Starting, I am going to explain an analogy I have and it will explain the pictures on my page and blogs. To me, these photographs are absolutely beautiful. The makeup artists and the photographers did amazing work on these beautiful models. Now, why would they be on a blog for Fibromyalgia? Here is where my analogy comes in. The models look mostly normal in regular light when they are painted. Yes, you can see a little bit of the paint, but from a distance, they look absolutely "normal". Once they are placed under the black light the fiery colors come through and the art is shown. People with fibromyalgia look fine, they look "normal". We just need that special light that can show how we really feel. We are still waiting.
What is Fibromyalgia? That is an amazing question and is not a very easy one.
Fibromyalgia is defined by the CDC as: “Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body (also referred to as widespread pain), sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia. This is called abnormal pain perception processing. Fibromyalgia affects about 4 million US adults, about 2% of the adult population. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but it can be effectively treated and managed.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020) To add to that the Mayo Clinic defines it as: “Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and non-painful signals.” (Mayo Clinic, 2020) Does your head hurt? Mine slightly does.
Let’s break that down a bit. When I say break it down we are going to tear it apart. Fibro = fibrous tissues, My= short for Myo= muscle, Algia = Pain- Put it together you get FibroMyAlgia, Fibrous tissues muscle pain. So we now know what the word means, but that is only one part of the symptoms.
Here is the crazy part about the symptoms. You may have a symptom I do not and Joe may have totally different symptoms than you and I. Confused yet? Well, this is what has doctors shaking their heads at Fibromyalgia. Each case is very different and it mimics so many other illnesses.
When I was young, doctors would have me sitting in the back hallways because they did not know if I was contagious. I wore masks to a couple of doctors and I was forgotten in a back hallway for 3 hours. I learned a few things. Patience, I can now sit in a waiting room with no issues for hours. No joke. The joke was, getting tested for Lupus, Vitamin D deficiency, Multiple Sclerosis, Hypothyroidism, and Myasthenia Gravis. Oh, there is more. Every time I went to a new doctor these tests would start over. Today, things are a little different. It truly has come a long way. There are still doctors that call Fibromyalgia a trash can diagnosis. I was diagnosed the first time when I was 11 years old and again every time I got a new doctor. I have been diagnosed over 15 times by 15 different doctors. One of my doctors would run all the tests every year, just to make sure nothing changed. Do not forget, if you feel that your diagnosis is correct and a doctor says it is all in your head, you do not need to continue to that doctor. I will discuss this in a different post at a different time.
Now for the common symptoms that show up on websites. You may not have all of these, only a few, or a symptom you have may not be on the list. That does not mean it is not a part of Fibromyalgia.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)has the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia listed as:
Pain and stiffness all over the body
Fatigue and tiredness
Depression and anxiety
Sleep problems
Problems with thinking, memory, and concentration
Headaches, including migraines
Other symptoms may include:
Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
Pain in the face or jaw, including disorders of the jaw known as temporomandibular joint syndrome (also known as TMJ)
Digestive problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and even irritable bowel syndrome (also known as IBS)
Here are the source links that I used in this post: https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fibromyalgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354780
They both put out very good information and they try to be as accurate as they can. Make sure you are checking any source you look at and that they have sources.
If you have any comments or questions please post.
I want to leave you on one last note. Your mind is a powerful tool. If you change the way you think you can change your world. It may not make Fibromyalgia go completely away, but it will help.
Myka