What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition whereby your body’s normal receptors in the central nervous system transform non-painful signals into painful ones; thus leaving the sufferer feeling localised pain where there shouldn’t be any.

The condition is similar to M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) in some of its symptoms but where it differs is in how it is diagnosed. Fibromyalgia is very difficult to diagnose whereas M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) has some tell-tale signs.

How Do I Know if I Have Fibromyalgia?

Unfortunately for sufferers of Fibromyalgia if you haven’t already had a diagnosis from your doctor then you may have quite a wait before a diagnosis is settled upon. Many individuals who suffer from the condition do so under something of a cloud; that cloud is not only a lack of diagnosis but also the knowledge that if Fibromyalgia is diagnosed then it has no cure.

Many sufferers of Fibromyalgia have to wait some time for a diagnosis to be made and it can be made only after all other conditions including M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) have been ruled out. Indeed so difficult is it to diagnose that it can take a number of years before your doctor – after consulting with specialists and consultants – will settle on a final diagnosis.

The Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia has a number of symptoms which are common among many sufferers; having said this many sufferers also experience a completely different set of symptoms depending on the severity of their condition. Here, however, we list the most common symptoms to be had by Fibromyalgia sufferers:

• Fatigue
• Muscle stiffness
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Poor short term memory
• Inability to concentrate
• Tinnitus

As mentioned previously the aforementioned list is just a selection of the variety of symptoms that are experienced by the many Fibromyalgia sufferers in the United Kingdom alone. These symptoms are also accompanied by a wider variety of symptoms that are specific to each individual case and any doctor will tell you that no two Fibromyalgia sufferers experience exactly the same set of symptoms.

What Can I Do if I Have Fibromyalgia?

Unfortunately the answer to this question is not the most positive; the answer is simply there is not much you can do as Fibromyalgia has no cure. Your doctor however can help treat certain aspects of the condition such as the pain factor and the inability to sleep. However he or she cannot provide you with an all-in-one cure as Fibromyalgia and M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) simply do not have one.

The severity of your condition depends on what kind of lifestyle you lead. Some sufferers only have occasional ‘flare-ups’ and manage to continue with their lives in much the same way as they did before the condition arose; however there are others at the other end of the spectrum who find that the Fibromyalgia is so chronic that they are unable to function in the same way.

Chronic sufferers of the condition experience a complete change in their lifestyle and do find that they have to sacrifice certain activities – in particular those which involve a lot of physical movement. They may also experience problems with everyday tasks that they would have normally taken for granted.

Making Changes to My Lifestyle

Your doctor will give you advice and support and will be able to put you in touch with support groups where you can meet with other Fibromyalgia sufferers – these groups are invaluable as you can learn from other people’s experiences and no longer have to feel as though you are suffering alone.