Fibromyalgia is a real and disabling condition and not just something that is “all in the mind”. Fortunately, the days are long gone when GPs told patients that there was no such thing as fibromyalgia and that it was all in their heads – doctors now accept and regularly diagnose fibromyalgia and other chronic fatigue conditions.
In the UK, a person is considered disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
‘Substantial’ is more than minor or trivial, e.g. it takes much longer than it usually would complete a daily task like getting dressed
‘long-term’ means 12 months or more, e.g. a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognizes fibromyalgia as a real and potentially significantly disabling condition. Where a clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia has been made full account will be taken of its functional effects when determining benefit entitlement.
If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and have extra care needs or limited capability for work because of your condition, you may be entitled to a number of welfare benefits including Attendance Allowance (AA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Eligibility is not based on the condition you have, but on the amount of help, you as an individual need as a result of how your condition affects you.
Fibromyalgia symptoms are varied but tend to include chronic pain around the body, muscle stiffness, and fatigue (extreme tiredness/exhaustion), which may severely affect a person’s day-to-day life.
Fibromyalgia pain can take a toll on every aspect of daily life however many people find they can still go about their everyday life although have periods when their fibromyalgia symptoms flare up. Others may experience constant pain that is difficult to manage daily. Symptoms can include:
Pain all around the body, which may feel like burning, throbbing, stabbing, or shooting pain
Extreme tiredness or fatigue
Increased sensitivity to pain (feeling that even slight touch is excruciating)
‘Brain fog’ – difficulties remembering things and concentrating
Sleep issues e.g. being unable to progress into a state of deep sleep
Mood swings, anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems
Digestive problems e.g. IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
Headaches or migraines
Fibromyalgia affects everyone differently and there are many aids that can help with daily activities. Support groups and charities such as UK Fibromyalgia or Fibromyalgia Action UK offer information and support to people with fibromyalgia and can be very useful when getting to grips with your diagnosis.
It is estimated that one million people in the UK alone suffer from fibromyalgia. Although without a test fibromyalgia diagnosis can be difficult and therefore this number is unlikely to represent the actual figure of those with the condition. Lots of people who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia continue to work full or part-time. However, the symptoms, in particular chronic pain and fatigue, make working incredibly difficult, and therefore it is helpful that the government recognizes fibromyalgia as a potentially disabling condition.
There are basically two ways to deal with Fibromyalgia: accept it or resist it. We start out fighting against it. We push ourselves. We resist. Eventually, we realize resistance is only creating more suffering for ourselves.
We begin to accept things are different now. Our life has changed. Fibromyalgia is not going away. We have to look at our situation realistically. Our old life is being replaced by a new life full of limitations.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia over 10 years ago. At first, I could not accept that my life would have to change. I kept trying to do everything the same way I always have. Pushing and pushing myself to get things done. Working, taking care of my grandchildren, housework. I’m sure you can guess what happened -I crashed.
I spent three years barely functioning. I was taking at least 9 medications for various fibromyalgia symptoms. I couldn’t think straight. I had no energy. I lived in a daze. Couldn’t even call it living. I was existing.
Eventually, I had to accept that life had changed. I accepted fibromyalgia. I had to create a new life. One that was worth living. For the most part, I am happy with my new life. I never took time for myself before. I do now. I appreciate the little things more. I write which is something I have always wanted to do. My life is peaceful and quiet which is what I prefer.
I was sure that I had fully accepted this chronic illness. I was sure that I had stopped resisting. But, I haven’t, not completely. I have been practicing mindfulness/meditation and am becoming more aware of my pain-related thoughts and my true feelings about pain. I am noticing how they increase muscle tension, anxiety, and pain. I realized there is one symptom in particular that causes me the most stress.
Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is. The only problem in your life is your mind’s resistance to life, as it unfolds.
Fibro Fog. Instead of giving myself a break, I push myself. In doing so, I make myself feel worse. Stressed out and frustrated. Brain fog is the one symptom that scares the h*** out of me, especially memory loss. I don’t want to accept it.
