Is Fibromyalgia Real?

Many of us experience pain in one or the other body part like the head, hand, or leg. Usually, it is a result of the wrong sleeping position or overexertion of that particular part. It also subsides within a few days or a week at max.

When it comes to a health condition called fibromyalgia, though, the pain experienced does not go away. A chronic condition affecting most of the world’s population, fibromyalgia, through its plethora of signs and symptoms, is usually relegated as a product of a person’s imagination. Afterall, how can one experience pain throughout the body at once?

After completing your check-up, even doctors often dismiss your symptoms as a product of your mental health condition like anxiety and depression. Well, we are here to tell you that it is certainly not a product of a person’s imagination. Fibromyalgia exists, and it is real.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Caption: Woman suffering from body pain, Credits: Pixabay

Fibromyalgia is a health disorder. It is characterized by a significant amount of muscular and skeletal pain. It is usually accompanied by other indicators like headaches, sleeping problems, mood swings, and memory loss.

Researchers have concluded that this condition is primarily caused by a malfunctioning of a person’s nervous system. In it, the brain is unable to process the pain signals from the body. Due to this, it enhances the magnitude of the usual pain signals, which causes the body to feel pain without any natural physical cause.

What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

Caption: Man suffering from neck pain, Credits: Pixabay

As mentioned before, fibromyalgia comes with a wide range of signs and symptoms. Sometimes it gets a bit confusing, and people often wonder, what are the first signs of fibromyalgia? To end this confusion once and for all, we provide you with a complete fibromyalgia symptoms checklist that will further assist you in the speedy diagnosis of this condition if you feel like you may be suffering from it.

1. Extreme pain, particularly in areas like back or neck.

2. Extreme sensitivity to pain, to the extent of feeling pain even from a slight touch.

3. Stiffness in various body parts, particularly those that have remained in the same position for long.

4. Intense fatigue that may come over suddenly and leave you feeling completely exhausted.

5. Severe fibromyalgia leg pain, hand, and feet pain

6. Non-restorative, or poor sleep, which can make you feel tired all the time.

7. An inability to focus, trouble in learning new things, and confused speech (fibro fog).

8. Frequent headaches that range in intensity from mild to intense.

9. Gastrointestinal problems in the form of IBS which may cause bloating or diarrhea.

10. Constant leg movement (restless leg syndrome)

11. Feeling of tingling or numbness in certain areas of your hands and feet.

12. Women may experience a painful period cycle.

13. Depression and anxiety

Is There a Treatment for Fibromyalgia?

Caption: A bottle and pills, Credits: Pixabay

Unfortunately, currently, there is no specific treatment line for this condition. Due to the range of symptoms, a single treatment has not yet been discovered. Medicines prescribed to deal with the pain in fibromyalgia include the following:

1. Milnacipran

2. Pregabalin

3. Duloxetine

Alternatively, patients can manage the condition at home by ensuring they get adequate sleep, exercising, and minimizing stress.

Fibromyalgia is an excruciating and challenging condition to live with. Although no medicine can stop the pain that comes with this disorder, people can reduce the severity of their symptoms through various prescriptions or over the counter drugs.