| later spreading into other body regions (mid-back, | | | | revealing the actual causes of fibromyalgia and |
| arms, spine, lower back and thighs). Although | | | | they have also proved that the disorder has a |
| people who suffer from the disorder claim that | | | | clear medical basis. |
| they permanently feel some degree of pain in the | | | | Sleep disorders are also suspected to be causes |
| muscles and joints, the symptoms generated by | | | | of fibromyalgia. Statistics indicate that more than |
| fibromyalgia are usually episodic, occurring in | | | | 95 percent of people with fibromyalgia suffer |
| "flares". | | | | from sleep apnea or insomnia. Until recently, |
| Apart from pain and fatigue, people affected by | | | | scientists believed that sleep disorders were the |
| fibromyalgia may also experience physical | | | | consequence of fibromyalgia but it now turns out |
| weakness, increased nervous excitability, | | | | to be the other way around. The majority of |
| migraines, short-term memory loss, poor | | | | people affected by fibromyalgia recall having |
| concentration, anxiety, depression and confusion. | | | | trouble sleeping long before they have first |
| The problem with the symptoms of fibromyalgia | | | | experienced muscular pain and weakness. Hence, |
| is that they can't usually be revealed by medical | | | | medical scientists believe that fibromyalgia occurs |
| examinations. In the absence of any physical | | | | on the premises of inappropriate sleeping |
| traces, most physicians are tempted to label | | | | patterns, and they state that anyone with |
| people with fibromyalgia as "hypochondriacs", | | | | sleeping problems is very exposed to developing |
| disregarding the neurological nature of the | | | | neurological disorders. |
| disorder. However, various experiments | | | | Scientists explain that certain neurotransmitters |
| conducted in the past have found similarities in all | | | | such as serotonin (a substance that regulates the |
| people with fibromyalgia, and elaborate medical | | | | intensity of pain signals sent to the brain), are |
| examinations can reveal neurological dysfunctions | | | | produced during sleep and people with fibromyalgia |
| in people affected by the disorder. | | | | have a deficit of these hormones due to sleep |
| Fibromyalgia is a complex phenomenon and | | | | abnormalities. Thus, the treatment for fibromyalgia |
| medical scientists believe that there are multiple | | | | should be firstly aimed at overcoming patients' |
| factors responsible for causing it. Studies in the | | | | sleeping problems. |
| field have suggested that people with the disorder | | | | Another cause of fibromyalgia appears to be poor |
| perceive external stimuli at abnormally high | | | | muscle oxygenation. Medical scientists claim that |
| intensities, as a consequence of neurological | | | | inappropriate oxygenation of the muscles is a |
| dysfunctions. Recently conducted experiments | | | | plausible explanation for symptoms such as |
| have revealed that some of the people with | | | | muscular weakness and stiffness, similar to the |
| fibromyalgia show clear signs of allodynia | | | | manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Although |
| (hyperactive brain response to otherwise normal | | | | medical scientists haven't yet unveiled the factors |
| stimuli), while others show clear signs of | | | | that prevent the oxygenation of the muscles, |
| hyperalgesia (abnormally high sensitivity to pain | | | | future research might provide medicine with an |
| stimuli). These findings are very important in | | | | answer to the puzzle. |