Fibro fog is not something I experience, at least not at this level unless I am also fatigued. It’s been a long time since I have suffered this level of fatigue and brain fog. I have been doing so well, it’s just so frustrating to backslide. I have to keep telling myself this too shall pass. It’s just a bump in the road.
I haven’t felt well since Oct. 5th. That was the day I lost my 14-year-old poodle, Nyka. If you read my post: Chronic Illness in Pets, you might remember she had congestive heart failure. I had been preparing myself for this day for at least a year. Her bad day’s way outnumbered the good, especially in September, and I knew it wouldn’t be much longer. I was focused on taking care of her and not myself so much.
Within 2 days after Nyka passed, I was in so much pain, I was back to using my cane. But this time, instead of lying in bed, I stayed active. I had to or the grief was overwhelming. I felt lost. I didn’t realize how much time I spent taking care of Nyka. Giving her medications on time. Cooking for her. Hand-feeding her so she would eat. Taking her out frequently. Cleaning up messes, when she didn’t make it out in time.
I got the pain back under control by using my foam roller and stretching 3-4 times a day instead of my usual once or twice a day. I also cleaned every room in my house from top to bottom. Little by little, each day.
You would think the fatigue would have come from all the cleaning. But it came a few weeks later. Now, I can’t seem to shake it. Of course, it brought brain fog along for the ride. I know it is probably due to stress and grief. Another factor may be that I ran out of CoQ10. Since CoQ10 is a supplement that helps the mitochondria make energy, that may explain why I have none.
Acceptance is not submission; it is an acknowledgment of the facts of a situation. Then decide what you’re going to do about it.
– Kathleen Casey Theisen
I started taking CoQ10 again a few days ago. And I am going to rest. I am not going to expect more out of my brain than it is capable of right now. No to-do list. And I am not going to feel guilty for saying “NO”.
Well, there you have it. Brain fog is the fibromyalgia symptom I resist the most. What symptoms do you resist?
Whether or not to work while suffering from Fibromyalgia is a very personal decision and will depend on the individual who suffers from the condition. Symptoms of fibromyalgia such as headaches, fatigue, and chronic pain can make it very difficult to continue working.
If you do decide to carry on working, there are some tips and techniques you can use to make your time spent working easier to deal with. This article is provided by Ronty Rhodes Solicitors as a point of interest and to help keep you up-to-date with news and information about fibromyalgia. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your health, please consult your doctor or local GP.
If you are finding that your daily routine at work is making your symptoms worse, speak with your employer to see if you can create a work routine that will help you cope with your symptoms. Having a routine that works for you will likely mean you enjoy work more and are more productive while working, making it beneficial for both you and your employer.
To help deal with your pain and flare-ups, ask your employer if you can have a flexible working schedule that will allow you to work around your pain. Speak to your employer about the possibility of working from home when your pain increases. This will help you to cope better with the pain, while still being able to work in some capacity.
It is important that you do not create unnecessary stress while at work by not taking time to relax. Make sure to take regular breaks throughout the day to give you some time to relax and unwind. Even as little as 10 minutes away from your desk will help you unwind and refocus.
If your office is humid or clammy, it could be contributing to your chronic pain. If this applies to you, getting a desk fan or asking to sit close to an open window could go some way to help cope with your symptoms.
Also, ensure that the chair you are sitting in is as comfortable as possible, there are options such as back supports that could help reduce your pain. Switching positions at regular intervals have also been shown to help.
Creating a do-to list will help you focus on what is important at work, so you can get more done in the available time. Having a to-do list will help keep you away from unwanted distractions and keep you as productive as possible while working.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia as a result of an accident or injury, you could be entitled to compensation. To find out more about whether or not you have a claim, get in touch with our expert team.
