{"id":619,"date":"2018-02-19T06:44:50","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T06:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefibro-lupusbutterfly.com\/?page_id=619"},"modified":"2026-04-13T19:43:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:13:26","slug":"what-is-fibromyalgia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thefibro-lupusbutterfly.com\/?page_id=619","title":{"rendered":"What is Fibromyalgia?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Fibromyalgia is a very complex disorder that\u00a0produces widespread body pain that can run deep into the core of the joints, can cause disturbed sleep, and make one feel extremely exhausted from head to toe. Fibromyalgia causes pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Muscles can hurt everywhere and feel like you’ve overworked them when in fact, you have not. It is now believed that body-wide pain symptoms are actually magnified by malfunctions in the way the nervous system processes pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The symptoms of Fibromyalgia vary from person to person and are very unpredictable as to when they will occur. Many sufferers get very frustrated by their physical limitations. They feel jilted by not being able to make and keep plans. They feel as though they have to push themselves to get things done. The fatigue and pain associated with Fibromyalgia can be quite debilitating. Many sufferers battle depression due to a severe lifestyle change and trying to cope with these changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most Fibromyalgia sufferers say that their muscles and joints feel out of whack and their muscles may feel that they sometimes twitch or cramp. The pain of Fibromyalgia has no boundaries and many sufferers describe this pain as a deep muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, stabbing, or intense burning. The pain and stiffness is usually worse in the morning and repetitive movements may cause them to hurt more.\u00a0The severity of particular body parts, such as the neck, shoulders and lower back, hips and knees, may be the most troublesome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The muscles in these painful areas, called myofacial trigger points, can feel firm, tight, or knotted up. Pressing on the knotted area causes excruciating pain which may shoot to other muscles when a myofascial trigger point is pressed and can cause all-over body pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The skin may also be sensitive to the touch and can make one feel as though they have bruises when they do not, causing the “bruise-like” feeling on various parts of the body. These feelings can come and go. Some Fibro sufferers get “electric-like” shock sensations as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to describe Fibro clearly to family or friends, try asking them to think back to the last time they had the flu; when every muscle in their body screamed out in pain and all they wanted to do was sleep.\u00a0 That is how Fibromyalgia feels every day<\/em> for many sufferers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fatigue<\/span>\u00a0is a symptom which can be the most incapacitating for people with Fibromyalgia. Sufferers may feel as though their arms and legs are held down with weights and their bodies may feel so drained of energy that every task is an effort…even stirring a cup of coffee is a daunting task.<\/span><\/p>\n

Concentration and clear thinking are also affected,<\/span>\u00a0causing memory issues. Processing new information is\u00a0 troublesome, too. This may seriously interfere with everyday mental tasks.\u00a0This symptom is referred to as “fibro fog” and may hinder daily tasks or interfere with doing one’s job. In particular, Fibromyalgia sufferers have serious difficulty retaining new information if they are distracted. Loud sounds can also produce a problem with retaining spoken information. <\/span><\/p>\n

Simple processes they have been doing for years can be difficult for them to remember. These issues may not be daily, but sporadically, coming on with no notice, which makes it difficult to function. Stressful situations can also make it hard to think clearly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Migraine or tension headaches can be experienced on a regular basis as well. Most headaches are described as severe and can occur as often as several times a week. The pain from myofascial trigger points in the neck and shoulder muscles have been suspected to be responsible for most of these tension-type headaches. Most play a role in these Fibro migraines.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, What is Chronic Pain?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than 3 months. Widespread pain is defined as pain both above and below the waist and on both the right and left sides of the body. That\u2019s the main symptom of Fibromyalgia: widespread muscle pain and tenderness that is symmetrical and lasts longer than 3 months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fibromyalgia may rarely be described as \u201cmild.\u201d On “bad” days, intense pain can get in the way of doing normal day-to-day activities. On a “normal” day, pain is their ever-present companion no matter what they do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some Fibromyalgia sufferers describe their pain as \u201call over\u201d or \u201ceverywhere.\u201d\u00a0 For some, it is mostly pain in the joints and surrounding muscle areas. The pain and stiffness are usually worst when they wake up; then it improves during the day until they take a moment to rest and the cycle starts all over again.\u00a0 Symptoms may increase at night when they try to sleep. Still other people have all-day, non-stop pain. This could include combinations of neck pain, arm pain, shoulder pain, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, feet pain; pain in just about every body part. <\/span><\/p>\n

