I Hurt All Over... How to Ease Away the Pain of Fibromyalgia!

At one moment, a life of activity consumed with enjoyable activities like biking, golfing, going to the movies, out to dinner. Then one day, it’s gone. Replaced with constant pain and fatigue. Here’s the lowdown on fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is one of the most common forms of arthritis seen in a rheumatology practice. It is actually a soft tissue form of rheumatism. Typically, a patient will complain of feeling achy all over, being chronically tired, and feeling like they’re walking around in a constant fog. Often a patient will complain of short term memory problems.

The American College of Rheumatology has set criteria by which fibromyalgia symptoms can be classified. These consist of a history of widespread pain for three or more months and pain in 11 of 18 tender point sites when 4 kilograms (about 9 pounds) of pressure is applied. When accompanied by a history of chronic fatigue and non-restorative sleep (waking up and feeling as if you haven’t slept), there is a strong suspicion that fibromyalgia is to blame.

People affected by fibromyalgia experience two unique responses to stimuli. They perceive normal stimuli as being painful and they perceive painful stimuli as being more painful than it should be.

These abnormal responses are thought to be due to an abnormality involving pain-processing pathways within the central nervous system.

History and physical examination is the first step in evaluation. Unfortunately, there are no specific laboratory tests that confirm the diagnosis. However, the tests can be helpful in excluding other conditions that can mimic fibromyalgia such as hypothyroidism, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment consists of a combination of four approaches. The first is patient education. Talking with the patient about the diagnosis and presenting what he options are. The second is institute medications. These may include one or more of the following:

• Analgesics which help to control pain. An example would be a drug such as Tramadol

• Antidepressants which are used for their ability to elevate serotonin and nor-epiephrine levels in the brain. Examples include amitryptiline, fluoxitene, and duloxitene.

• Muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine

• Anti-seizure medicines like gabapentin

• Anti-fatigue medicines (modafinil)

The third therapy is non-impact aerobic exercise which helps to increase endorphin production in the brain and helps to recondition muscles.

Finally, the fourth is cognitive behavioral therapy which helps with goal-setting, coping and other measures which reduce the sense of victimization that people with fibromyalgia often have.

Fibromyalgia can be treated effectively. It is important that a patient seek out a qualified and empathetic rheumatologist to help them.

Dr. Wei (pronounced “way”) is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians.

Fibromyalgia Hip Pain Relief

What is Fibromyalgia?

If you have fibromyalgia, you know that the condition involves chronic widespread pain. However, what sets it apart from other pain conditions is that you also have a heightened response to Gentle stimuli on certain parts of your body.

Knowing what fibromyalgia is also involves you understanding the array of symptoms of the condition of which there are many.

If you are like most people fibromyalgia hip pain is just the tip of the iceberg as far as your symptoms are concerned. Symptoms vary from person to person. They may include:

• Numbness,
• Tingling of the hands and feet,
• Irritable bowel syndrome,
• Bladder irregularities,
• Breathing problems,
• Difficulty swallowing,
• Chest pain,
• TMJ,
• Grinding of the teeth,
• Extreme fatigue and sleep pattern disturbances.

These symptoms are usually coupled with non-physical symptoms like depression, anxiety, stress, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and confusion.

Finding Relief

The first thing that you need to do to get relief for fibromyalgia hip pain is find a doctor who is capable of diagnosing the condition and treating it.

Unfortunately, diagnosing fibromyalgia is not something that every doctor is capable of doing. This is because the symptoms are often confused with other illnesses.

In addition to this, the criteria used for diagnosis are the topic of debate.

A skilled doctor will be able to rule out any other likely explanations for your symptoms and provide you an accurate and quick diagnosis.

Once your doctor is through and has made a diagnosis they can begin making your treatment plan.

If your predominant complaint is hip pain they will focus on pain relief. Typically your doctor will start by prescribing you a pain reliever or recommending an over the counter pain reliever.

Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin may all be used to treat your symptoms.

If they do not relieve your pain effectively, your doctor may prescribe a stronger pain reliever like Tramadol or an opioid drug like Morphine or Hydrocodone.

It would also not be unheard of for your doctor to prescribe an antidepressant or anticonvulsant because they block pain signals in the brain.

When you are suffering from fibromyalgia hip pain there are many treatments that can be quite effective that do not involve medication. First and foremost, physical therapy is important because it helps you maintain or regain your mobility and prevents further decline in your activity level.

Chiropractic manipulation can also be quite useful, along with acupuncture, massage, counseling and biofeedback.

In most cases a multidisciplinary approach works best when treating fibromyalgia. Taking medication in conjunction with active participation in other therapies will have you well on your way to relief.