>The
word fibromyalgia comes from the Latin term for fibrous tissue (fibro)
and the Greek terms for muscle (myo) and pain (algia).
>Fibromyalgia is considered a muscle condition. It is not a form of arthritis (a disease of the joints) because it does not cause inflammation in the joints.
>Fibromyalgia predominantly affects women (more than 80%) between the ages of 35 and 55. Less commonly, fibromyalgia affects men, children, and the elderly.
>While there is no known cause for fibromyalgia, recent research has revealed new facts about the disease. Fibromyalgia patients have elevated levels of the nerve chemical signal substance P and nerve growth factor in their spinal fluid. They tend to have low levels of the brain nerve chemical serotonin and impaired non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep phase (which likely explains the common feature of awakening fatigued and unrefreshed).
>There is also no definitive laboratory test for fibromyalgia.
>Additional factors can increase fibromyalgia pain. The pain of fibromyalgia can sometimes be further aggravated by sensory stressors such as noise, weather change, bright lights, and emotional stress.
>Fatigue occurs in approximately 90% of fibromyalgia patients.
>More than half of fibromyalgia patients experience mental and/ or emotional disturbances.
>Other symptoms include migraine and tension headaches, numbness or tingling of different body parts, abdominal pain related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and irritable bladder, causing painful and frequent urination.
>Patient education is an important first step in understanding and coping with the diverse symptoms of fibromyalgia. Community hospital support groups and the local chapters of the Arthritis Foundation have become important educational resources for patients.
>Fibromyalgia is considered a muscle condition. It is not a form of arthritis (a disease of the joints) because it does not cause inflammation in the joints.
>Fibromyalgia predominantly affects women (more than 80%) between the ages of 35 and 55. Less commonly, fibromyalgia affects men, children, and the elderly.
>While there is no known cause for fibromyalgia, recent research has revealed new facts about the disease. Fibromyalgia patients have elevated levels of the nerve chemical signal substance P and nerve growth factor in their spinal fluid. They tend to have low levels of the brain nerve chemical serotonin and impaired non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep phase (which likely explains the common feature of awakening fatigued and unrefreshed).
>There is also no definitive laboratory test for fibromyalgia.
>Additional factors can increase fibromyalgia pain. The pain of fibromyalgia can sometimes be further aggravated by sensory stressors such as noise, weather change, bright lights, and emotional stress.
>Fatigue occurs in approximately 90% of fibromyalgia patients.
>More than half of fibromyalgia patients experience mental and/ or emotional disturbances.
>Other symptoms include migraine and tension headaches, numbness or tingling of different body parts, abdominal pain related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and irritable bladder, causing painful and frequent urination.
>Patient education is an important first step in understanding and coping with the diverse symptoms of fibromyalgia. Community hospital support groups and the local chapters of the Arthritis Foundation have become important educational resources for patients.
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