Fibromyalgia FAQs

Q: I am seeing an internal specialist that is trying and finding  out what’s causing my muscles and joints to ache so. I’m stiff, tired, don’t sleep well, and I’ve lost my appetite. She tells me it might be fibromyalgia because my tests all came back normal. What if it is fibromyalgia? What happens then?

A: 

What if It is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a medical term for a condition of aches and pains all over the body along with a laundry list of other symptoms. It can present very much like other problems such as Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus, multiple sclerosis, or arthritis. Without a blood test or other way to identify fibromyalgia, physicians rely on the patient’s history and clinical presentation to make the diagnosis.

The presence of chronic widespread body pain that lasts more than three months with specific tender points to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria includes 11 out of 18 points of pain as a positive test for fibromyalgia. Also, these tender points are in specific locations along the neck, chest, shoulders, back, hips, elbows, and knees.

First, there has to be a diagnosis found. After there is a management program of patient education, medications, physiotherapy, and self-care. As a matter of fact, there isn’t one magic pill patients can take to wipe away the pain, improve sleep, or restore energy. Instead, a wide range of medications is available that can act on the nervous system in a variety of ways. These include tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs), and anticonvulsants.

Finding the right drugs and the right mix or combination of those medications can take some time. Also, the medication only offers small comfort in the big picture of things. In addition, only about a third of the patients get help and only about a third of their symptoms are better by this means.

How Can It Help the Patients

Many patients find nonpharmacologic treatment works best for them. This means they try to manage the pain, symptoms, and loss of function through the use of exercise, counselling, and alternative care such as hypnosis, acupuncture, or biofeedback/relaxation therapy. Clearly, all of the research so far confirms the need to treat this problem with a multidisciplinary approach. A multidisciplinary team of professionals includes doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, pharmacists, and other practitioners in the healing arts.

Patients must learn as much as they can both about this condition as well as about themselves and what works best for them. That’s easier said than done. Many times the pain and fatigue keep patients from getting the exercise they need. They become deconditioned and weak, which adds to their pain and loss of function.

In the ideal plan, the patient is really the manager who consults with these other experts to formulate the most effective plan. Reducing and managing symptoms, improving quality of life, and decreasing distress are reasonable goals. The patient must understand that at the present time because there is no cure for fibromyalgia.

What Can Your Physician to Help?

Your physician will help you get started and steer you in the right direction. Look for a support group in your area. Meeting with other people who have fibromyalgia can provide you with many helpful tips for managing and staying on top of the symptoms. You can get your life back, but be patient with the process. It can take time and often requires some changes along the way — both in your thinking and in your lifestyle.

If you are interested in our services we have physiotherapy offices in East Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Hamilton Mountain that would be happy to receive you.

Contact Us Today for more Fibromyalgia FAQs

Reference: Dennis C. Turk, PhD, and Hilary D. Wilson, PhD. Managing Fibromyalgia: An Update on Diagnosis and Treatment. In The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. October 2009. Supplement. Pp. S1-S7.