Fibromyalgia
Symptoms of fibromyalgia affect more than 6 million people in the United States, and 90% of those affected are women. It's still unclear why women experience fibromyalgia at a much higher rate than males. According to some medical experts, it's caused by lower serotonin levels in women's brains.
Unfortunately, fibromyalgia patients experience pain, exhaustion, despair, and other typical symptoms before receiving a diagnosis.
There is no immediate treatment for the frequently incapacitating symptoms, just like with other chronic conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal fatigue, and numerous rheumatic conditions. In actuality, many of the symptoms of these illnesses are similar, and in some people, they may coexist.
Both patients and physicians struggle with the complexities of fibromyalgia. Healthcare practitioners once thought that all symptoms were only in the patient's head and that no underlying physiological problems existed, but that was twenty years ago. Additionally, they believed it to be some sort of gender-related exaggeration as it primarily affects women. This is identical to what people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome experienced, as well as what we are currently dealing with in terms of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
Doctors and researchers didn't realize that people with fibromyalgia actually have physiological changes until a study that was published in 2002. In that study, individuals were gradually exposed to unpleasant stimuli, and they were asked to describe any instances of discomfort. The group with fibromyalgia reported feeling pain when the stimuli were half as intense as they were for the control group. These subjects had a twofold increase in pain sensitivity compared to those who did not have the disease.
Brain scans of the same subjects were also conducted, and it was discovered that those with fibromyalgia displayed hyperactivity in particular brain regions compared to those without the illness.
The Fibromyalgia Science
Indeed, current research is in agreement that fibromyalgia affects the central nervous system (CNS). Your CNS is more sensitive to pain and unable to regulate its pain signals if you have fibromyalgia.
It comprises two basic components and is frequently referred to as central sensitization. The first is that the pain signals that are being sent to the rest of your body by your brain cannot be muted or suppressed. The second is that the pain signals traveling from your body to your brain are amplified by your spinal cord, which is a component of your central nervous system. As a result, your muscles experience broad discomfort and tenderness with certain hotspots.
The Relationship Between Fibromyalgia and Food
More and more medical professionals concur that practically all types of chronic inflammation start in the gastrointestinal tract before spreading to other parts of the body. In the case of fibromyalgia, inflammation may travel to the brain and nervous system, causing the microglia to become activated and the neurons to become hyperexcited. Additionally, your musculoskeletal system may become inflamed, resulting in additional discomfort in your muscles and joints.
Slower healing, autoimmunity, recurrent infections, trouble recovering from infections, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), irritable bowel disease (IBD), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), food and drug sensitivities, candida, and pain of unknown origin are additional common symptoms of an unbalanced inflammation circuit.
Common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary in severity from person to person, and they frequently come and go. Long-lasting, widespread pain in muscles and connective tissues without a known cause is a hallmark of fibromyalgia.
According to research, fibromyalgia may actually make the pain worse by altering how the brain interprets pain signals. Common fibromyalgia symptoms, in addition to pain, include:
Fatigue, Headaches, Memory problems, sleep problems, abdominal pain in the lowest part, Procuring points, enduring pain, Depression, Anxiety, fibro fog
Are these fibromyalgia symptoms persistent? Yes, in many instances. In addition, "fibro fog" and sleep issues make this difficult diagnosis much more difficult for many people who already struggle with the pain associated with fibromyalgia. Sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome are examples of frequent sleep problems. Depression, anxiety, and impaired cognitive performance are all consequences of inadequate sleep.
Common Causes of Fibromyalgia Symptoms:
Typically, patients must endure widespread discomfort or persistent muscle aches for at least three months. The doctor may perform a physical "sensitive point" examination, pressing 18 specific locations to assess the patient's level of discomfort and tenderness. Neck, chest, arms, legs close to the knee, at the waist, and just below the buttocks are among the tender places.
A study indicated that nearly half of the patients had tiny nerve fiber neuropathy, suggesting that some fibromyalgia sufferers may genuinely experience neuropathy. That is just nerve discomfort brought on by damage to the tiny nerves that transmit pain and other information from the skin to the brain. So it's possible that neuropathic fibromyalgia is more widespread than previously thought.
Despite the fact that there is no known cause for fibromyalgia, the following have been associated with it:
Genetics
sensitivity to chemicals
food allergies or sensitivities
Viruses
hormonal irregularities
digestion issues
development of Candida
spinal angulations
Stress
lack of neurotransmitters
Stress \PTSD
RESOURCES:
https://www.nature.com/nrneurol/
2022. NP. Malika Katrouche. All Rights Reserved.
