Say study authors: ‘Patient–reported joint assessment may aid in capturing flares between routine clinical visits.’
No one knows how you’re feeling better than you, but do your symptoms actually correlate to objective measures of disease activity? A new study points to yes.
In the study, which was published in the journal Rheumatology, researchers followed 80 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for one year. At the beginning of the study, all participants were either in remission or had low levels of disease activity (DAS28-CRP <3.2). Throughout the year, 36 percent of patients reported a hand flare — and clinical exams and ultrasounds confirmed that what the patients were sensing was accurately reflecting what was happening inside their bodies.
“Self-reported flares were associated with increased disease activity as determined by clinical examination and [ultrasound],” the authors wrote. “Patient-reported joint assessment may aid in capturing flares between routine clinical visits.”
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood problems. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting how the brain and spinal cord treat painful and non-painful signals.
Symptoms often begin after an event, such as pain, physical trauma, surgery, infection, or severe psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time without a single trigger event. Women are more likely to develop widespread pain in fibromyalgia than men.
Many people with fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression. Although there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of drugs can help control your symptoms. Exercise, relaxation, and stress reduction measures can also help.
May is month is used as fibromyalgia chronic condition awareness.
Widespread pain. Generalized pain. Pain associated with fibromyalgia is often described as a constant dull pain that lasted at least three months. To be considered widespread, pain should occur on both sides of the body and above and below the waist.
Fatigue. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired, even if they report sleeping for long periods of time. Sleep is often disturbed by pain, and many patients with fibromyalgia have other sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea.
Cognitive difficulties. A symptom commonly called “fibro fog” impairs the ability to focus, pay attention and focus on mental tasks.
The fibromyalgia symptoms list that we present on this page is an addition to the main Fibromyalgia Symptoms page (our unique perspective on dealing with various fibromyalgia symptoms using our protocol) Why do you NEED an accurate SYMPTOMS LIST?
Well, because there are too many generic inaccurate fibromyalgia symptoms list out there that just state a lot of symptoms, without regard to PRIMARY and SECONDARY, and without regard to the possibility of missing other conditions. Please know that it is IMPERATIVE to distinguish between primary and secondary symptoms so that you do not miss another condition outside of the fibro. That is what we do here. This is not a random list of symptoms because that can be very dangerous. Yes, fibro is complex, but we are supporting the WHOLE you.
Some of the following links will be updated as new and more specific articles are published here on the site. This extended fibromyalgia symptoms list will get you familiar with the various symptoms and treatment options (not false cures) as you study our entire protocol for “eating the fibromyalgia elephant one symptom at a time”.
Whether you have been living with fibromyalgia for much of your lifetime, or are newly diagnosed, our site is designed to be user friendly and help you to live a better quality of life with fibromyalgia.
F-G says, “Check below my fibromyalgia symptoms lists.”
Please trust me when I say that fibromyalgia is a very complex syndrome, and there are no “silver bullets”. But there are solutions that will help us to live a better quality of life.
And, those solutions vary depending on the symptom. If we are going to create a better quality of life, following our protocols is the most effective way, but as always, this is NOT about perfection.
Fibromyalgia often co-exists with other conditions, such as:
Many researchers believe that repeated nerve stimulation provokes the change in the brain and spinal cord of people with fibromyalgia.
This change implies an abnormal increase in the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain. In addition, brain pain receptors seem to develop some kind of painful memory and become sensitized, which means that they can react excessively to painful and non-painful signals.
There are likely many factors that lead to these changes, including:
Genetics. Since fibromyalgia tends to run in families, there may be certain genetic mutations that can make you more sensitive to the development of the disorder.
Physical or emotional events.Fibromyalgia can sometimes be triggered by a physical event, such as a car accident. Prolonged psychological stress can also trigger the condition.
Pain, fatigue and poor sleep quality associated with fibromyalgia can interfere with your ability to operate at home or at work. The frustration of dealing with an often-misunderstood condition can also lead to depression and health-related anxiety.
