Fibromyalgia And Pain - How To Overcome It And The Discomfort

SUMMARY Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, a collection of signs, symptoms and medical problems that has baffled medical science. It is characterized by muscular- skeletal pain, fatigue and other mental and sleep issues. The chronic pain spreads throughout the body making it difficult for the doctor to pinpoint the exact source of the pain. Medications and natural treatments help to control the symptoms but not cure the pain. Doctors advise sufferers to change their lifestyle and eating habits, exercise often and reduce their stress levels.

What is fibromyalgia?

The medical community is baffled by this disorder which is characterized by muscular-skeletal pain and fatigue. These pains spread throughout the body and the doctor is not able to locate their source.

There are many theories, but doctors have so far been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of fibromyalgia and pain. Diagnosis is difficult because fibromyalgia is a syndrome, a collection of signs, symptoms and medical problems.

Researchers believe it could be due to a number of factors like genetics, infections and physical or emotional traumas working together.

Some Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia

One of the symptoms is "fibro fog" which undermines the ability to focus, pay attention and concentrate on mental tasks. Patients experience depression, anxiety, headaches, muscle spasms, muscle pains,joint pains, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and insomnia. There are also other symptoms.

The chronic and severe pains have an adverse impact on the quality of life of the sufferer.

Researchers believe that when the way the brain processes pain signals is affected, painful sensations are intensified. There is no cure for fibromyalgia but a wide range of medications can relieve the symptoms.

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia

The doctor will first determine by blood tests and X-rays whether there are any underlying conditions. Pain will occur in 11 out of 18 tender points above and below the waist for at least 3 months. Some doctors have done away with tender point testing as they are not sure how much pressure should be applied there.

What Medications Can Relieve The Pain And Improve Sleep?

Pain Relievers:Non-prescription drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol),ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB and naproxen sodium (Aleve).Prescription drugs tramadol (Ultram, Conzip).

Anti-Depressants:Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) amitriptyline or fluoxetine (Prozac)

Anti-Seizure Drugs:Gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise).The first FDA-approved medication to treat fibromyalgia is Pregabalin (Lyrica)

The medications mentioned above are also sold under different brand names

Natural And Alternative Treatments

Fibromyalgia is prevalent among middle-aged women, who do not consume a proper diet, overwork or live in a toxic environment. While it is not possible to remove all the risk factors of fibromyalgia, these can be minimized if the sufferer adopts some lifestyle changes:

Eat Healthy Food

Detoxify on a regular basis

Exercise moderately

Reduce stress

Get enough sleep

Doctors have found that there is a link between food and fibromyalgia. Reduce the intake of fatty foods, carbs, caffeine, soft drinks, alcohol and refined white sugar and take in more proteins. Lean proteins like skinless chicken,lean beef and fish provide fuel for your body, keep energy levels up and help with hypoglycemia while carbs help the body to make insulin. An excess of this can lead to the body storing fat which is bad for fibromyalgia patients.

Caffeine is a diuretic and can aggravate IBS symptoms while alcohol has an adverse impact on the digestive tract and bowels. White sugar is detrimental for the immune system and disrupts sleep patterns. Hypoglycemia is often the result of a sudden surge of glucose in our bloodstream after eating a carbohydrate-rich food. Avoid cigarettes and drugs as they are harmful for the system.

For best results food should be organic. Not only are the fruits and vegetables mentioned below healthy but they are also good detoxifiers. Avoid processed and junk foods and take fresh fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Magnesium a muscle relaxer is present in avocados,spinach,swiss chard, almonds, peanuts and hazelnuts while calcium comes from dandelion, greens, collards, kale, broccoli, mustard greens, sesame seeds and sunflower.

As fatigue is one of the main characteristics of this condition, it is essential for the patient to get sufficient sleep. Serotonin helps to induce sleep and relieve fatigue, anxiety, depression and fibro fog and improve memory. You can get it from raw cacao, walnuts, avocados, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, peanuts, tomatoes, broccoli, melons, dates,mushrooms, eggplant, figs, grapefruit, spinach,and hickory.

The toxins in the system of a sufferer are harmful. A juice fast may be too severe for fibromyalgia patients. Instead it is better to drink plenty of fresh juice and lots of water to flush out the toxins.

Get the advice of a qualified person to design a suitable exercise program for you. The correct exercises will relieve muscular and joint pains. Some of those recommended are stretching, swimming and aerobics. Other exercise systems like Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Pilates are also helpful. So pick the one that suits your condition.

Finally high stress levels is bad for everyone. In fibromyalgia patients, it can cause all kinds of health problems and chronic fatigue. Meditation, yoga massage therapy and acupuncture help to relieve stress.

The medications, natural, alternative treatments help to relieve some of the pain from fibromyalgia and promote sleep.

RESOURCE BOX Discover How You Can Combat The Constant Fatigue & Debilitating Pain of Fibromyalgia With 6 All-Natural Simple Methods Eliminate Fibromyalgia . http://fibromyalgiaandpain.blogspot.sg/