People with fibromyalgia are usually prescribed pain relievers, sleep medicines, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and anti-seizure medications to help with their symptoms. These medications all come with risks and side effects so they are just as likely to do harm as to help. In this guest post, Marco gives us some tips to treat fibromyalgia pain safely.
Fibromyalgia is a very distressing disease, and very challenging to treat. A vast number of interventions have been tried. Many have shown no evidence at all of their effectiveness, but for many others, the basic story is that they seem to produce good results for a small fraction of sufferers while the majority of sufferers see little if any reduction in pain.
This applies to treatments such as mind-body therapy, resistance exercise training, aquatic exercise training, acupuncture, and cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as a number of drug treatments. The unfortunate reality is for that the majority of people with fibromyalgia no available treatment causes the pain to go away.
Before going any further it is important to say clearly that every person is a unique individual and advice from a personal physician who knows the details of a specific case should always trump generic advice such as this article gives. With that in mind, let’s proceed.
The first point is that interventions that don’t involve drugs tend to be the safest. Even if exercise or cognitive therapy don’t alleviate the pain – and to be honest, there is a good chance they won’t – they aren’t likely to do any harm. Thus, it makes sense to try those sorts of lifestyle-related approaches first, and only turn to drugs if they don’t work.
In the United States, three drugs have been approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia: pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran. The fact that they have been approved shouldn’t be overrated, though – all it means is that careful clinical trials have shown that averaged across the full population of patients they are more effective than a placebo.
As a matter of fact, they are just barely more effective than a placebo. Their effectiveness is so low that in Europe none of them has been approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia. (No drug has been approved for fibromyalgia in Europe, actually.)
Pregabalin, most commonly marketed as “Lyrica”, was the first drug approved in the US for fibromyalgia, in 2007. It falls into a broad family known as “antiepileptic” drugs because they reduce the likelihood of epileptic seizures.
People who take it generally find it to have moderate mood-elevating effects, and in the US it is classified as a “Schedule V Controlled Substance”, which basically means that it has a low but nonzero potential for abuse.
This is more of a potential than an actuality: there have been essentially no reports of addiction resulting from pregabalin use.
There have, however, been reports of withdrawal symptoms in people who stop taking it after a period of use, involving symptoms such as sleeplessness, headache , anxiety, etc.
A substantial number of people who try it experience side effects that cause them to stop using it: the most common are dizziness and drowsiness, but changes in vision, appetite, mood, and other functions can also occur. And it is rather expensive, typically costing $300-$400 per month out-of-pocket in the US.
Bottom line: Lyrica is not an innocuous drug, and probably won’t work, but it might be worth trying if nothing else works.
The other two US-approved drugs are duloxetine (usually sold as “Cymbalta”) and milnacipran (sold in the US as “Savella”). Both of these drugs fall into the broad family known as “antidepressants”, along with drugs such as Prozac and Effexor. Indeed, both can be used to treat depression as well as fibromyalgia.
However, for unknown reasons these two drugs seem to be somewhat more effective than other antidepressants against fibromyalgia. Again – to repeat the same sad refrain – “somewhat more effective” just means more effective than placebo: they really aren’t very effective at all, on the whole.
Antidepressants, including these two, present very little risk of addiction. Most users actually find their direct effects – including a reduction in appetite and reduction in sexual motivation – to be rather unpleasant.
There is a much greater risk that the drugs will have intolerable side effects, including sleep problems, anxiety, and even (though this is controversial) an increase in suicidal thoughts.
Bottom line: Cymbalta and Savella are not innocuous drugs, and probably won’t work, but they might be worth trying if non-drug approaches don’t work.
Although pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran are the only drugs specifically approved in the US for fibromyalgia, they are not the only drugs that a doctor could theoretically prescribe. In the US the general rule – there are exceptions – is that if a drug is approved for one use, a doctor has the ability to prescribe it “off label” for other uses, at discretion.
This means that a doctor could, at least in principle, prescribe an enormous variety of drugs to a patient with fibromyalgia. And indeed, a number of other drugs are occasionally used that way. None is used at a high enough rate, though, to justify specifically discussing here.