Fibromyalgia (fi•bro•mi•al•gi•a) is a condition that causes pain throughout the body (also known as generalized pain), sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibro pain symptoms may be more susceptible to pain than people without fibromyalgia. This is called the abnormal treatment of pain perception. Fibromyalgia affects about 4 million American adults or about 2% of the adult population. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but it can be treated and managed effectively.
Age. Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, including children. However, most people are diagnosed during middle age and you are more likely to have fibromyalgia as you get older.
Some other factors have been weakly associated with the onset of fibromyalgia, but more research is needed to see if they are real. These possible risk factors include:
Sex. Women are twice as likely to have fibromyalgia as men.
Stressful or traumatic events, such as car accidents, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Repetitive injuries. Injury from repetitive stress on a joint, such as frequent knee bending.
One of the defining attributes of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain is the effect on mobility about the body in time periods of a few hours to days at a time. This is often the result of severely tender “areas” of the fibro body and multiple trigger points which lie in various layers along the fascia and muscle groups.
Fibromyalgia symptoms are most debilitating when they affect the brain, head, or face. This is due to the close proximity within all of our senses and the effect on them.
Moreover, the fibromyalgia symptoms that affect this area are quite diverse, creating emotional effects; sleep disturbance; hyper sensitivity to lights, noise, and chemical toxins; and all are accompanied by pain ranging from acute and throbbing to incessant dull ache. Mitigating these varied symptoms is just as varied.
GI issues on the fibromyalgia symptoms list are often exacerbated by a common co-condition, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which has more serious GI tract problems than fibro alone.
However, symptom relief for either pretty much follows the same protocol. Working as a colon therapist for many years, I have utilized some effective, non-invasive remedies to ease symptoms of IBS, constipation and spastic colon.
A couple of the items on the fibromyalgia symptoms list in this category deserve a tip. I personally don’t have much problem with heat, but cold is a different matter. My greatest “cold” issues usually occur in the spring or fall when weather fronts often move thru accompanied by a drop-in temperature. Being better prepared for weather change is essential with fibromyalgia.
Also, the “sensitive to touch” symptom is quite different from the allodynia symptom in which any touch is intolerable. TRPs and the fascia are usually involved in simple “sensitive to touch”. In this case manipulation can be done and some relief can be realized.
In this category of the fibromyalgia symptoms list I just want to explain why MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is listed here as well as in the above category of “Brain/Head/Face. I’ve had severe MCS since a young age, and it can be very debilitating. With MCS, it’s all about avoiding exposures.
But, when exposed, the effects in the Head area are really bad and come on quickly; but that’s not the end of the story because MCS is like the worst “endocrine disrupter” really, and associated symptoms can last for days. So, you are probably saying to yourself ” but I don’t have MCS”. Well, hear me out…
Sure, I’m hyper-sensitive to all manner of toxins; but in my years of working with fibro sufferers, I’m convinced that most people with fibromyalgia also react to those same toxins. In a twisted kind of way I’m lucky because my reactions are so “cause and effect” obvious.
When I am exposed, I know it immediately; and, I know my fibro is going to flare. It always does. I’m also convinced that your fibro flares when you are exposed to those same toxins, but you probably don’t make the association in your mind because it’s not as evident as with me.
Consequently, I believe that many fibro sufferer’s fibromyalgia symptoms are exacerbated by the toxins in our everyday lives such as dryer sheets, perfume, deodorant, formaldehyde in our carpet and furniture, and many other sources. You can do something to protect yourself, I have. It is important that we create a safe haven in our own homes. Read more about this on the Environmental Toxins page by clicking on the multiple chemical sensitivity link in the folowing fibromyalgia symptoms list.
Although not listed here, you can also use the SITEMAP to access the articles on “Leaky Gut” and “Underactive Thyroid” (often part of lowered immune symptoms) There are also viral co-conditions such as Epstein Barr, anaplasma and mycoplasma that can exacerbate symptoms within fibromyalgia when these viruses are found through blood testing.
