Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by chronic and widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance and usually some component of depression and anxiety. It affects 2-4% of the population-predominantly females. It is believed to be due to a re-wiring of the nerves causing an exaggerated response to pain.
Common symptoms:
Diffuse/widespread pain involving muscles and joints
Poor sleep
Chronic fatigue
Depression/anxiety
Stiffness
Memory loss/cognitive impairment
Severe pain with minimal stimuli
Most patients with fibromyalgia also have severe difficulty with sleep. There has been a reported association between fibromyalgia and sleep apnea, once again linking the role of sleep in the pain cycle. It is important to note that fibromyalgia should always be a diagnosis of exclusion and that all other reasons for pain should be ruled out with appropriate blood work and x-rays.
Treatment:
Anti-depressants have sometimes been shown to be effective
FDA approved medication specifically for fibromyalgia
Treatment of underlying depression/anxiety/PTSD
Aerobic excercise
Correction of the sleep cycle
Most of the focus is on treating neuropathic pain since it is felt that fibromyalgia is primarily a disorder where the nerves are hypersensitive
