By Jackie Manning, ARNP, Strive! Health and Rehabilitation
Ouch! Do you suffer from fibromyalgia? Unfortunately, a simple blood test will not show this condition, which makes it particularly difficult to diagnose. To make things worse, many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar to other diseases/conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, which can also be accompanied by mysterious pain. At Strive, we are here to help patients understand where their pain is coming from and how to manage it!
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA (aka Fibro)?
Patients may have some or all of the following:
-chronic muscle pain in multiple locations
-fatigue
-“brain fog”
-stress & anxiety
-numbness
-muscle cramping
-swelling.
DO YOU HAVE THE SYMPTOMS?
The condition is difficult, but not impossible to pin down. While fibromyalgia patients have some symptoms in common with other diseases, trained healthcare providers look for the symptoms that stand part. Widespread muscle pain all over the body, points to fibromyalgia in particular. In similar conditions, the pain is felt in a more localized area. It is important to note though, that patients can have other conditions in addition to fibro. When diagnosing fibromyalgia, your healthcare provider may ask a series of questions. “How is your quality of sleep?” may be a telling one. Sleep tends to be affected with fibromyalgia, getting in the way of true rest and rejuvenation. Evaluating and determining “tender points” will also be beneficial in the diagnosis. These “tender points” trigger pain when touched.
At STRIVE, we offer a variety of tried and true pain management therapies. Give us a call today, and one of our trained healthcare team members will assist you in getting back to living and enjoying life.