Finally, there is one other type of drug that absolutely needs to be mentioned: opiates – such as morphine, codeine, oxycontin, fentanyl, etc..
Because they are so effective for some other types of pain, their effects have been examined in a number of high-quality studies, and the invariable conclusion is that for fibromyalgia they just don’t work.
If anything they make things worse. Even with this information at hand, people often use them anyway.
Surveys have found that as many as one-third of people with fibromyalgia regularly use opiates. The temptation is easy to understand: opiates are obviously very effective for some types of pain, such as cancer pain, so why not give them a try?
But pain is a very complex entity, and the pain of fibromyalgia is completely different from cancer pain: it comes from the nervous system, not from tissue damage. Drugs that work for cancer pain don’t work for fibromyalgia; drugs that work for fibromyalgia – such as they are – are completely ineffective against cancer pain.
If you are tempted to try an opiate, don’t (unless your doctor recommends it). Overlaying a possible serious addiction on top of a case of fibromyalgia won’t improve your life.
Already using an opiate, and finding it unhelpful? Withdrawing from an opiate on your own is very difficult, especially if you are hypersensitive to pain due to fibromyalgia; please consult a doctor. There are plenty of ways of escaping from that trap without the misery that goes with direct withdrawal.
To sum up, then, the best way to manage your fibromyalgia pain safely are as follows:
Above all, discuss any change you want to make with your doctor.
Focus first on lifestyle changes such as exercise, sleep, diet, or therapy.
If those don’t work, consider trying one of the approved drugs, and discuss with your doctor which one is likely to work best for you.
Stay away from opiates.
If nothing works, try to maintain a positive attitude and realize that a lot of research is going on in this area, so there is a good chance that better solutions will be available in the not-too-distant future.
As Chief Editor for a leading drug and alcohol addiction blog, Palo Recovery, I aim to deliver value in the topics that I write about. My aim is to help as many people as possible who are going through the same struggle. Staying true to A.A’s values about anonymity, the author uses the pseudonym Marco.
For over a decade, Holly Donald suffered from debilitating symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Changing her diet has changed her life.
With two young children and a demanding job, 36-year-old Holly Donald attributed her poor health to the pressures of a hectic lifestyle. Exhaustion, cramp, joint pains, Brain fog, and migraines were a daily occurrence for the local authority supervisor, impacting on her relationships with family and friends.
It was only when her crippling symptoms worsened to the point where she could no longer fasten the buttons on her children’s school uniforms or brush her daughter’s hair that she finally sought medical help.
Holly was eventually diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and discovered that her chronic disease was incurable and could only be treated with strong steroids and antidepressants.
The news left her stunned but determined to take control of her condition. She began by researching the best diet for people with Fibromyalgia and was encouraged by what she discovered.
Initially, she introduced herbal medicines to her daily routine, followed by a juice detox to rid her body of toxins. Although her symptoms improved, the diet was too extreme for her to maintain, so she continued to look for other options.
It was a year after her diagnosis that Holly was introduced to the Arbonne Programme by a friend. This advocates a plant-powered, vegan-formulated, gluten-free diet that does not contain dairy, soy, nuts, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, or genetically modified ingredients.
Although not designed to target conditions such as Fibromyalgia, it echoes the advice offered by nutritionists on which foods sufferers should eat and avoid. Whilst not suitable or appropriate for everyone, Holly says that her new Fibromyalgia diet has transformed her life.
By making small changes to what she puts into her body, Holly now feels she is controlling her chronic condition, rather than the chronic condition controlling her.
Her diet now consists of whole foods, never processed, and she avoids ready meals at all costs. Since starting her Fibromyalgia diet, she no longer has a glass of wine or a bar of chocolate as a treat to unwind at the end of the day.
Instead, her daily meal plan includes protein shakes and detox tea, alongside vegetable-rich dishes. For example:
Breakfast: A typical breakfast might be a vegetable omelet consisting of three eggs with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, and onion.