These examples may fluctuate on a daily basis depending on levels of activities being done which is why pain gets worse with physical activity, stress, or anxiety.\u00a0They may come across as a hypochondriac. This is definitely NOT the case. Their pain is real.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fibromyalgia patients may also be more sensitive to things around them. This may include heat\/cold, bright lights, loud sounds, and more. Even a gentle hug could be painful. Sunglasses are worn when outside due to light sensitivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Pain is your body\u2019s way of telling you something is wrong. If you burn your hand, your nerves send pain signals to your brain. This pain is sort of like a “protector.\u201d It warns you to take action (or stop what you are doing) because an injury has occurred.<\/span><\/p>\n

That kind of pain is easy to understand. But can a person with Fibromyalgia explain the reason for the pain? Not usually, because their pain is not caused by an injury.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many Fibros suffer from\u00a0Allodynia<\/a>\u2014pain on “normal” things like a hug or handshake that can feel painful.\u00a0<\/span>Allodynia may also include increased sensitivity to smells, bright lights, loud sounds, changes in weather, heat, cold, and various foods. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, some people find they are more sensitive to light, so they need to wear sunglasses. Skin sensitivities may require the use of sunscreen to avoid rashes breaking out. People sensitive to sound may describe sounds as piercing or painfully loud. Sudden loud noises can cause them to jump, which wreaks havoc on their Fibro bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many researchers believe that the pain of Fibromyalgia comes from \u201ccentral sensitization.\u201d This means that the problem might be a result of overactive nerves in the central nervous system<\/a> (CNS) which can cause a more intense response to pain.\u00a0<\/span>The CNS is made up of the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves that control physical activities. For Fibro patients, this possible problem in the central nervous system may lead to a greater sensitivity to pain. It\u2019s almost as if the \u201cvolume control\u201d for pain is turned way up. Hopefully more research can be dedicated to this idea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other conditions, like the pain of rheumatoid arthritis<\/a> comes from inflammation. (This is an immune system response to infection, irritation, or other injury.) But early studies showed that inflammation does not appear to be the problem with Fibromyalgia. So researchers are still searching for other answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fibromyalgia can be a progressive and aggressive disorder. Keeping communications with your Rheumatologist can help him\/her stay informed about how you are feeling and what you are experiencing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are so many symptoms that can occur with Fibromyalgia that all one has to do is cross-reference Fibromyalgia with a variety of symptoms such as, but not limited to, miagrines, excess phlemn in the throat, foot cramps, bruised feelings everywhere, nerve pain on the scalp, etc. and they will find that it is all related to this dread condition.<\/span><\/div>\n
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There are other conditions that have symptoms which are similar to those of Fibromyalgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

These conditions can often occur\u00a0together with <\/em>Fibromyalgia. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to understand that a diagnosis of other conditions does not rule out a Fibromyalgia diagnosis. (And, in turn, a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia\u00a0does not<\/em>\u00a0rule out other conditions.)<\/span><\/p>\n

The presence of these overlapping conditions can make a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia difficult to see. This is yet another reason so many Fibromyalgia sufferers struggle to get a diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was not until recently that Fibromyalgia has begun to be understood, let alone accepted. <\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that\u00a0<\/span>Fibromyalgia was once thought to be a mental disorder? It was first described by doctors in the early 1800s. They wrote about a health condition called \u201cmuscular rheumatism.\u201d The symptoms were stiffness, aches, pains, tiredness, and difficulty sleeping. It was a<\/span>\u00a0doctor in Scotland who first described the tender points of Fibromyalgia in the early 1820s.\u00a0<\/span>Eighty years later, the term \u201cfibrositis\u201d was first used. <\/span><\/p>\n

Because inflammation (swelling) was thought to be a cause of the pain, the ending \u201citis\u201d was given.\u00a0<\/span>In 1976, the name of the condition was changed to \u201cFibromyalgia.\u201d Inflamation in the body was no longer believed to be the cause of pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The term Fibromyalgia is taken from Latin and Greek words:<\/span><\/p>\n