Fibromyalgia can be treated and managed effectively with medication and self-management strategies. You can learn more about self-management strategies in the next section entitled How can I improve my quality of life?
Fibromyalgia should be treated by a doctor or team of health professionals specializing in the treatment of fibromyalgia and other types of arthritis, called rheumatologists. Doctors usually treat fibromyalgia with a combination of treatments, which may include:
Medications, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter pain relievers
Patient education classes, usually in primary care or community settings
Stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, and massage
Good sleep habits to improve the quality of sleep
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat the underlying depression. CBT is a type of talk therapy meant to change the way people act or think
In addition to medical treatment, people can manage their fibromyalgia with the self-management strategies described below, which have been shown to reduce pain and disability, so they can perform important activities for themselves.
Fibromyalgia can cause pain, disability, and a lower quality of life. US adults with fibromyalgia may have complications such as:
More hospitalizations. If you have fibromyalgia you are twice as likely to be hospitalized as someone without fibromyalgia.
Lower quality of life. Women with fibromyalgia may experience a lower quality of life.
Higher rates of major depression. Adults with fibromyalgia are more than 3 times more likely to have major depression than adults without fibromyalgia. Screening and treatment for depression are extremely important.
Higher death rates from suicide and injuries. Death rates from suicide and injuries are higher among fibromyalgia patients, but overall mortality among adults with fibromyalgia is similar to the general population.
Get physically active. Experts recommend that adults be moderately physically active for 150 minutes a week. Walk, swim or bike 30 minutes a day for five days a week. These 30 minutes can be divided into three separate ten-minute sessions during the day. Regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Learn more about physical activity for arthritis. You can exercise alone or participate in a fitness program recommended by CDC.
Go to recommended physical activity programs. Those who are concerned about how to exercise safely can participate in physical activity programs that have proven to be effective in reducing arthritis pain and disability and improving mood and ability to move. Courses are held in local Ys, parks, and community centers. These courses can help you feel better. Learn more about CDC recommended physical activity programs.
Join a self-management education class, that helps people with arthritis or other conditions, including fibromyalgia, have more confidence in how to control their symptoms, live well and understand how the disease affects their lives. Learn more about CDC’s recommended self-management programs.
Some days, damp ones to be more precise are rarely pleasant or enjoyable.
Last week the dull ache got less dull and today the coldness to the core started. As the cold slowly seeped deeper and deeper, the pain spread and intensified. Other than applying some heat and layering up, there isn’t much to do except waiting. Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. Wait to see where the pain will settle, and how far spread it’ll be.
Waiting to me, basically boils down to having no control over what happens next.
I think one of my biggest struggles is wondering…am I the only one? I mean I know I’m not the only one learning to LIVE with Fibromyalgia (or what I usually refer to as the “F” word).
I know I’m not the only one hurting all day every day. I know I’m not the only one tired beyond belief pretty much most of the time.
What I mean is am I the only one that feels like control is slipping away? I have always had a plan. Sure flexibility (haha) was necessary due to life’s little curveballs, but now I don’t know from one day to the next what I will physically be able to do.
Really, I never actually know from one hour to the next what this wonderful chronic condition has in store for me.
Am I the only one? The only one having difficulty accepting this newfound loss of control?
It’s like a never-ending loop…get stressed, get sick, get sore, become more stressed, become sicker, become sorer. Then rinse and repeat. The more I’m stressed, the less I sleep, the more likely I am to get sick. I know it, I live it, I have accepted it and over the past year, I’ve become better at dealing with it.
I had made so much progress physically and emotionally and then Wham! Out of what seems like nowhere, suddenly it’s like I’m living a nightmare. I’m stressed to the max, I’m hurting, I’m not sleeping and now I’m sick. I’m only human and I have my limits.
Hopefully, Monday & Tuesday will be a turning point and I will be able to get back on track. Back to healing, back to learning to LIVE a new way, and maybe even back to smiling again.
In spite of everything, I have met some new people that are genuinely kind and are doing their best to help me. For that I am grateful.