Lunch: Usually a protein-packed shake made with almond milk and frozen berries.
Dinner: Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie made with cauliflower florets, cumin, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, tomato paste, thyme leaves, and stock.
Almost two years on from her initial diagnosis, Holly is now completely symptom-free and, as an additional bonus, her children are also enjoying and benefitting from a healthier lifestyle.
Here at Ronty Rhodes Solicitors, we are not medical experts, therefore, cannot confirm whether or not special diets can be used to treat the symptoms of Fibromyalgia.
Instead, these articles are provided as a point of interest and to help keep you up-to-date with news and information about chronic pain conditions. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your health or diet, please consult your doctor or local GP.
Although we cannot provide medical recommendations, we can help you to claim compensation if your condition has been caused by an accident, injury, or traumatic experience, such as a car accident, that was not your fault, as well as clinical negligence.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and many people are scrambling to find the right gift for Mom. If the Mom in your life has fibromyalgia choosing the right gift can be even more difficult. Typical Mother’s Day gifts such as flowers, perfume, or scented candles may not be appropriate. So I have put together a list of gifts that a Mother with chronic pain would love to receive.
If you know a Mom who suffers from fibromyalgia, these 10 Mother’s Day gifts ideas will show her you were thinking of her and that you truly do care about her and her illness.
Oska Pulse is a small wearable pain relief device developed by Oska Wellness. The Oska Pulse is designed to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and promote joint and muscle recovery. The device treats all types of pain including headaches and migraine.
I love my Oska Pulse and highly recommend it. Mom can try the Oska Pulse risk-free. If she is not fully satisfied, Oska Wellness offers a 90-day money-back guarantee that includes all taxes and shipping costs.
The Quell is another pain management device I personally use and recommend.
The Quell is an FDA-cleared medical device that can be worn 24 hours a day. The Quell device is designed to treat all types of chronic pain. It works especially well for nerve–related pain associated with fibromyalgia, diabetes, sciatica, and neuralgia. The Quell is worn around the calf of either leg. It stimulates the nerves and triggers the body’s natural pain blockers to relieve widespread pain.
The Quell Starter Kit costs $249 and includes 1 Quell device, 1 adjustable sports band, 1 month supply of electrodes (2 electrodes), 1 charger, 1 charger adapter, and a quick start guide. Each electrode lasts for about two weeks and costs about $30 a month.
The Hummingbird is a medical device intended to alleviate muscle aches, pain, fatigue, and related other symptoms associated with low blood pressure and inadequate blood flow common to fibromyalgia and other chronic health conditions. You simply sit in a chair, place the front part of your feet on the device, and it does the rest.
The Hummingbird operates by using low amplitude, low-frequency physical massage therapy causing muscles in each calf to pump blood and fluid from the lower leg back to the heart which improves circulation of the blood throughout the body and to the brain.
Most of us with fibromyalgia experience daily tension-type headaches and frequent migraines. Both can cause sensitivity to light, during and between attacks. Flickering or pulsing lights, repetitive patterns, glare, bright lights, and computer screens can all trigger a painful migraine, as well.
Axon Optic therapeutic glasses provide a natural solution for headaches, migraine, and light sensitivity. Their glasses are available for indoor use, outdoor use, and transitions lenses, which can be used both indoors and outdoors. They have a wide selection of frames and each set of glasses come with a hard-shell case and cleaning cloth.
Essential oils can be very helpful for pain relief, improving sleep, relieving stress, and addressing emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. One of the most effective ways to reap the benefits of essential oils is to use a diffuser. By diffusing the oils into the air, they are inhaled and sent instantly to the brain.
Organic Aromas make beautiful essential oil diffusers. Each handcrafted aromatherapy diffuser uses specialty glass and high-quality wood. They have various shapes, colors, and sizes of essential oil diffusers to choose from.
