While fibromyalgia is one of the most common diseases affecting the muscles, its cause is currently unknown. Symptoms usually arise between the ages of 20-55 years, but the condition also may be diagnosed in childhood. Many other symptoms also occur in people with this disorder. Symptoms may come and go. In general, fibromyalgia is strikes women seven times more often than men, according to a 1998 National Institutes of Health report. Some people with fibromyalgia also experience depression, tension and migraine headaches, irritable bowel and bladder, chronic fatigue syndrome and temperomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction (characterized by pain in the jaw). Therefore, fibromyalgia is different from many other rheumatic conditions. In those diseases, tissue inflammation is the major cause of pain, stiffness and tenderness of the joints, tendons and muscles, and it can lead to joint deformity and damage to the internal organs or muscles.

Causes of Fibromyalgia

The common causes and risk factor’s of Fibromyalgia include the following:

The exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known.

Disturbed sleep patterns may be a cause rather than just a symptom of fibromyalgia.

Family History: If a parent, sibling, or other relative has fibromyalgia, one is more at risk for developing the condition.

A viral or bacterial infection.

Emotional trauma and stress.

People with insomnia or other sleeping disorders such as restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Some sign and symptoms related to Fibromyalgia are as follows:

Muscle pain and fatigue are the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Poor sleeping.

Frequent urination.

Dry mouth.

Headaches and migraines.

Feeling of pain, burning, aching, and soreness in the body.

Pain in the knees and kneecap area.

Sense of tissues feeling swollen.

Numbness, tingling and feeling of cold in the hands and feet.

Irritable bladder and urinary complaints.

Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Here is list of the methods for treating Fibromyalgia:

Antidepressants known as tricyclics are commonly prescribed for the treatment of fibromyalgia, primarily to reduce sleeplessness and muscle pain.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and other forms of counseling, including hypnotherapy.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Muscle relaxers such as Flexeril may be used to relax muscle spasms in specific locations without affecting overall muscle function.

Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen (Aleve) may help.

Vitamins , dietary supplements , and herbal products.

Some methods of stress reduction to consider include biofeedback, deep breathing, meditation and massage therapy.

Statistics indicate that more than 3.7 million Americans are diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This is a disturbing fact, as modern medicine hasn’t yet discovered a specific cure for this type of neurological disorder. In fact, although scientists have established a connection between abnormal brain activity and the symptoms of fibromyalgia, the exact causes responsible for the development of the disorder remain unknown. In present, fibromyalgia treatments are solely focused on ameliorating its symptoms, instead of overcoming its causes. Although most fibromyalgia treatments can ease the muscular pain and discomfort characteristic to all people with the disorder, these symptoms seem to reoccur on a regular time bases. This is due to the fact that fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder and therefore it needs ongoing treatment.

Fibromyalgia treatments mostly consist of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (used solely for their analgesic properties). However, apart from intense pain, many people with fibromyalgia complain about having trouble sleeping and feel a pronounced state of fatigue throughout the whole body. Therefore, in some particular cases, fibromyalgia treatments may include sedatives in order to correct the patients’ sleeping problems.

As a consequence of the fact that modern medicine is unable to trace the actual causes of the disorder, the symptoms of fibromyalgia can only be corrected by prescribing a certain treatment for each individual symptom. Therefore, the majority of fibromyalgia treatments consist of many types of medicines that target different aspects of the disorder.

Other physical symptoms of fibromyalgia are: migraines, lack of concentration, body weakness, decrease of the short-term memory, accelerated heart rate, nausea, abdominal pain and bloating, vomiting and diarrhea. When patients are confronted with these symptoms, the fibromyalgia treatment includes medicines appropriate for each particular problem. Fibromyalgia can even cause depression and in this case the fibromyalgia treatment will include anti-depressives.

The multitude of fibromyalgia symptoms requires a multitude of fibromyalgia treatments. Due to this fact, many people who follow ongoing medication either develop increased tolerance to drugs and need higher doses (especially in the case of analgesics and sedatives), or they start feeling even worse than before due to the side-effects of the fibromyalgia treatment.

However, there are other forms of fibromyalgia treatments that can relief the symptoms of the condition without relying on drugs. These fibromyalgia treatments involve kineto-therapy and massage therapy. By stimulating the trigger points on the body (the places where the pain is the most intense) and through the means of therapeutic massages, the muscular pain and fatigue can be diminished. Medical experts strongly recommend these forms of therapy instead of ongoing fibromyalgia treatments that involve drugs.