Navigating the world of medicine can be confusing and frustrating. I’ve tried to make it easier by adding my own interpretation to this fibromyalgia article in the simplest language possible. Any questions or additions? Please leave a comment and let me know.

“Fibromyalgia (FM or FMS) is an increasingly recognized chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle and hands, but any body part can be involved. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time.”

Interpretation: Fibromyalgia hurts

“The pain of FM is profound, widespread and chronic. It knows no boundaries, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. FM pain has been described as deep muscular aching, throbbing, twitching, stabbing and shooting pain that defines the very existence of the Fibromyalgia patient. Neurological complaints such as numbness, tingling and burning are often present and add to the discomfort of the patient. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress.”

Interpretation: It hurts a lot.

“In today’s world many people complain of fatigue; however, the fatigue of FM is much more than being tired. It is an all-encompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities. It feels like every drop of energy has been drained from the body, which at times can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically.”

Interpretation: We aren’t just being lazy. Sometimes just putting on shoes is a full day for us.

“Many Fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful, restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the stage 4 deep sleep of FM patients. During sleep, individuals with FM are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep.”

Interpretation: We need sleep, but we don’t wake up feeling rested.

“Additional symptoms may include: irritable bowel and bladder, headaches and migraines, restless legs syndrome (periodic limb movement disorder), impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud’s Syndrome, neurological symptoms and impaired coordination.”

Interpretation: Lots of other things go wrong too.

“It is not contagious, and recent studies suggest that people with fibromyalgia may be genetically predisposed. It affects more females than males, with a ratio of 9:1 by ACR (American College of Rheumatology) criteria. Fibromyalgia is seen in 3% to 6% of the general population, and is most commonly diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 20 and 50. The nature of fibromyalgia is not well understood, and there is no cure but there are treatments available.”

Interpretation: Some math stuff that means that fibromyalgia most often occurs in women between 20-50. Other people can’t catch this disease, there is no cure but there is hope.

This article is licensed under the “GNU Free Documentation License“. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Fibromyalgia Syndrome.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 25th, 2006 at 8:35 am and is filed under Fibromyalgia Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.