May 12th is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!!
Posted By Danette on May 12, 2010
Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain disorder that affects over 2-4% of the WORLDS population. While science is starting to learn more about this disorder, it still remains one of the most misunderstood disorders around. In fact, most people who live with fibromyalgia spend 2-15 years fighting with doctors searching for an answer to their strange symptoms.
So what are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Chronic wide-spread pain which has been present for 3 months or more in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, fatigue, multiple tender points (places on your body where the slightest touch hurts). Most fibromyalgia patients also report sensitivity to light, sound and noise, they suffer with IBS and various allergies, TMJ, depression, headaches (often migraines), sometimes arthritis and PTSD. Fibromyalgia patients wake up feeling like they’ve been “hit by a mack truck” every morning no matter how much (or how little) sleep they’ve had. Often nerve pain is present in the form of shooting, numbing, tingling, stabbing pain in any or all 4 extremities. Other diseases such as PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, many forms of arthritis, Lupus, spinal diseases and more can be secondary diseases that fibromyalgia patients develop.
What causes fibromyalgia?
While science is still researching this, there are many theories that have been studied and shown to be present in the history of many fibromyalgia patients. Many report some form of accident, be it a car accident or slip or fall for example. Others report some form of trauma. 64% of fibromyalgia patients report some form of abuse in their past. Some patients develop fibromyalgia after an illness or a hospital stay. Studies have also shown that fibromyalgia seems to have a genetic component.
Science now shows that fibromyalgia is believed to be the cause of over active nerves. This activity in the central nervous system of fibromyalgia patients causes mixed signals between the pain sensors and the brain. Studies have also shown that the length and intensity of the trauma that a fibromyalgia patient suffers directly correlates to the level of their fibromyalgia pain. For example, someone who lived through years of physical abuse suffers from a more severe pain level.
To date there is no cure. Fibromyalgia is so complex, so widespread that currently there is not a “one fix wonder”. There are prescription meds that help maintain the pain level for fibromyalgia patients, but even that does not stop the pain. While some fibromyalgia patients can manage to continue working, there are more and more of us each day who just cannot continue to work. Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease…it is a chronic disease that we are living with each and every day.
To read more about Fibromyalgia, and for some helpful tips-
read more here
We also sell some great fibromyalgia products in our store
Earth Day is April 22nd, so in honor of Earth Day, I have compiled a list of 10 easy things you can do, to help keep our earth luscious and green! Every one person who does even one thing on this list makes a difference!
