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Fibromyalgia affects women more often than
men
Jennifer Wider, M.D.
Society for Women’s Health Research
Newswise — Are you exhausted? Do you have
pain all over but can’t figure out what’s
wrong? If so, you may be suffering from
fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that
causes exhaustion, sleep disturbances and
diffuse pain in your muscles, tendons, and
ligaments.
Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of
symptoms of varying intensities that
increase and decrease over time and often
resemble other conditions.
For years, because of their complex nature
and a lack of research on the condition,
many doctors misdiagnosed fibromyalgia
symptoms or dismissed them as being in the
patient’s head.
Even today, it is estimated to take an
average of five years for a fibromyalgia
patient to get an accurate diagnosis.
There is no laboratory test available to
diagnose fibromyalgia. Doctors must rely on
patient histories, self-reported symptoms, a
physical examination and an accurate manual
tender point examination.
To receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, a
patient must experience widespread pain in
all four quadrants of the body for a minimum
duration of three months and experience
tenderness or pain in at least 11 of the 18
specified tender points when pressure is
applied.
Fibromyalgia may affect as much as 3-6
percent of the U.S. population. It is more
common in women than in men, but the reasons
for this difference are unclear.
“There are various theories, depending on
which research you're looking at, but
nothing absolutely definitive has come
forward yet,” says Elisabeth Deffner,
executive editor of Fibromyalgia AWARE, a
publication of the National Fibromyalgia
Association in Anaheim, Calif. Researchers
are examining hormones, immune system
differences, brain chemistry and genetics,
among other areas, to shed light on the sex
differences.
Although the cause of fibromyalgia is
currently unknown, many researchers
hypothesize that the symptoms result from
“central sensitization.”
According to this idea, sufferers of
fibromyalgia have a heightened sensitivity
in the brain to pain signals and as a
result, have a lower pain threshold.
As time goes on, the brain's pain receptors
become conditioned to remember pain and
potentially overreact to the brain's
chemical signals or neurotransmitters.
In other word, people with fibromyalgia may
experience pain in stronger ways than others
who don't have the condition.
Aside from predominantly affecting women,
there are several risk factors for
fibromyalgia:
• Age: the condition usually occurs in
people between the ages of 20-60 years,
although cases have been reported in
children and elderly people. Some research
studies have noted peaks around age 35.
• Family History: studies have shown that
having a relative with fibromyalgia may put
you at higher risk for developing the
disorder.
• Other Rheumatic Diseases: a person who has
other rheumatic diseases including
rheumatoid arthritis and lupus may be more
likely to develop fibromyalgia than those
who do not have a rheumatic disease.
• Stress: although controversial, certain
studies suggest that people who have had
difficult or stressful past experiences may
be at risk of developing fibromyalgia.
Because the causes of fibromyalgia are not
clear and no cure exists, the goal of
treating fibromyalgia is to control symptoms
and minimize discomfort.
“Practitioners must diagnose and treat
co-morbidities of fibromyalgia,” said Shanda
Shribbs, Executive Director of the National
Fibromyalgia Research Association in Salem,
Ore.
“Untreated restless legs, sleep apnea and
upper airway resistance syndrome can have a
dramatic impact on sleep and fatigue.
"Other
conditions such as cervical cord
compression, irritable bowel syndrome and
myofascial pain syndrome are frequent
co-morbidities which should be considered
and treated when they are present.”
Common medications for treating fibromyalgia
pain include analgesics (including NSAIDs or
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs),
muscle relaxants and anti-seizure drugs.
Medications to ease sleep disturbances
include: anti-depressants and short-term use
of sleeping pills.
Some doctors recommend combining medication
with therapy to help patients learn to
techniques to cope with stress, which can
exacerbate or trigger pain symptoms. Some
patients have found relief through
alternative treatments including:
acupuncture and massage therapy.
May 12 is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, a
national health observance to raise
awareness about the condition. For more
information about fibromyalgia, you can
contact:
• National Fibromyalgia Research Association
Web site:
http://www.nfra.net
Phone: 503-315-7257
• National Fibromyalgia Association
Web site:
http://www.fmaware.org
Phone: 714-921-0150
On May 1 at noon ET, the Society for Women’s
Health Research will host a live online
moderated discussion with Patrick B. Wood,
M.D., a leading researcher working to
improve understanding and treatment of
fibromyalgia. You can take part in the
discussion or submit questions in advance at
this Web site:
http://live.womenshealthresearch.org
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