If you know someone who suffers from fibromyalgia, you may be struggling to understand what he or she is going through. If you are the person who is dealing with fibromyalgia, you may have trouble explaining your symptoms.
This list of 7 fibromyalgia symptoms is designed to help people understand or explain the condition better. Then we will look closer at a form of natural care that is providing hope.
Table of Contents
FM Symptom 1 – Central Sensitization of Pain
One thing that researchers are starting to realize is that pain felt by fibromyalgia sufferers may be due in part to central sensitization. This is a process that involves the body amping up pain signals. Why? In order to get you to respond to a dangerous situation.
For example, if you accidentally put your hand down on a hot stove, you feel a great deal of pain and immediately pull your hand away. Once you take your hand away, the burn continues to hurt, but not nearly as bad as while you were in the emergency situation. But imagine if your body went into this mode because of normal everyday occurrences like weather changes or because you encounter a strong smell or bright light.
That is what it is like living with fibromyalgia. Even the gentle touch of a loved one may be painful in such a state.
FM Symptom 2 – Chronic Fatigue
If it took a while for your doctor to decide whether you had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or fibromyalgia, this symptom may have been part of the problem. Fibromyalgia pain comes and goes, but the fatigue is often persistent. Thus, if you go to the doctor on a good pain day, you may be more likely to get a CFS diagnosis. It is important not to overdo it on your good days or the exhaustion may be even worse in the days that follow.
FM Symptom 3 – Depression and Anxiety
While depression and anxiety are not necessarily symptoms of fibromyalgia, they go hand in hand as associated conditions. This is partly because of the stigma of fibromyalgia. No one wants to be sick, and it can be very frustrating to go from being able to put in a long day of work to struggling after a light morning.
Plus, social anxiety can quickly set in. How will your friends respond to your condition? What if you have to cancel plans at the last minute? Should you even bother making plans in the first place? These thoughts lead to anxiety and stress that can actually make the pain and other symptoms worse.
FM Symptom 4 – Sleep Problems
While you may find yourself too tired to get out of bed during the day, you may feel wide awake at night. This is a catch 22 that many fibromyalgia patients face. Lack of sleep actually increases pain levels in the body and makes the condition worse, but being bedridden some days leads to trouble sleeping at night. It is vital to maintain a proper sleep schedule when dealing with a chronic illness. Learning to create the right environment for sleep at night is an important part of care.
FM Symptom 5 – Fibro Fog
The cognitive symptoms of fibromyalgia are often referred to as fibro fog. The mental cloudiness, memory problems, retention issues, confusion, and lack of focus make up one of the toughest symptoms to deal with. Everything from work to home life suffers when a person can’t think clearly. You may struggle to find your keys, wallet, or phone on a regular basis if you don’t have a place that you always put down the essentials. Mistakes on the job combined with missed work days due to health may even lead to loss of a career.
FM Symptom 6 – Sensory Sensitivities
Much of the pain of fibromyalgia comes from an extreme sensitivity to touch. However, this isn’t the only sense that ends up in overdrive. Bright lights, loud sounds, and strong smells can also trigger the mental confusion, pain, and exhaustion associated with the condition.
FM Symptom 7 – Associated Conditions
Unfortunately, when a person has fibromyalgia, he or she is at greater risk for a number of other conditions including the depression and anxiety noted above. Other associated conditions include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic migraines or tension headaches. Between the stress of long-term disease, side effects from pain medications, and the potential for genetic predispositions, it is understandable that these other conditions are more common for fibromyalgia sufferers.
Fibromyalgia Relief in Rochester Hills MI
If you are suffering from this painful condition, you may be happy to learn that some fibromyalgia patients have responded well to a subspecialty of chiropractic care called upper cervical. This is a very precise and gentle form of chiropractic that involves the use of diagnostic imaging to pinpoint misalignments of the atlas (C1) to hundredths of a degree. Then a low force correction is used to deliver the adjustment.
When the atlas is misaligned, it can affect brainstem function as well as blood flow to the brain. These factors can contribute to fibromyalgia symptoms. Therefore, if the onset of your condition occurred in the months or years following some type of accident or injury, it is worth getting an examination to learn if a misalignment is an underlying factor.
To learn more about upper cervical chiropractic and the potential benefits for fibromyalgia and other chronic conditions, contact a practitioner near you. A no-obligation consultation may be your first step on the path to better overall health and well-being.
To schedule a complimentary NUCCA consultation, call 248-831-0729 or just click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.