An important part of my learning to LIVE with fibromyalgia has been trying to pinpoint my personal triggers of fibro-flares.
In other words what makes all my fibro symptoms go from manageable to really, really bad. Sometimes so bad that I literally can’t stay upright. Some of my flare-ups have lasted days, some have lasted weeks. Before I had a better understanding of what I was dealing with I remember a flare that lasted months.
Some triggers can be avoided, some can not. I recently spiraled (that’s what it feels like to me) into a ten-day and counting flare-up.
What makes this one unique is that it was avoidable. Circumstances beyond my control forced me into over-exerting myself and placed me under a ton of stress. Two of my harshest triggers.
Anyway, that was then and this is now. Now I focus on getting through to the other side of this flare by walking when I’m able, resting when I need to, taking lots of hot showers, and sleeping when I can (not as easy as you might think).
Doing what I can to take my mind off the pain while respecting my limitations (no over exerting). This post, for example, took multiple sittings over a three-day period, but I did it.
Vow to self…I will do my best to avoid whatever triggers of my fibro-flares that I can!
There it was again…the “F” ball and from a second Doctor no less. I had no idea what this fibromyalgia was but figured I should probably read up on IT. It would have to wait until later.
More importantly, I had to get back to work. Pushed through the fog while dragging my invisible cement blocks, painted my smile on, and headed back in.
Later that night, I sat down (finally) to read up on IT. Wasn’t sure of the spelling, so I started with Fibro, sure enough there it was Fibromyalgia.
Read through the Mayo Clinic info. Everything was bang on but I knew better. Both Doctors were quite simply mistaken and that was that.
I pushed on…funny how a word becomes part of your life PUSH. I had to push myself to get up in the morning. For that matter, I had to push myself to get up off the couch to go to bed. I had to push myself to get through pretty much anything and everything. The littlest things would zap me.
As each afternoon rolled around, I could hardly walk. My brain was so foggy I could hardly talk (sensibly that is ). My hands had become my enemy. As if burning, aching, and stinging wasn’t enough; they stopped listening to me and kept dropping things. It’s still difficult trying to describe the pain. The best I can come up with is, as the day progressed so would the pain. It would spread until every inch of my skin was hurting.
I had to visit my Doctor way too frequently. Rather than accept the “F” word I started to believe I was becoming a hypochondriac. That I could fix, Fibromyalgia I couldn’t. Every day there was a new pain in a new place. Every night I got less and less sleep.
Then life became unbearable. There was no pleasure, only pain. I had no choice, I finally accepted that I had the “F” word (doesn’t mean I have to say IT). After acceptance, I was able to begin learning how to LIVE with Fibromyalgia.
Every day I am learning to accept that I have limitations. I have to figure out what they are, sometimes the hard way. This month was a major setback, but that’s ok it’s almost over.
As the saying goes….this too shall pass. I’m back on the right path again.
Last month was awful. Not because of family, not because of friends, not because of anything that I can control but because of something that is a part of my life, like it or not.
Throughout this last year, I have done my best to eliminate negativity from my life. I find myself “testing” more and more of the self-help advice floating around out there. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t. Either way, I figure it’s worth a shot.
When unavoidable stress manages to ooze into my life, I do my best to handle it. I do my best to avoid a Fibromyalgia flare-up. I try to “Stay Happy & Be Positive”
I wished away most of last month. I just wanted it to be over and now it is.
November has rolled around, and here I find myself once again just wishing for this situation to be over; permanently resolved. This also means I’m wishing my days away…again.
Each day of life should be cherished, not wished away. I know that…I will get back to LIVING. I will not let a couple of bad apples drain my life of joy.
See that picture up there? *The Hug; that’s what I’m going to learn to do. I will embrace each day and LIVE it to the fullest. I will no longer wish my days away!
I realize for those of you meeting me here for the first time, your initial impression might be that I’m a complainer or ungrateful. I am not.
I am thankful every single day for the many blessings I have in my life. In spite of every little task taking so much effort, I am grateful that my health is not worse.
