Fibromyalgia: causes, symptoms and treatments

A caress, a simple touch, moving or simply doing nothing are things that most people find pleasant and pleasant. In general, we enjoy the sensations that our body transmits to us, unless they cause us some kind of discomfort or pain.

However, this exception is the norm for many people who experience chronic pain in most of their body without any clear disease causing it. These are people who suffer from fibromyalgia.

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What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a well-known disease that is characterized mainly by the presence of a constant musculoskeletal pain spread throughout the body. This pain is diffuse and non-specific and lasts for more than three months of persistence.

It also highlights a hypersensitization of different points of the body, called trigger points, in which there is usually hyperalgesia. The threshold from which a perception becomes painful, so that the slightest friction on these points can trigger sensations of great pain.

Symptoms

It has been seen that these people often suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety, symptoms that may be a consequence of the chronicity of his condition and ignorance of the causes of his condition. However, it has also been indicated that its presence may be part of the symptoms of the disorder. They tend to suffer sleeping problems such as conciliation insomnia or frequent awakenings, which in turn facilitates their discomfort and fatigue.

It is also not uncommon for muscle stiffness to appear in the form of cramps, stiffness and even tremors. It is also common for fibromyalgia sufferers to tend to fatigue easily without having to exert themselves. Sometimes these symptoms are added to the presence of other disorders, but these do not explain the generalized pain.

The medical analysis of the patients does not reflect any indication of alterations or injuries that could cause pain. In fact, for many years it has come to be considered a somatoform diseaseas no evidence of actual injury is found despite the perceived pain and suffering being real. However, today it is considered a rheumatic disease. It is more common in women than in men.

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Causes of this disorder

Fibromyalgia is a disorder for which, even today, the exact causes are not fully understood, and it has not been located in this disease. no specific injury that can cause widespread pain.

However, the investigations carried out point to a malfunction of the transmission of serotonin and substance P, which is altered in many of these patients. Specifically, a decrease in serotonin levels has been detected while there is an increase in substance P (the latter is highly involved in the perception of pain).

Altered levels of these substances could cause a abnormal reaction of nerve circuits and the pathways linked to the sensation of pain, causing the body to interpret different sensations as painful.

In addition, it has been considered that it may be due to aspects such as sensitivity to nickel or gluten (although without reaching intolerance), but there is still not enough data in this regard.

It has also been considered that the presence of stressful and / or traumatic events can contribute to the onset of the disorder and its maintenance, especially when taking into account that it is common to Present together with changes in mood or anxiety. This, as we have indicated previously, may be due to the fact that the patient feels helpless and desperate because he cannot give an explanation to her condition.

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Fibromyalgia treatment

Due to the definitive ignorance of the causes of fibromyalgia, the treatment that is applied is usually focus on alleviating their symptoms and improving the quality of life of the patient from a perspective multidisciplinary.

Pharmacological intervention

At the pharmacological level, hypnotic-sedatives such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants with the purpose of reducing fatigue, possible muscle spasms and depressive and anxious symptoms.

They are also in common use pain relievers and anti-inflammatories in order to try to reduce the level of perceived pain.

Psychological intervention

On a psychological level, the use of multimodal programs that take into account a large number of essential factors to improve the condition of the subject in question is recommended.

Within these programs the use of relaxation, meditation, and biofeedback strategies in order to try to reduce the intensity of pain and have a greater capacity to manage it. Physical exercise has been shown to be useful in treatment, especially those of the aerobic type that are carried out in water.

It is necessary that the patient is able to express their feelings and fears as well as working on these and the feelings of helplessness that they may have, so that the subject perceives himself as more competent and capable of controlling the situation.

It is also helpful if the patient try to give meaning to pain and reinterpret it, seeking that he is able to establish different strategies that allow him to face the disorder.

Psychoeducation for the patient and his environment It is also essential, since it is reassuring to receive information about the problem in question (you have to take into account that most subjects do not know what happens to them) and strategies to apply in order to decrease it. In addition, the fact that there are no injuries can lead the environment to think that the person may be simulating a disorder.

Bibliographic references:

• Clariana, S.M. and De los Riós, P. (2012). Health Psychology. CEDE PIR Preparation Manual. CEDE: Madrid.

• Smith, H.S.; Harris, R. & Claw, D. (2011). Fibromyalgia: An Afferent Processing Disorder Leading to a Complex Pain Generalized Syndrome. Pain Physician; 14.