Organic Aromas nebulizing essential Oil diffusers don’t use water or heat. This means you can use less essential oil and get all of the oil’s therapeutic benefits. Organic Aromas certified organic essential oils and blends are made with the finest quality natural materials.
I love to read and don’t know what I would do without my Kindle. Kindle E-readers have dedicated e-book readers and can hold thousands of books. There is a massive selection of low-priced Kindle e-books available. And with a subscription to Kindle Unlimited, Mom can enjoy unlimited access to over one million e-books and thousands of audiobooks for $9.99 a month.
The Kindle Fire, which is what I have, is an e-reader as well as a high-performance tablet. Fire tablets feature instant access to thousands of the most popular free and best-selling games, social media, premium TV and movie providers, and more.
ChronicAlly is the first health and beauty monthly subscription box for women and girls with chronic illness. The box contains health and beauty products centered around self-care. The idea of ChronicAlly Box is to bring cheer to women living with chronic illness. The items are handpicked by Ally and her allies who are also chronic illness sufferers. Every month Mom will receive a new box filled with health, beauty, and pick-me-up products delivered right to her door.
Adult coloring books have gained popularity as a great relaxation technique. It turns out that coloring has therapeutic benefits for many different conditions, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. When you are focused on coloring, you’re not concentrating on the pain you’re in so it is a great distraction. Coloring can also help to boost mental clarity because coloring utilizes areas of the brain that enhance focus and concentration.
An Amazon gift card makes a great Mother’s Day gift. Amazon gift cards are redeemable for millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com. Plus they never expire.
The most precious gift you can give someone with fibromyalgia is your understanding and support. Fibromyalgia is a complex condition that’s difficult to make sense of. Because fibromyalgia involves the brain and nervous system, it can have an impact on virtually every part of the body. It can be confusing to see someone with fibromyalgia be unable to do something one day, yet perfectly capable of it on another day. That’s fibromyalgia, it’s unpredictable.
Thousands of people suffer from chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. When life is a daily struggle with pain, fatigue, and Brain fog, the impact can be devastating, especially since there is no cure.
Those living with fibromyalgia and chronic pain are more prone to psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, as the condition saps sufferers of energy and motivation.
Finding a coping technique to help ease debilitating symptoms is often an ongoing process of trial and error. As there is no single product or item that will totally alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, relief usually involves a combination of approaches.
Traditionally pain relief has come in the form of prescribed medication, but new technology has seen radical developments in state-of-the-art products designed to help those suffering from constant pain.
This is a wearable device designed to reduce widespread pain by stimulating sensory nerves in the leg. It can be paired with a device to track pain intensity, activity level, sleep, and treatment effectiveness.
Chronic pain causes many people to feel constant nausea. This special wristband attaches around the wrist like a smartwatch and is clinically proven to help. It works by sending a pattern of pulses to the wrist, which sends signals to the Ronty, reducing the feeling of sickness.
Fatigue is a common symptom of fibromyalgia. These are a wearable pair of glasses that use a combination of heat and acupressure treatment to leave the eyes refreshed, relaxed, and rejuvenated as well as pain-free.
This smart Bluetooth pillbox can sense and notify you when you have forgotten to take your medication and has an elevated notification that alerts a close family member or friend, making it particularly useful for elderly sufferers.
Fingertip technology is a source of support for those living with pain and discomfort. Tracking and managing chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia has never been easier or more convenient with a wide range of free and paid-for, easy-to-download apps for both IOS and Android phones. These include:
This is a user-friendly app designed to track flare-ups, which can help sufferers to spot trends and recognize potential triggers. It can also be used for other chronic pain conditions such as arthritis or lupus.
One of the best apps for understanding pain history and monitoring trends and treatment effectiveness. It records pain intensity and duration and keeps track of the weather, sleep, and mental state to help develop coping strategies.
This app is ideal for those who may feel isolated or misunderstood. It tracks symptoms and creates easy-to-read charts and other data that sufferers can then share with a GP or family and friends.
