Fibromyalgia

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and tenderness. Researchers don’t fully understand its cause, but evidence suggests that people with fibromyalgia have increased sensitivity to pain and differences in how their nervous system processes painful signals.

Fibromyalgia often occurs alongside autoimmune disorders and conditions that cause inflammation. Symptoms may fluctuate, with periods when pain and other problems become more noticeable.

Does fibromyalgia cause symptoms besides pain?

Although widespread pain is a defining feature, fibromyalgia can produce many other symptoms. Common problems include the following:

• Fatigue
• Poor or unrefreshing sleep
• Muscle and body tenderness
• Headaches
• Digestive problems
• Hyperalgesia (oversensitivity to mildly painful stimuli)
• Allodynia (extreme sensitivity to touch)
• Problems concentrating or remembering information

Difficulty thinking or concentrating is often referred to as fibro fog. The combination of pain, poor sleep, and fatigue also makes physical activity more difficult.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

There’s no single blood test, scan, or other laboratory test that confirms fibromyalgia yet. Dr. Manocha evaluates the location and duration of your pain and asks about fatigue, sleep difficulties, cognitive symptoms, and other health concerns.

Current diagnostic approaches assess widespread pain and symptom severity rather than relying on the older method of counting specific tender points. However, these can still be useful as part of the process.

Tests may be appropriate to investigate other conditions that could be contributing to your symptoms.

What treatments can help fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia treatment usually combines several approaches because no single therapy controls every symptom.

Regular aerobic and strengthening exercise is an important component of management. It can gradually reduce pain and improve function.

Medications may also help. Drugs used specifically for fibromyalgia include duloxetine, milnacipran, and pregabalin. Other medications may be helpful depending on your symptoms, sleep patterns, and existing medical conditions.

How does a pain management specialist help with fibromyalgia?

Pain management experts like Dr. Manocha specialize in evaluating chronic pain. He can determine whether fibromyalgia or another condition may be contributing to your symptoms and coordinate appropriate pain-management strategies.

Fibromyalgia can also exist alongside arthritis, spinal disorders, neuropathy, and other identifiable sources of pain. If Dr. Manocha finds a separate problem contributing to your symptoms, he can recommend targeted treatment for that condition as part of your overall management plan.

For evaluation and treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms, call Interventional Pain Center or schedule an appointment online today.