| Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease giving painful | | | | decrease the symptoms and the consequences |
| points in muscles and joint areas, stiffness and | | | | of the disease. |
| problems of neurological art like fatigue, poor sleep | | | | Regular training will greatly decrease the |
| quality and depressive feelings. The disease | | | | symptoms of the disease. The training should |
| develops gradually and can affect great parts of | | | | engage all the muscles of the body and also |
| the body. It is chronic, but may give better and | | | | include exercises that improve the condition. |
| worse periods. The disease can make a person | | | | A combination of muscle strength training as for |
| nearly disabled, but can also be mild or almost | | | | example weight-lifting and condition training as |
| disappear over time. | | | | jogging will be especially useful. Swimming |
| THE SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA | | | | exercises both the muscular strength and the |
| By fibromyalgia there are tender points in | | | | condition at the same time, but the water should |
| muscles, tendons and ligaments around the body. | | | | not be cold. |
| The points are especially common around the | | | | In the beginning, the training sessions should be |
| joints. Tender areas in the mid parts of the | | | | short and easy, but they should be made longer |
| muscles are fewer and with lighter pain. The | | | | and heavier as one gets used to training activities. |
| points give a constant aching and a sharper pain | | | | Relaxation techniques like autogenous training and |
| by pressure. However, muscular work and | | | | meditation can help to normalize the function of |
| exercise do not necessarily increase the pain. | | | | the nervous system and increase the blood flow |
| When the muscles are warmed up and exercised, | | | | to the muscles. |
| the pain may disappear or decrease for some | | | | Physical yoga can help to reduce stiffness, |
| time. | | | | increase the blood flow and reduce anatomical |
| The neck, shoulder area, hips, knee surroundings, | | | | defects in the joints and muscles. |
| jaw joint areas, head, face, and eye surroundings | | | | The symptoms of fibromyalgia will often cause |
| are especially often affected. When the neck and | | | | sufferers to believe that they manage less than |
| head area is affected, the pain often takes the | | | | they actually do. It may be useful for the sufferer |
| form of a common headache. | | | | from fibromyalgia to seek counselling to help him |
| Other symptoms of fibromyalgia are: | | | | normalize his activity levels, or adopt a higher |
| - Muscular stiffness, especially in the morning. | | | | activity level compatible with his disease. |
| - Mental and physical fatigue. | | | | A healthy diet is important. The food should be as |
| - Poor quality of sleep. The deep part of the sleep | | | | natural as possible, and include food sources like: |
| is especially affected. | | | | Vegetables, fruit, full corn bread or cereals, nuts, |
| - Muscular tension. | | | | almonds, fish, seafood, fouls and mushrooms. |
| - Dizziness. | | | | You should avoid great amounts of fat meat, fat |
| - Anxious feelings. | | | | cheese or saturated fat from milk and red meat. |
| - Depressive feelings. | | | | You should also avoid great amounts of soy oil or |
| - Disturbances in bowel function like diarrhoea, | | | | corn oil. You should not use margarine and avoid |
| constipation, pain and bloating. | | | | food containing chemically altered fat. Great |
| - Bladder irritability. | | | | amounts of all the mentioned fat types tend to |
| - Increased sensitivity to and irritability from | | | | deteriorate the blood circulation and increase |
| sensorial stimuli, like light, sounds and touch. | | | | inflammatory reactions. |
| - Dry mouth, eyes and skin. | | | | You should consume fish oil, olive oil, rape oil, |
| - Pain during menstruation | | | | canola oil, nut oil and sunflower oil, or food |
| The disease does not give any anatomical and | | | | containing these type of fat like olives, nuts, |
| tissue changes in the first place, but inactivity, | | | | sunflower seeds and fat fish, because the fat you |
| tension and poor circulation may in the long run | | | | then consume will decrease inflammatory |
| affect the body shape and give inflammatory | | | | reactions in the muscles and joint areas. |
| reactions. | | | | MEDICAL TREATMENT OF FIBROMYALGIA |
| THE CAUSES AND MECHANISMS OF | | | | Certain types of medication can be used to |
| FIBROMYALGIA | | | | relieve the symptoms for a time, but should |
| The exact causes of fibromyalgia are not yet | | | | generally not be used permanently: |
| fully understood. An injury to the upper spinal | | | | - Analgesics can reduce the pain in the tender |
| region may trigger the disease. Bacterial and viral | | | | points. |
| infections may also be an initial cause of the | | | | - Antidepressant can help to take away |
| disease. Fibromyalgia sufferers often have a | | | | depressive feelings and improve the sleep. |
| magnesium deficiency. | | | | - Muscle relaxant at bedtime can help to relax |
| The initial causes seem to alter the production and | | | | during sleep. |
| secretion of transmitter substances in the brain | | | | On the market you will also find alternative drugs |
| and nervous system, especially serotonin, | | | | to treat fibromyalgia, based on herbs, vitamins, |
| melatonin and substance P. Neurotransmitters | | | | minerals and anti-oxidants. These drugs contain |
| carries signals from one nerve cell to another. | | | | ingredients to give several useful effects: |
| Some signals from the central nervous system to | | | | - To repair nutritional deficiencies found by |
| the body may therefore be increased, and other | | | | fibromyalgia |
| decreased, producing the symptoms of the | | | | - To normalize the production of |
| disease. The disturbed nerve signals then produce | | | | neurotransmitters and thereby improve the local |
| the following functional changes that give the | | | | blood circulation in muscles and joint surroundings. |
| symptoms of the disease: | | | | - To improve sleep and relaxation in the muscles |
| - An increased activity in brain parts, giving | | | | during sleep. |
| anxiety and disturbing the deep sleep. | | | | - To help for tiredness. |
| - A decreased activity in other brain parts, | | | | - To reduce pain by an analgesic effect. |
| producing depressive symptoms. | | | | Examples of ingredients found in such medicines |
| - An increased muscular tension during sleep. | | | | are: |
| - An increased constriction in the blood vessels in | | | | - Magnesium - To cure deficiency in the body's |
| the muscular and joint structures. | | | | magnesium level. |
| - Decreasing blood flow in the muscles and joint | | | | - 5-HTP - A serotonin precursor to help against |
| areas due to increased muscular tension and blood | | | | serotonin deficiency and thereby improve local |
| vessel constrictions. | | | | blood circulation. |
| - A decreased activity of glands producing saliva, | | | | - Melatonin - To improve sleep and relaxation |
| sebum and tears. | | | | during sleep. |
| LIFESTYLE MEASURES AND EXERCISE TO | | | | - Rhodiola Rosea extract - To help against fatigue. |
| TREAT FIBROMYALGIA | | | | - Ginger Root - To treat pain and inflammation in |
| It is difficult to find a treatment that completely | | | | muscles and joints. |
| cures the disease, but a skillful combination of | | | | Classical massage or other types of physical |
| lifestyle measures and sometimes also medical | | | | therapi, for example a couple of times each |
| treatment can take away most symptoms. | | | | week, can also help to increase blood flow, reduce |
| The symptoms of fibromyalgia can make it | | | | tension, reduce stiffness and thereby take away |
| difficult to attain an active lifestyle. Yet, to do | | | | pain. |
| work, sport activities and hobby activities will | | | | |