Fibromyalgia is a puzzling condition sparking many questions and mixed information surrounding this illness. It’s terrible that some people who don’t experience this tend to downplay this condition, and some even say it’s not a real thing but an imaginary illness. That is a myth. Fibromyalgia is a chronic, long-term illness that causes widespread pain all over the body. Different fibromyalgia triggers can vary from person to person, and we all have to bear in mind that the pain and discomfort it brings are in no way imaginary.
To help you further understand this condition and shed light on some myths, we will provide straightforward answers to frequently asked questions about fibromyalgia. This will be a valuable guide for those suffering from this condition and their family and friends to understand fibromyalgia further.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that brings widespread body pains. It can also make you a lot more vulnerable to pain than those who don’t suffer from this condition.
When you have fibromyalgia, widespread pain in the body is very common, but the discomfort does not stop there. Fibromyalgia affects a person in many ways, including sleeping problems, morning stiffness, extreme exhaustion, cognitive function issues, anxiety and depression, dizziness, gastrointestinal issues, migraines, and headaches.
Unfortunately, experts still have not determined the exact cause of fibromyalgia, but several fibromyalgia triggers might help you discern if an attack may occur. Watch out for these known fibromyalgia triggers, and you may be one step ahead to help manage your condition. Fibromyalgia episodes may occur following changes in daily routines, poor diet, fluctuating hormone levels, sleep deprivation or changes in sleep patterns, medical treatment, changes in weather or temperature, stressful events, physical stress, or emotional or psychological stress.
Fibromyalgia may also be due to an injury, viral infection, Lyme disease, genetics, or a central nervous system glitch. If you go for a doctor’s consultation, they may also check for tender spots related to fibromyalgia.
Because the leading cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, there are no exact ways to prevent it, but lifestyle changes and some known natural remedies can improve symptoms. You might want to explore what works best for you based on what fibromyalgia triggers affect you the most. Lifestyle changes make a lot of difference, too. So we strongly suggest trying the following a few things, including:
Doctors diagnose fibromyalgia in the earlier days by checking for 18 tender spots. Notably, these body parts include those located near the spine except for the inner elbows and the two points on the inner knees. The rest of the tender points are located in the lower neck in front, edge of the upper breast, the base of the skull in the back of the head, hip bone, upper outer buttock, back of the neck, and back of the shoulders.
Today, instead of looking into the tender points, doctors narrow down the cause of the symptoms by conducting a series of diagnostic tests. Researchers are also developing a new way to diagnose the disorder with the help of blood tests.
Other health conditions rarely accompany fibromyalgia. Studies explain that these conditions either get triggered by fibromyalgia or develop because of the condition. For example, anxiety and depression may occur due to the stress a fibromyalgia patient may experience. In addition, other health conditions such as migraines, tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, TMJ disorders, painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, postural tachycardia syndrome, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus may also share a strong link with fibromyalgia.
We recommend keeping a fibromyalgia diary or notes section on your phone to list the usual symptoms you suspect are related to fibromyalgia. This can help your healthcare provider identify if other health conditions are at play.
If you have fibromyalgia, there’s a big chance that you are oversensitive to sounds, smells, lights, and even mild touches that can be perceived as extremely painful. You may also notice a sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, even food sensitivities.
These sensitivities usually originate from the central nervous system since the brain translates the messages from your different senses. This condition may be due to central sensitization that heightens the senses and the brain’s response to pain to protect the body, just like in emergencies. Central sensitization should only happen when one is in danger. Unfortunately for those with fibromyalgia, central sensitization occurs permanently, linking to the malfunction of the central nervous system.
Because there is no known cure at the moment, managing this condition and its symptoms is the next best thing you can do. Apart from a lifestyle change that can help you, a consultation with an upper cervical chiropractic doctor might be more helpful than you can imagine. An upper cervical chiropractor is focused on identifying and correcting a misalignment in your upper spine that may be the most significant contributing factor to your fibromyalgia.
Thousands of patients are unaware that a misalignment in their upper spine contributes significantly to the development of fibromyalgia; hence they suffer longer. However, suppose you have fibromyalgia and a history of neck or head injuries that could have preceded an upper cervical misalignment. In that case, you might benefit significantly from chiropractic care and a series of corrections in your upper spine.
Neckbone misalignments can lead to various fibromyalgia triggers and risk factors. One example of which is central sensitization. As mentioned above, central sensitization develops hand in hand with fibromyalgia. In fact, many researchers argue that it’s the critical mechanism behind various fibromyalgia symptoms.
When the neck bones fall out of their original places, they press on the brainstem and nerve roots. This triggers a chain of events that increases the brain’s sensitivity to pain and pressure signals. Naturally, fixing the neck bone misalignment can alleviate the pressure on your nervous system and facilitate faster recovery and healing.
Upper cervical chiropractic care is unique, yet fortunately, more doctors are now practicing this technique to help more patients in need. With more doctors now applying the upper cervical chiropractic method, you can easily find a doctor near you when you search online.
We hope you will find the best doctor to help you say goodbye to fibromyalgia triggers and symptoms and live a life full of energy without restrictions.
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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
