Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disease, the cause of which is unknown, characterized by widespread pain and tender points in certain parts of the body. It is a disease that we can call the disease of our modern age, which does not cause restriction of movement or deformity in the joints, but impairs the person's quality of life.
Back, shoulder and arm pain, and a feeling of stiffness and stiffness when you wake up in the morning are the most typical complaints. Morning stiffness, sleep disturbance, pain in the whole body, fatigue and numbness in various parts of the body are the most common symptoms. Fibromyalgia is 9 times more common in women than in men. Although it often begins in middle age, it can also be seen between the ages of 10-55. Soft tissue pain is felt throughout the body, especially in the waist, neck, arms, legs, hands, feet and knees.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
In Fibromyalgia syndrome. The signs and symptoms that make up the clinical picture are very diverse. The main signs and symptoms are chronic widespread pain, stiffness, fatigue, sensitive and painful points and sleep disturbance.
Widespread Pain and Stiffness (feeling stiff): It is chronic, widespread and bilateral. It is often seen on the waist, neck, shoulders and hips. It is flammable, gnawing, and invasive, and its complete disappearance is rare. It changes throughout the day. It increases with cold, stress, fatigue, humid weather, insomnia, anxiety, car travel, family problems, environmental and workplace conditions, and physical and emotional trauma; It decreases with hot baths, warm and dry air, holidays, restful sleep and exercise.
Fatigue: The patient gets out of bed feeling tired and stiff in the morning. Fatigue lasts all day long, is serious, and even simple activities increase fatigue. Patients have difficulty doing their daily tasks.
Sleep Disorders: Patients generally complain of insomnia, light sleep and not being able to rest during sleep. Waking up 45 minutes after falling asleep and not feeling sleepy, constantly interrupted sleep, in short, poor quality sleep is one of the most daunting aspects of this disease.
Headache: Tension and migraine type headaches are very common.
Feeling of swelling: The patient feels swelling in his joints. However, when examined, No symptoms are observed.
Raynaud's Phenomenon: In the cold, patients experience bruising and whitening in their hands.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Abdominal pain. Constipation or diarrhea may occur along with bloating and excessive gas.
Irritable Bladder Syndrome: Although patients do not have a urinary infection, they complain of complaints such as frequent urination, burning during urination, and pain in the lower abdomen. It is common.
Dry Mouth: It is not related to the use of any medication.
Anxiety and Depression: Anxiety has been reported at a rate of 50-70% and depression at a rate of 30%.
What are the causes of fibromyalgia?
What causes fibromyalgia is a mystery. However, as a result of long research, it has been understood that some factors trigger the disease. We can list these factors as follows:
Infections: Various previous infectious diseases can trigger fibromyalgia or worsen the symptoms.
Genetic factors : Fibromyalgia is often more common among family members. Researchers think that some genetic disruptions (mutations) may play a role in the development of fibromyalgia. However, the genes related to the disease have not yet been identified.
Trauma: Fibromyalgia may occur in people who have experienced physical or emotional trauma. The disorder has been associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Stress: A stressor, such as physical or emotional trauma, can lead to long-term effects on the body that last for months or years. In addition, today's city life should be seen as a great source of stress and anxiety. Stress has been found to be associated with hormonal disorders that may contribute to fibromyalgia.
Personality structure: It is more common in individuals with a sensitive structure, perfectionist and easily affected by events.
The factors that cause people to experience chronic widespread pain in fibromyalgia syndrome are still not fully understood. Some theories suggest that depending on various factors, the brain lowers its pain threshold and that something that was not painful before can become very painful over time. He states that it has become painful. According to another theory, nerves and receptors in the body become more sensitive to stimuli. This means that individuals may overreact to pain signals and feel unnecessary or exaggerated pain.
Although the causes are not clear, fibromyalgia may be the result of stress, physical trauma, or an unrelated systemic illness such as the flu. Overreaction of the brain and nervous system by misinterpreting normal pain signals may be caused by an imbalance in a chemical substance in the brain.
What are the risk factors for fibromyalgia?
Women : Fibromyalgia is approximately twice as common in women as in men.
Traumas: Events that can lead to trauma, such as a car accident, pose a risk for the disease because they are both physical and psychological stressors. .
Recurrent disabilities and injuries: Repetitive injuries to the same area or joint may increase the risk.
Having a family history of fibromyalgia : Since the disease has a genetic component, the risk increases if there is fibromyalgia in the family and close relatives.
What are the most prominent points of fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is mostly trigger points or tender points. It is effective on body areas called: Fibromyalgia points include 18 different areas that can cause pain even with light pressure.
Today, these points are not considered data to diagnose fibromyalgia. Instead, these points are preferred as a way to rule out suspected diseases. The pain caused by these trigger points can be described as a consistent dull ache that affects many areas of the body. According to the old method, if there is widespread pain and tenderness in at least 11 of the 18 known trigger points, the person is diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Some of the trigger points include:
· Back of the head
· Tops of the shoulders
· Upper chest
· Buttocks
· Knees
· Elbows
Fibromyalgia spot Diagnosis is no longer the focal point for diagnosis. Instead, fibromyalgia may be diagnosed if there is widespread pain that persists for more than three months and there is no diagnosable medical condition that could explain the pain.
How is fibromyalgia treated?
There is no specific test for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Imaging methods do not give clues about the disease. In order to make the diagnosis, it is necessary to rule out other diseases that may cause symptoms. Blood tests or biochemical tests may be requested to evaluate the general condition of the patient and to investigate the presence of possible patients. Although the presence of tender points is not used as much in diagnosis as before, the presence of these points brings the physician closer to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Chronic pain, which is commonly described as occurring on both sides of the body and lasting longer than 3 months, is diagnosed as fibromyalgia if no other cause is found. When diagnosing fibromyalgia, other syndromes with which the disease may coexist should be taken into consideration, and if necessary, examinations for the relevant syndrome/disease should be performed.
Fibromyalgia is a disease that cannot be completely treated. Full recovery is not expected in patients. Treatment is given to treat symptoms and improve quality of life.
Some of my dietitian friends state that nutrition is a very important factor in fibromyalgia. In addition to nutrition, a good approach would be to remove from our lives the factors that we know to cause fibromyalgia.
· Exercising regularly
· Avoiding stress
· Eating a gluten-free diet
We can summarize the medical approaches as follows:
Drugs used for treatment: Painkillers, anti-depressants, anti-epileptics, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills.
In addition to medical treatment, lifestyle changes and some therapies have been shown to be effective in relieving the symptoms of fibromyalgia patients. These are:
· Sitting in warm/hot water, swimming, also known as hydrotherapy
· Activities with personalized exercise programs
· Psychotherapy helps patients relax by explaining their situation and sharing their feelings
· Relaxation techniques
· Group therapies.
I wish you all a pain-free life, with love. Stay, sir.
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