Posts
Should Fibromyalgia Be Considered A Real Disease?
A significant amount of people with chronic pain end up with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Some patients have the known signs of tender points, while others experience more diffuse pain that is not localized to one specific anatomic area.
Fibromyalgia is not a distinct condition with a single pain generating mechanism. It is a common complicated condition that is characterized by a heightened pain perception with a number of precipitating factors. What is often seen is a wide variety of presenting complaints, such as headaches, shooting pains in the extremities, irritable bowel syndrome, generalized aching, and other endocrine problems.
The specific cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. Professors, researchers, and clinicians do not understand why patients end up with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. A significant amount of the time patients present with restless leg syndrome, disturbed sleep patterns, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, but no established cause can be figured out.
There have been some research studies looking at a relationship between a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and pre-adolescent sexual abuse. Pre-adolescent sexual abuse can lead to numerous medical problems down the road such as fibromyalgia, chronic migraine headaches, along with the potential for autoimmune diseases and hypertension. What needs to be explored in the patient physician relationship is whether or not a history of such a tragedy exists.
Since the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, it can't be said that depression is the reason for it, but it commonly co-exists with fibromyalgia. There are a number of anti-depressants that work extremely well for the disease so we do know that depression is a common comorbid disease.
Fibromyalgia is a very frustrating disease. It presents with a constellation of symptoms that do not have a single cause and for which we do not understand how the disease comes about. We do know that there is often times mental health comorbidities. Fortunately in the current medical treatment era, there are numerous medications that have been shown to help dramatically with patients symptoms of fibromyalgia. Some of these are FDA approved, while others are not but still work exceptionally well for the condition. These medications include duloxetine, tricyclic antidepressants, tramadol, milnacipran, and pregabalin. Opioid medications are currently falling out of favor for fibromyalgia due to their ineffectiveness and multiple side effects.
Fibromyalgia is not a distinct condition with a single pain generating mechanism. It is a common complicated condition that is characterized by a heightened pain perception with a number of precipitating factors. What is often seen is a wide variety of presenting complaints, such as headaches, shooting pains in the extremities, irritable bowel syndrome, generalized aching, and other endocrine problems.
The specific cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. Professors, researchers, and clinicians do not understand why patients end up with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. A significant amount of the time patients present with restless leg syndrome, disturbed sleep patterns, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, but no established cause can be figured out.
There have been some research studies looking at a relationship between a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and pre-adolescent sexual abuse. Pre-adolescent sexual abuse can lead to numerous medical problems down the road such as fibromyalgia, chronic migraine headaches, along with the potential for autoimmune diseases and hypertension. What needs to be explored in the patient physician relationship is whether or not a history of such a tragedy exists.
Since the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, it can't be said that depression is the reason for it, but it commonly co-exists with fibromyalgia. There are a number of anti-depressants that work extremely well for the disease so we do know that depression is a common comorbid disease.
Fibromyalgia is a very frustrating disease. It presents with a constellation of symptoms that do not have a single cause and for which we do not understand how the disease comes about. We do know that there is often times mental health comorbidities. Fortunately in the current medical treatment era, there are numerous medications that have been shown to help dramatically with patients symptoms of fibromyalgia. Some of these are FDA approved, while others are not but still work exceptionally well for the condition. These medications include duloxetine, tricyclic antidepressants, tramadol, milnacipran, and pregabalin. Opioid medications are currently falling out of favor for fibromyalgia due to their ineffectiveness and multiple side effects.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about Arizona alternative medicine, then visit Phoenix Integrative Medicine's site on how to choose the best Naturopathic doctors arizona for your needs.
0 comments:
Post a Comment