realign connective tissue while increasing pliability and decreasing discomfort.
- Trigger Point Therapy. Targets specific areas in your body that are knotted up and releases them alleviating your pain symptoms.
- Cold Laser Therapy. Stimulates your tissues allowing for quicker healing and reduced pain sensations.
- Chiropractic care. Postural and spinal analysis to ensure vertebral functionality. When your spine is aligned and functioning normally, the nervous and immune systems can work properly as well.
- Vibration Exercises. The American Pain Society recommends moderately intense aerobic exercise at least two or three times a week. This low-impact option can work wonders on helping to relieve sore muscles.
- Sleep consult. Ensure that you are getting adequate sleep. Having a regularly scheduled bedtime is important for Fibromyalgia sufferers. Sleep is essential to give the body time to repair itself.
Schedule Your Free Fibromyalgia Consultation
If you have sought help from other doctors and have felt no improvement in your condition, pain or quality of life, visiting our clinic in Broomfield could change your life. At our Broomfield area clinic, we take your Fibromyalgia symptoms and chronic pain seriously. Contact the team at Mile High Spine & Pain Center today. We provide a specialized treatment plan for Fibromyalgia patients. Call us today at (720) 507-0080 to schedule your free consultation!