Healthline.com, a health information website, refers to fibromyalgia as a condition characterized by pain in multiple places in the body involving joints, muscles, tendons and soft tissue. Slight pressure on a tender point elicits pain. The pain differs from diseases like arthritis, as no swelling, destruction or deformity occurs at the sites of pain. "Human Psychopharmacology" reports 2 percent to 4 percent of the U.S. population exhibit fibromyalgia symptoms. According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, fibromyalgia affects 10 million people in the U.S.
Misconceptions
Some people believe fibromyalgia is not a real medical problem, or they imply it is "all in your head." These misconceptions fail to be true. Mayo Clinic describes fibromyalgia as a bona fide condition and individuals must exhibit explicit diagnostic criteria for a specific diagnosis. The fallacy about fibromyalgia persists due to our society expecting a quick fix or cure. The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases states that research is under way to unravel the mysteries of the brain and the processing of pain signals.
Causes
Even though the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, Healthline.com researchers propose three major causal factors. First, fibromyalgia appears to have a genetic connection, as members of the same family show evidence of the condition. Second, infections confirm a pattern of triggering or aggravating fibromyalgia. Third, many people with fibromyalgia report a history of physical or emotional trauma.
Sleep Problems
People with fibromyalgia report sleeping difficulties. Sleep control centers reside in our brain. According to Mayo Clinic, researchers observe nighttime muscle spasms in the legs, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea in individuals with fibromyalgia, but they fail to uncover whether the fibromyalgia precedes the sleep problems or sleep difficulties cause the fibromyalgia.
Theories/Speculation
Recent research published in the journal "Pain" proposes a theory stating that people with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain due to an increase in the brain's sensitivity to pain. This means the individual with fibromyalgia feels pain sooner and more intensely. This proposed theory believes repeated nerve stimulation, as with physical or emotional trauma, or the stressor of infection causes the brain to change. Chemicals in the brain, used to indicate pain, multiply. Therefore, the brain becomes more perceptive and exaggerates the pain response.
Aspects of the Mind
Not only does widespread pain occur, but individuals with fibromyalgia also complain of fatigue, headaches and depressed moods. Individuals report difficulty concentrating and remembering things. Stephen Stahl, Ph.D., M.D., from the Neuroscience Education Institute in California, describes researchers studying the brain chemicals of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline and substance P in hopes of finding answers to the processes causing the pain and other symptoms in fibromyalgia.
References
- Healthline: Fibromyalgia
- Mayo Clinic: Fibromyalgia
- National Fibromyalgia Association: About Fibromyalgia
- "Pain"; Enhanced Central Pain Processing of Fibromyalgia Patients; R. Staud et al.; 2009
- "Human Psychopharmacology"; The Psychiatrist Confronted With a Fibromyalgia Patient; Siegfried Kasper; 2009
