Disturbed sleep, pains throughout the body, physical exhaustion and other symptoms plague many fibromyalgia patients, making it difficult for them to participate in daily activities because of the frustration. Many of them feel as if their muscles and bones have been overworked. The problems are particularly noticeable when waking up in the morning.
Morning Stiffness
Tightness in the muscles and joints from morning stiffness may cause discomfort throughout the body, according to the Fibromyalgia Symptoms website. Symptoms may last for a half hour or several hours. Morning stiffness may continue on throughout the day. The stiffened muscles and joints interfere with a person's movements and range of motion, cause aches and pains. Most people with fibromyalgia suffer from morning stiffness on a regular basis, Fibromyalgia Symptoms notes. About half may experience chronic soreness and stiffness that lasts for hours and occurs daily. The constant stiffness can make it difficult to sit, rest or stand for long periods of time. Many people with fibromyalgia feel morning stiffness in the hands, feet, arms, legs and back. Stiffness in the head and neck also occur. The stiffness may reoccur during the night.
Pain
Aching, throbbing pain affects the hands, arms, legs and feet. Tension headaches may begin at the base of the neck and extend to the head. The pain makes it difficult for many people to get out of bed, go to work or perform daily activities. Waking up with morning pain can trigger many usual pains associated with fibromyalgia. Many patients suffer from tender points that result in widespread pain or muscle spasms at the slightest touch. Areas of the body affected include the neck muscles, between the neck and shoulder, at the elbows, both sides of the outer buttocks, the hip bones, the edges of the breastbone and just above the inside of the knees, HealthCentral.com explains. People with fibromyalgia describe their pains as being similar to the flu when the entire body goes through aches and pains. Muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, stabbing or intense burning may occur in areas around the body.
Fatigue
Fibromyalgia patients often wake up exhausted because of sleep disorders. The symptoms make them feel too tired or physically incapable of handling daily routines. People with fibromyalgia may not go into a deep sleep necessary to rest the body. Although they appear to be sleeping, the brain remains active, preventing them from reaching a deep sleep. Sleep apnea, which causes gaps in breathing that can last for seconds or up to a minute, and restless leg syndrome, which causes unpleasant reactions in the legs during sleep, can prevent people with fibromyalgia from getting a proper night's sleep. According to the Fibromyalgia Network, the fatigue felt by fibromyalgia patients is similar to the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome; in fact, the two disorders often coexist in many patients. People describe feelings of having their bodies drained of energy or their limbs weighted down by concrete blocks, according to FN.