An app that helps you take control of fibromyalgia by logging symptoms; pinpointing the exact location on a body model; and recording happiness, stress, fatigue, and medication levels. There’s even a support forum connecting sufferers with each other.
As chronic pain can weigh heavily on physical and emotional health, this popular app helps people connect with those who understand. It is a social network for fibromyalgia sufferers and is ideal for those who cannot join a local support group.
This is an excellent resource for the most accurate, up-to-date information as well as treatment advice, alternative therapies, and pain management tips and is aimed at those recently diagnosed as well as long-term sufferers.
Although none of these products or apps will provide a miracle cure for the symptoms of fibromyalgia, hopefully, they can help sufferers to get through even the toughest of flare-ups.
Here, we are not medical experts and these articles are aimed at keeping you as informed as possible about your condition and any news or advancements relating to its treatment of it. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your health, please consult a doctor or medical professional.
We are leading fibromyalgia solicitors. If you believe your chronic pain condition has been caused as the result of an accident or trauma that was not your fault, we may be able to help you to claim compensation.
“The tender point test also has a gender bias because men may report widespread pain, but they generally aren’t as tender as women. Fibromyalgia may be under-diagnosed in both men and women because of the reliance on 11 tender points, and also due to failing to account for the other central features of the illness,” said Katz.
Additionally, due to the confusion regarding the tender point test, the authors note that most primary care doctors don’t bother to check tender points or they aren’t checking them correctly. Consequently, fibromyalgia diagnosis in practice has often been a symptom-based diagnosis. The new criteria will standardize a symptom-based diagnosis so that all doctors are using the same process.
The tender point test is being replaced with a widespread pain index and a symptom severity scale. The widespread pain index score is determined by counting the number of areas on the body where the patient has felt pain in the last week. The checklist includes 19 specified areas.
The symptom severity score is determined by rating on a scale of zero to three, three being the most pervasive, the severity of three common symptoms: fatigue, waking unrefreshed and cognitive symptoms. An additional three points can be added to account for the extent of additional symptoms such as numbness, dizziness, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, or depression. The final score is between 0 and 12.
This is indeed good news. The tender point test did seem rather minimal since it only takes into account pain and ignores the other predominant symptoms. Certainly, it could lead to earlier diagnosis in FMS patients, because, seriously, if it takes a decade to diagnose someone there are some issues with the methods. I recall when I finally got my diagnosis that they were too late… by then FMS had impaired a great deal of my ability to function in many aspects that I simply had to cope with on my own, often including stopping activities that became too draining or painful, when in fact early treatment would encourage a certain level of activity.
Helping with the cognitive impairments and sleep issues early on sure would have been nice as well. What I most remember of my official diagnosis, which by then was rather moot, was that the tender point test was damn painful. Damn painful and lasted quite a bit after as well. It is like poking a bruise… yeah it hurts and hurts quite a bit if you put that much pressure on it. Of course, there was also some relief. That final moment where finally there is a name for what is wrong with you. And that hope that finally someone will help. Of course, they didn’t then. But the more medications and treatments they look into the better the future outlook for those of us that have this dang syndrome.
If you or somebody you know is currently dealing with fibromyalgia during this difficult time, we can help. We are expert lawyers specializing in claims involving CRPS, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and serious and catastrophic injury. If you’d like to know more about how you can claim compensation please contact us. We operate on a no-win, no-feebasis.
Fibromyalgia has many symptoms, but could it be linked to chronic sinusitis?
Nobody really knows for sure what causes fibromyalgia. Medical experts are still learning more about it every day. Although the exact reasons why it develops are not clear, certain conditions seem to appear more frequently in fibromyalgia sufferers. One of these is chronic sinusitis.
Sinusitis is more than just an allergy or a blocked nose. The pressure caused by inflammation can make life extremely miserable for sufferers, with symptoms including a stuffy head, runny nose, and pain behind the eyes.
