| The last decade has seen the proliferation of a | | | | Analgesia and low dose antidepressant medication |
| disease called FIBROMYALGIA or | | | | is commonly used to treat symptoms. Alternative |
| POLYMYALGIA-RHEUMATICA. | | | | therapies and physiotherapy and massage have |
| It is characterised by diffuse and variable pain | | | | also been cited as helpful. Results and outcomes |
| symptoms felt in the muscles and joints of | | | | are not proven though and symptomatic and |
| primarily the upper aspects of the arms and legs. | | | | temporary relief seem to be the commonest |
| It is reported to affect significantly more women | | | | outcome of treatments. |
| than men and has associated and marked fatigue | | | | However, it is commonly accepted that exercising |
| type symptoms. It is seemingly able to manifest | | | | to a level of fatigue has negative rather than |
| for many months if not years, without a definite | | | | positive results with sufferers. If the symptoms |
| end point. There are a considerable number of | | | | are in remission the exercfise tolerance levels of |
| experts who consider fibromyalgia to have a | | | | sufferers can be improved albeit slowly. |
| major psychological cause. Such phenomena are | | | | The following are believed to be among the |
| termed psychogenic or psychosomatic. | | | | possible causes: |
| The disease is characterised by a process of | | | | Stress |
| exacerbation and remission, where sufferers have | | | | Genetics |
| periods of increased symptoms followed by | | | | Endocrine deficiencies |
| periods of reduced suffering. Exacerbations are | | | | As you can probably tell there is an awful lot that |
| commonly associated with stressful situations as | | | | of variation and debate on the subject. This is |
| well as low temperature exposure and physical | | | | even to the point of doubt as to whether |
| exertion. | | | | fibromyalgia is actually a definable and diagnosable |
| A provisional diagnosis of fibromyalgia is often | | | | disease or just a convenient label for a reported |
| given if widespread undiagnosed pain is | | | | combination of a number of widespread signs and |
| experienced in all four limbs for a continual period | | | | symptoms. |
| of three months or more. Further confirmation is | | | | Many medical personnel believe it is a |
| with tender point analysis where patients feel | | | | psychosomatic set of symptoms because of its |
| specific and abnormal tenderness on certain points | | | | variable presentation and the vague evidence |
| located around the body. These are located at | | | | based diagnostics associated with it. |
| the knees, elbows and neck and shoulders. | | | | Undoubtedly fibromyalgia has become a relatively |
| Sufferers often report abnormal sleep patterns | | | | recent and additional drain on medical resources, |
| too. | | | | certainly in the developed world. The increase in |
| Fibromyalgia is also associated symptomatically | | | | the numbers of sufferers leads to the thought |
| with a number of other illnesses or diseases such | | | | that there could possibly be a link to the lifestyle |
| as:metal poisoningpost war syndromeschronic | | | | we lead today. It is certainly getting attention and |
| fatigue | | | | whether considered to be a 'proper disease' or |
| syndromehypothyroidismdepressioninfluenza | | | | not it is a label currently being given to an |
| There is no known cure for fibromayalgia. | | | | increasing number of patients. |