Physical Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Marlene Gundlach - June 28, 2008
The physical symptoms that accompany fibromyalgia are the first to send patients to the doctor for a diagnosis. The chronic pain and fatigue are the two major complaints of FMS patients.
Chronic Pain
The most frequent complaint of fibromyalgia patients is chronic pain. Chronic pain is sometimes better and sometimes worse, but it is always there. Not only does the pain cause you discomfort, but over the long term it can be bad for your body. With the constant stress of chronic pain, your body can wear down from the added strain. This can lead to a weakened immune system and leave you prone to other illnesses. The latest flu strain will hit you much harder when your system is compromised by chronic pain. Chronic pain will also deplete your energy, taking you away from completing daily activities. It may become harder to get out of bed, to climb into the shower, or work in your garden. These changes in your lifestyle can then lead to depression as your life slowly changes in an undesirable way.
Fatigue
Chronic pain in turn leads to another symptom that will change your mood and behavior. Fatigue associated with fibromyalgia is not just a feeling of being tired. You are extremely exhausted, and the pain often will not allow you to get a restful night’s sleep. The pain - lack of sleep cycle is hard to escape. Often, the more you hurt, the less you sleep. That lack of restorative sleep will lead to more pain, and the cycle continues.
The fatigue associated with fibromyalgia syndrome (”FMS”) is sometimes misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome (”CFS”). The difference between these two conditions is the order in which the symptoms appear. The fatigue that comes with fibromyalgia is a secondary symptom caused by the chronic pain a patient suffers from. When you have chronic fatigue syndrome, the fatigue is the initial symptom and comes well before any pain appears. It is not uncommon for people to simultaneously suffer from both CFS and FMS, making it increasingly difficult to diagnose these conditions.
Tender Points
Tender points are the key to diagnosing fibromyalgia. These tender areas on the body are painful to the touch. For an official diagnosis, a person must feel pain in 11 or more of these points. Your doctor will go through the 18 points and apply pressure to each to see if they cause you pain.
Trigger Points
Trigger points are different from tender points. Tender points hurt, trigger points hurt and transfer pain to other parts of the body. If your muscles feel hard and pressing on them causes a painful reaction in other parts of the body, trigger points are responsible. They feel like a knot in the soft tissue, ranging from the size of a pea to the size of a large grape. Trigger points can also cause myofascial pain, which can be treated with massage or other forms of physical therapy. Myofascial pain is in the thin wrapping around the muscle. The myofascial trigger points are the most common, but are difficult for doctors to diagnose.
The pain felt from a trigger point is generally a steady, dull ache. In addition to the pain, the trigger points can cause tingling, numbness, dizziness, and nausea. While massage may work in relieving trigger points, cortisone shots, a local anaesthetic, or acupuncture can also be administered. When your trigger points are particularly painful, a gentle stretching program is helpful. When they are not active, a more regimented exercise routine is beneficial.
Stiffness
Many fibromyalgia sufferers complain of muscle stiffness when they first get up in the morning. It feels like a tightening of the muscles and joints throughout the body and can last anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours. The stiffness is often severe enough to limit movement and cause pain. Some believe that the weather can bring on episodes of muscle stiffness, and others feel it is related to sleep disorders. Some also believe that it can be brought on by overuse of the muscle groups or by stress. If you suffer from these symptoms, often the easiest way to get relief is to keep moving. Establish a stretching or exercise routine in the morning to get the muscles moving and find some relief from the stiffness and pain.
Numbness and Tingling in Feet
One other common symptom of fibromyalgia is a numbness or tingling in the feet and hands or it may occur throughout the body. These sensations can be intermittent and there may be no pattern to where it is felt or how long it lasts. Fibromyalgia patients are also more likely to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that results from nerve compression in the wrists, leaving a tingling sensation or numbness.
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The general numbness and tingling associated with fibro can be a result of an injury to a nerve or may be linked to an electrolyte imbalance. Because the cause of the numbness and tingling can vary, it is important to discuss the symptom with your doctor so that you can pinpoint the cause of the problem before seeking treatment.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
An estimated 50-75% of fibromyalgia patients suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (”IBS”). IBS is a gastrointestinal condition characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, and constipation. Although there is no known cause for IBS, it is believed to be connected to a problem within the large intestine. Although it is a major inconvenience, IBS is not a health threat. It is not connected to any serious disease nor does it cause any permanent damage.
In most instances, IBS can be treated by altering your diet to include more high-fiber foods. Eliminating fried foods, high-fat foods, and caffeine can also help to manage the condition. A food diary may help you find what your food triggers are. Write down everything that you are eating and then pay attention to when you experience an IBS flare-up. This can help you to pinpoint what types of foods you may need to remove from your diet.
Treating the symptoms with anti-diarrhea medications or laxatives may become necessary, but should only be used in the short term. Consult your doctor if the diet changes or over the counter remedies do not relieve your symptoms, as a prescription may be necessary to control the condition. A good source of information on irritable bowel syndrome is the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Self Help and Support Group.