The most typical symptoms of fibromyalgia are chronic pain and fatigue. However, fibromyalgia tends to present itself with a cluster of other symptoms. One of these is chronic sinusitis.
Why is fibromyalgia linked to chronic sinusitis?
Sinusitis causes inflammation, a common symptom of fibromyalgia. There are many common links between fibromyalgia and sinusitis including inflammation, yeast infections, and problems with the nervous system.
How to treat chronic sinusitis
Chronic sinusitis can be painful and inconvenient, but it can be treated to alleviate symptoms quite easily by using:
A nasal spray to clear the sinuses
A humidifier
Antihistamines if your sinusitis worsens with allergies
If you are unsure about whether you have recurrent sinusitis or if it is a sign of underlying fibromyalgia, make an appointment to see your GP. Take a list of your symptoms with you as this will make it easier to determine the cause of your sinusitis.
I do believe there are patients who have widespread musculoskeletal pain attributed to a syndrome we call fibromyalgia. However, I do not believe rheumatologists should be the “main caregivers for these patients,” as Pisetsky and others have suggested. We simply treat these patients by default. The main reason for my stance is the lack of any creditable evidence supporting fibromyalgia as a rheumatologic condition other than the existence of chronic pain. Although rheumatic diseases are often associated with chronic pain, the converse is not necessarily true. With the burgeoning entrepreneurial specialty masquerading as “pain management,” my opinion is that these patients would be best served by those who claim to be pain specialists—if only we could get them to put their needles down long enough to actually treat the pain and the patient.
Dr. Pisetsky states FMS is not a rheumatic disease and therefore not under the realm of what a rheumatologist should be treating. I actually do not disagree. I agree that a rheumatologist is a specialist to be seen to get an FMS diagnosis, but I doubt they are great in the treatment department. The first one I saw, because I presented symptoms of lupus or RA, told me I had ‘hypermobility syndrome with chronic soft tissue pain’ and that was that.
The second one I went to said I had FMS but that I was too young for any medications and that was that. Thanks. So very helpful. While the syndrome shares some symptoms with diseases these specialists do treat I find they flounder with FMS, reluctant to treat pain as pain and wishy-washy about what to do. Which leaves the FMS patient pretty much in limbo. There general doctor will often not be able to fill the gap, they may try a few things, but pain management is beyond them. It is the reason I have never had any effective treatment for this syndrome and it has kinda fallen to the side in the face of chronic migraines. I think a pain management clinic is a way to go, pretty much the only way to go. So the dude is right if I had FMS and I was his patient I would totally ditch him.
On the other hand, the reply to this article suggests otherwise:
Who else can manage fibromyalgia better than a dedicated and caring rheumatologist? We are the best diagnosticians, bar none. We are better at using drugs than anybody else, even with our hands tied behind our backs. Managing a fibromyalgia patient is like having one’s hands tied behind one’s back. Furthermore, drugs don’t work very well in these patients, and just telling a patient that they must exercise also does not work. As I write this, I realize that in some respects managing a fibromyalgia patient now is somewhat akin to what it was like managing a rheumatoid 35 years ago when I started to practice. Maybe that is why I am not resentful about having to take care of these patients.
It has occurred to me that if I were not able to use opioids in the management of fibromyalgia, then I, too, would lose interest in taking care of these patients. Opioids are to fibromyalgia what corticosteroids are to rheumatoid arthritis. We try to avoid them if possible, but when they are necessary—which is often—we should employ them. Maybe, just maybe, Dr. Luetkemeyer refuses to give these patients opioids for whatever reason. If that is the case, I could understand his frustration and his decision not to treat these patients. — Dr. Murray Sokoloff
Now that doc sounds like he would go the course with his patients, FMS or otherwise. I want him at my back any day. He suggests some may not want to treat FMS because it is difficult to treat, and I think that is the very reason… so the recipe to follow and no sure results. He points out that RA back in the day had no easy treatments either. So all specialists are not born equal it seems. Pity in small areas we simply cannot pick and choose.
