First steps you should take to treat fibromyalgia

Several million people in the U.S. suffer from fibromyalgia, with the majority of cases found in women aged 25-45. As of this writing, the fibromyalgia syndrome remains a medical mystery. Researchers have not been able to identify the cause or find an effective cure.

Signature symptoms include muscle pain, chest pain, insomnia, swollen lymph nodes and depression. Other symptoms in some cases include irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain. This is often a debilitating condition.

If you have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, your doctor may prescribe a variety of modalities for treatment of fibromyalgia. Due to the complex nature of this syndrome, it may take some time to establish those that work for you.

Some research suggests that fibromyalgia may have its genesis in your endocrine system function, so be sure to discuss this factor with your doctor.

Here is a summary of the front line therapies your doctor may use for fibromyalgia symptoms treatment.

Medications:

Simple OTC meds, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, may be used first, upon diagnosis. While these might provide minimal relief, clinical studies have shown that these medications are not usually effective.

Your physician may prescribe muscle relaxers to treat fibromyalgia symptoms, as well as any of the antidepressants, if your symptoms include depression. Caution is recommended before you start a program of antidepressants, as they can cause serious side effects.

Exercise programs:

Rigorous exercise is not recommended as a way to treat fibromyalgia, as it creates too much stress and is painful. Programs which prove most helpful include yoga, aerobics and stretching exercises, which, while improving muscle tone and circulation, provide the element of relaxation. Swimming can be most effective, as very little stress is placed on joints and muscles.

Dietary changes:

Your doctor may also recommend a vegetarian diet which includes, preferably, organic fruits, vegetables and a variety of unsalted nuts and seeds. Using such a diet for treating fibromyalgia has met with considerable success in controlled studies. A significant number of patients realized substantial decreases in pain and levels of depression, as well as decreased use of painkillers and other meds.

MSG has been implicated in exacerbating the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Although research is in the preliminary stage, a small study demonstrated that all of the fibromyalgia patients reported quite substantial improvements when MSG was eliminated from their diets. Interestingly, in all cases, symptoms returned when MSG was reintroduced.

Nutritional supplements:

Many doctors do not treat fibromyalgia patients with nutritional supplements, although there is evidence that certain nutritional deficiencies are commonly found in patients with fibromyalgia. Among these, thiamine and thiamine-related enzyme function, low serotonin levels, magnesium in combination with malic acid, melatonin and vitamin E are of particular interest.

While clinical studies are limited to date, supplementation has produced beneficial results in some patients, worth discussion with your doctor.

Alternative therapies:

Studies seeking to find ways to find help for fibromyalgia seem to consistently show that stress is a significant factor in exacerbating fibromyalgia symptoms. You may want to explore options that relieve stress. Meditation and biofeedback are just two.

Hopefully, further research will discover the cause of this condition and eventually, a cure.

There are some conditions that are misunderstood and sometimes not accepted by the medical community.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is just one of those. Though there were some doctors that accepted this as a real condition, there were many more who thought it was not real, and what some used when they could not figure out what was really wrong.

Today, those with symptoms of fibromyalgia are taken more seriously when they see their doctors, and there are even new medications on the market for this condition. There is some truth to doctors diagnosing fibromyalgia when nothing else can be found.

Your fibromyalgia signs and symptoms are going to mimic other diseases and conditions, but not everything will fit. As with conditions like Autism, it is often a matter of elimination before someone is diagnosed properly.

Though the symptoms of Fibromyalgia do mimic other conditions, there are some that are now being recognized as truly things that are only associated with this debilitating condition. What is important to understand about fibromyalgia is that though it is now widely recognized, there are still doctors that hesitate to diagnose anyone with it, and that might mean taking some time to exhaust all other possibilities first.

One of the biggest signs of fibromyalgia would be wide spread pain. Unfortunately, that is a symptom of many, many other conditions. That means you have to add even more to the known fibromyalgia symptoms list to get a true diagnosis. Another common symptom is fatigue.

Those with this condition often are tired during the day because their sleep cycles rarely complete. That means they sleep, but they do not reach the deepest levels of sleep that repair and restore the body, and that leave us feeling rested the next day.

These are probably the two most common symptoms of fibromyalgia that most have and are indications that something is very wrong with the body. Medical attention is needed.

Along with those symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome are symptoms like facial pain and headaches. Some with this condition may also experience joint tenderness, sensitivity to light, sound, and touch, as well as depression. Some of the lesser known symptoms of fibromyalgia include tingling sensations in the outermost extremities, chest pains, anxiety, and even mood changes along with difficulty in concentration.

If you have most of these fibromyalgia syndrome symptoms, you may want to see your doctor for an evaluation. If you are not happy with the diagnosis either for or against, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.

Diet is a cause of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia according to some doctors. But getting help to eliminate the chronic pain common to sufferers can be difficult...

If you are hurting all over and feeling fatigued on a regular basis then it could be fibromyalgia at play. While that's a little hard to determine without seeking proper medical attention, fibromyalgia is often the last thing considered when people suffer these symptoms.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is somewhat of a silent affliction but has been brought more and more to the forefront in the past few years. It's one of those syndromes that is usually considered as a last resort explanation when all else fails yet those who have it have to battle a daily dose of restrictive symptoms.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Let's take a look at some of the symptoms to be aware of with fibro syndrome. Common symptoms include;

- widespread pain
- sleep disturbance
- regular fatigue
- pain in the face
- regular headaches
- sensitivity to touch and noise.
- diarrhoea and or constipation
- anxiety and mood swings

Fibromyalgia Treatment

There is not much information available regarding diet and nutrition for fibromyalgia it is not sure if any diet affects fibromyalgia positively or negatively. As a general rule, eating a well balanced diet that has all the food items from food pyramid is important to keep our body and mind in best shape. Fibromyalgia diet is not special but it just includes food items that are low in fat content and high in oxidants that boost the immunity. These work along with phytochemicals to maximize energy and minimize fatigue.

Some people have been able to deal with fibromyalgia by making some changes in their diet and lifestyle. There are some healthy recipes that can help you cure it and Internet is a good place to look for. You can also talk to a dietician who can draft a diet plan for you.

More Treatment Options

The most important thing that you can do to fight fibromyalgia is to take care of yourself. There are small changes that will take you a long way. It is good to reduce the stress in your life. You must give yourself time to relax and if possible meditate. It is also important to get enough sleep and you can do this by developing good sleep habits like going to bed on time, and getting up at the same time each morning. Limit your daytime sleep so that you can get a good sleep in the night.

Exercise will be very helpful in treating fibromyalgia though it might be difficult initially but persistence is the key. You can start with easy forms of exercise such as walking or swimming and then gradually increase the intensity. Even during the day, keep yourself active. Eat a well balanced diet and avoid alcohol, drugs and caffeine. Engage in the physical activities that interest you.