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Fibromyalgia: What You Need to Know

Perhaps you can sleep 10 hours a day and still feel wiped out. Then when you do finally wake up, your body aches all over even though you aren’t showing any signs of the flu. These two symptoms are hallmark features of fibromyalgia, a chronic rheumatologic condition that affects approximately 5-8 million Americans, most of them women.

Sharon Ostalecki, Ph.D is the founder of Helping Our Pain and Exhaustion or H.O.P.E., an organization dedicated to providing support and education to those with, or affected by, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. She is also the author of Fibromyalgia: The Complete Guide from Medical Experts and Patients.

Diagnosed with fibromyalgia 18 years ago, Ostalecki created this organization as way to inform and empower others with this condition.

“If you have fibromyalgia, you must be proactive in your care,” says Ostalecki, who has become an advocate working towards a greater awareness and more thorough understanding of this disease through her organization which is hosting a fibromyalgia conference in May.

What It Is:

Fibromyalgia is characterized by muscle, tendon and ligament pain, fatigue, insomnia and tender spots, which are places on the body that are acutely sensitive to slight pressure. Other common symptoms are headaches, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and facial pain.

According to the National Fibromyalgia Research Association, fibromyalgia is the second most common rheumatologic disorder following osteoarthritis and it is the number one cause of severe, generalized, musculoskeletal pain even beating out back pain.

The organization also estimates that it takes five years for a person to be properly diagnosed. This is in large part due to how new this diagnosis is to modern medicine. Therefore basic information about this condition, including causes, risk factors and treatments, is still evolving with doctors, researchers and patients at the forefront of this movement.

Screening and Diagnosis:

Since there is no specific test for fibromyalgia, the condition is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. A variety of blood tests and x-rays can rule out other diseases like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, but they do not confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Recently, The American College of Rheumatology established guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia. The individual must have widespread pain for three months and must have 11 points along the body that are tender spots. But many physicians disagree with these classification guidelines and find them too rigid.

Risk Factors:

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are five primary risk factors for fibromyalgia. They are:

• Sex – Females are more likely to have fibromyalgia than men

• Age – The condition typically occurs in early to mid adulthood.

• Sleep Disturbances – Those with sleeping patterns interrupted by restless leg syndrome, muscle spasms and sleep apnea are more likely to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

• Family History – Those with a relative with this condition may be more apt to have it.

• Rheumatic Disease – Being diagnosed with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis also increases chances of having fibromyalgia.

Treatment:

There is no cure yet for fibromyalgia. It is a chronic condition that needs to be managed by the individual through medical means and lifestyle behaviors. Drugs such as antidepressants, painkillers and muscle relaxants work to decrease the pain and improve sleep. Lifestyle modifications include eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, exercising and getting enough sleep.

Many suffers who have been recently diagnosed are referred to physical therapy programs to ease pain and improve mobility skills. Loren DeVinney, P.T., is a physical therapist in West Bloomfield who specializes in working with individuals with fibromyalgia. His treatment program uses three modalities of therapy to help the individual relax muscles, improve strength and posture and relearn how to move safely.

Therapeutic ultrasound, heat and electrical waves first mellow out bound-up muscles. Soft tissue massage then coaxes and coddles the muscles to relax further, breaks up knots and improves circulation in and out of the muscle. Finally, gentle stretching exercises are performed to improve flexibility and strength.

Yoga and massage can be important therapies as well but they can also re-injure the already tender and knotty muscles of the individual, says DeVinney, who cautions his patients against going to certain kinds of yoga classes or massage therapists who are not trained in working with fibromyalgia cases.

Alternative Treatment:

Many sufferers of fibromyalgia have benefited from receiving acupuncture, the Chinese medical technique that involves inserting tiny needles in specific locations on the skin to rebalance and redirect the life forces that circulate throughout the body. A 2006 study performed by the Mayo Clinic found that acupuncture significantly improved symptoms of fibromyalgia. Other forms of complementary treatment include chiropractic care, massage and osteopathy.

Additional Support:

Fibromyalgia can be a very frustrating and debilitating condition for those who are directly affected by it including loved ones. As awareness increases both in and out of the medical community, more research and more support will start to glean insight into how this condition manifests and how it is best treated. The good news is that with numerous organizations focused on education, support and funding research, an individual diagnosed with fibromyalgia does not have to cope with their condition on their own.

On May 13, H.O.P.E. will be hosting Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, a one-day conference at the Courtyard Marriott in Farmington. The organization also holds monthly support meetings around the Detroit area. For more information visit H.O.P.E.’s website: www.hffcf.org