I am lucky. I have my daughters, my husband, my family, my friends, my home, my dog, etc etc etc! I don’t have to face this alone.
That is one of the reasons that I started this blog. So that anyone out there facing this obstacle called Fibromyalgia doesn’t have to do so alone. I hope that by sharing my innermost thoughts and feelings others will have a place to do the same. That, at the very least they will know they are not the only one. A question I have asked myself quite a few times throughout this last year.
Don’t get me wrong, this blog isn’t exactly some selfless act. It is, or at least what I’m hoping will be an important part of my healing process. My first big step toward acceptance, I mean really accepting that I have Fibromyalgia. That in spite of there being no cure, I can heal spiritually and mentally. I can improve physically and I am trying to embrace the new direction my life has taken.
People who know me beyond my words here understand how important control is to me. They know having a weakness (any weakness) is incredibly difficult for me to accept. That I pride myself on always setting the bar beyond what might be considered attainable heights.
This blog Healthizes.com is a place where I will share my journey as I take back control of my life. I’m taking you along for the ride as I learn how to accept certain limitations without lowering my personal expectations.
I hope to make new friends along the way, and I hope others will share their own experiences while learning to LIVE with Fibromyalgia.
As I am reluctantly dragged, kicking, and screaming toward the half-century mark…side note: boy do I wish I had the strength to actually physically resist, kick and scream right now ? … I think of the many ways that I’ve changed.
I prefer to think of it (for the most part) as evolving. That I’ve become wiser as I’ve aged.
In spite of the many things life has taught me and my continued progress toward “wise old owl designation”, two things remain constant.
I’ve lived my life believing that honesty is the best policy and I feel joy when I’m helping someone.
You would think being diagnosed with the F word (Fibromylagia), has been the biggest hurdle I’ve faced this past year but it’s not.
I am working on acceptance. I am working on evolving. I am trying to build a new life. One where we co-exist, my buddy Fibro and me. I am learning to LIVE with Fibromyalgia.
Sorry…that’s another glorious part of my new life…difficulty focusing and am easily distracted…now where was I?
Right, the biggest hurdle that I’ve faced and am still facing is having to deal with dishonesty in the guise of being helpful. It’s like a double whammy for me.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to live a life posing as someone helpful when in reality you’re doing the complete opposite. It must be a lonely life. I wonder what they see when they look in the mirror?
Now, this is one of the ways I’ve become wiser. There was a time I would have wished bad things for someone like that, now I feel sorry for them. Never knowing the joy of truly helping people.
You will not break me. I will never stop believing that honesty is the best policy. In the end, honesty will prevail over lies, ALWAYS.
For so many years I had it wrong. Failure was an option. As long as I gave it my best shot, and so I will.
Apparently my all-time most favorite movie quote “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” not only made the top 100 list but is #1. Who knew? When Rhett Butler spoke those heartbreaking words to Scarlett O’Hara back in 1939, they would be eternal and affect people for generations to come.
Two things for as long as I can remember have caused my heart to literally ache. The song “It’s Too Late” as sung by Carole King and Rhett Butler finally gives up on Scarlett after loving her so powerfully for so long.
When I first heard the song, I wasn’t thinking in terms of love or relationships. I was too young. I just remember suddenly realizing (I hadn’t thought about it before) that sometimes it can be too late even if you try really really hard to make it.
Ironically, I was with my mother and father who ended up divorcing not very long after. I was oblivious. At the time, I was focused on whatever outing was being canceled because we took too long.
Now Rhett is giving up on Scarlett, well which scarred me for life. Watching Gone with the Wind for the first time, or for the hundredth time I couldn’t give up all hope. I still haven’t. I think Scarlett O’Hara (me too) clung to the hope that she could somehow win back his heart.
But…
When she asks “Where shall I go? What shall I do?” he answers “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” It never fails to break my heart.
Why am I telling you this? Ummm… I was sad. When I’m sad I think of these two things. I blogged about it just because, I guess.
