When we feel ill, it's always our decision to visit a physician hoping to find treatment and lessen any discomfort. But what happens if the doctors dismiss your illness because it is only in your mind, a sort of psychological problem?
There is nothing more frustrating than knowing that you are physically in pain and doctors cannot find a diagnosis for your illness.
This is the case of fibromyalgia (sometimes referred as FM or FMS). It is a chronic condition of widespread mascular pain and fatigue. Its cause is still unknown however common recognizable syndromes include diffuse pain in your muscles, tendons and ligaments, fatigue, sleep and mood disturbance, difficulty in swallowing, dispersed sensations of numbness and tingling and abnormal bowel and bladder functionalities.
However, these syndromes are not prevalent in all patients and the degree of their syndrome experience varies from one patient to the other.
There is no laboratory test available for fibromyalgia patients. Physical exams will only show the presence of pain but in a modest palpation of the tender points. There are 18 specified tender points in our body. The anatomical locations of these tender points are the attachment of neck muscles at the base of the skull, midway between neck and shoulder, muscle over upper inner shoulder blade, 2 cms below side bone at elbow, upper outer buttock, hip bone, just above knee on inside, lower neck in front and edge of upper breast bone.
A person suffering with fibromyalgia is believed to experience pain for at least in the 11 tender points when 4 kg of pressure is applied.
Because of its complicated nature and vague criteria of diagnosis which often resembles the symptoms of other conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis, doctors dismiss the fibromyalgia patients. They perceive the patient suffers from some psychological problem or a certain brain dysfunction that allows FMS patients to experience pain in extensive level compared to others who don’t have the fibromyalgia symptoms.
The pain attributed to fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, burning, radiating and gnawing stretching from mild to severe.
So far there are only three FDA approved medications for fibromyalgia however patients respond differently to different medications. The limited availability of multiple medications strains treatment because the degree of pain that the fibromyalgia patients experience varies in every patient. The only remedy now for FMS patients who haven’t found the right treatment is to control the symptoms and minimize the discomfort brought by this disorder.
Sleep disturbance is medicated through anti-depressants and sleeping pills which is used for certain time frame while muscle pain is medicated by muscle relaxants and drugs for anti seizure and analgesics. Other fibromyalgia patients opt for alternative medications such as therapy, acupuncture, and massage.
Patients may take varied course of actions to reduce the chronic pain but general health condition is still vital for overcoming any symptoms of fibromyalgia. Keeping a healthy lifestyle, proper diet, regular exercise and living a less stressful life though will not lead to curing the illness but is substantial to cope up with the fibromyalgia syndromes.
Cyra Miles is a daytime corporate slave and a passionate freelance writer at night. Visit http://www.cyramiles.com or follow her at http://www.thepassionateslave.com.