by Chelsea Padget

Created on: December 15, 2010   Last Updated: January 03, 2011

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that effects about 10 million people in the United States. There is no known cure for fibromyalgia, but researchers are diligently trying to find one. Fibromyalgia effects more women than men and has also been know to effect children. It is a complex disease, with many symptoms and also as many treatments.

There are many symptoms that are present with a fibromyalgia diagnosis. The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

Pain:

There are several different kinds of pain felt with fibromyalgia. The pain can be widespread and dull, pinpoint and sharp or radiating. Trigger point pain is sharp and radiates. Everyday, underlying pain, is widespread and dull. Fibromyalgia pain can also be described as achy, diffuse, throbbing or deep.

Depression:

Depression is thought to be caused from a decrease in seratonin and norepinephrin levels. Seratonin and norepinephrin are the "feel good" chemicals released into the body. Depression is also caused by the wearing down from long term pain, insomnia, fatigue and other chronic symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Insomnia:

Pain from fibromyalgia can be severe enough to interfere with sleep or cause a person to wake up in the middle of the night because of pain. Insomnia can also be caused from an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Other symptoms include fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, severe migraines, numbness and tingling of the extremities and constipation.

Fibromyalgia treatment involves multiple remedies used together to relieve fibromyalgia symptoms. Treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms are prescribed on an individual basis, depending on the symptoms present in the patient. With fibromyalgia, it has been found, that using multiple treatment methods provides better relief than a single treatment alone.

The treatments available for the relief of fibromyalgia symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Pain treatments:

Medications, such as Lyrica and Cymbalta have been FDA approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia pain. Physical therapy, massage therapy, water therapy and exercise are just a few treatments available for the pain of fibromyalgia. Also available are heat and ice treatments that have been found to help with fibromyalgia pain. Trigger point injections are used for decreasing the pain in fibromyalgia trigger points.

Antidepressants:

Cymbalta is an antidepressant with a pain component that has been FDA approved for the treatment of pain and depression in the fibromyalgia patient. Persons with fibromyalgia, suffering from depression are also urged to seek therapy, exercise and meditate to help treat their depression.

Sleep aids:

Ambian is a sleep aid that has been proven helpful for insomnia. Amitryptiline is an antidepressant that also helps with insomnia and is a commonly used drug used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms. Exercise and meditation are both ways to help get a good nights sleep.

Other treatments, such as, biofeedback therapy, deep tissue massage, trigger point injections, acupuncture and acupressure are also used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms.

If you feel you may be suffering from fibromyalgia, make an appointment with your doctor right away. You doctor will evaluate you for fibromyalgia and help you find a treatment that will decrease your symptoms and allow you to live with more comfort.

Resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm

http://www.fmaware.org/site/PageServer?pagename=fibr omyalgia

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