Fibromylagia Treatment

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a recently recognized disorder rheumatologists and practitioners see quite often, especially in women 20 to 50 years old. It is characterized by widespread, chronic musculoskeletal pain, tenderness, fatigue and stiffness affecting muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues with loss of sleep, depression, and shortness of breath. It is a poorly understood condition and there appears to be no universal cause and no single treatment that is effective for every person. Diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based on the tenderness of specific anatomical sites (at least 11 of 18 points) and pain in all four quadrants of the body that has lasted for 3-6 months or longer. It mostly affects the neck, shoulders, lower back, chest and/or thighs. Fibromyalgia patients meet many of the diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. Three to six million people are affected by fibromyalgia.

Signs and Symptoms

Possible Causes or Contributing Factors

1. Fibromyalgia can occur in the presence of other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and hypothyroidism.
2. Some report onset of symptoms following viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Cytokine release may be responsible for many symptoms in fibromyalgia.
3. Lyme Disease.
4. Emotional states: stress, anxiety or depression.
5. Heavy metal toxicity, mainly aluminum.
6. Food allergy and intolerance
7. Altered intestinal permeability
8. Essential fatty acid deficiency.
9. Magnesium deficiency--may be a factor in the development of fibromyalgia.
10. Nutritional deficiencies.
11. Altered neurotransmitters. Significant changes occur in brain chemistry, i.e. serotonin and tryptophan. Jay Goldstein, M.D., author of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Limbic Hypothesis, believes that FM/CFS is related to disordered function of the part of the brain known as the limbic system, which is highly interconnected with the immune system, endocrine system, and emotions (Schmidt, M.A., Tired of Being Tired. Overcoming Chronic Fatigue & Low Energy, Frog, Ltd. c/o North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, Calif., 1995, p. 136).
12. Irritable bowel syndrome.
13. Subjective soft tissue swelling.
14. Dysbiosis - yeast or parasitic infection.
15. Adrenal exhaustion.
16. Deposition of immune complexes in and around the joints may be responsible for continued immune responses.
17. Physical trauma such as an accident.
18. Disruptive sleep patterns.
19. Immune or endocrine abnormalities.

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