Do you wake up tired every morning? Musculoskeletal discomfort, which is defined as fibromyalgia in medicine, causes muscle joint pain, fatigue and waking up in the morning with muscles, especially in the back, neck, shoulders and buttocks.
Fibromyalgia occurs more common in women between the ages of 30 and 60 than men
Although it can be seen in all ages and both sexes, it is most commonly seen more in women between the ages of 30 and 60 than in men. The most obvious reason for this is that women’s bodies are more easily deformed by men.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
There is widespread body pain lasting more than 3 months. Pain is the main symptom. Pain in muscles and joints may vary day by day, week to week. Although the place of pain tends to circulate in different parts of the body, it is most commonly felt in the neck, waist, arms, chest, buttocks and legs.
- Pain can be increased especially by bad sleep, cold and humid weather and psychological stress and mechanical loads.
- There may be sensitivity to the neck, shoulders, knees, elbows or hips, thighs.
- Unrested sleep is very common.
- Fatigue in the morning and later in the day,
- Tension or migraine type headache, at first may be a feeling of lightheadedness.
- Difficulty in concentration,
- Numbness or tingling may be felt in the hands, arms, feet, legs or face.
- Abdominal pain, swelling, constipation, diarrhea, such as complaints about the gastrointestinal tract may be.
- Premenstrual tension, painful menstrual periods
- Frequent urination
Not all of these complaints may be seen at the same time, symptoms vary from person to person. However, muscle and joint pain, unrested sleep and fatigue are the most common complaints.
Stress, anxiety, depression are the biggest triggers of rheumatic diseases
The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. It is thought to be associated with stress, anxiety, depression, unrestful sleep and some rheumatic and hormonal diseases. Excessive exercise or heavy sports, immobility, cold and humid weather, psychological stresses increase pain.
Rheumatic disorders decrease during the holidays
The occurrence of hypersensitivity with widespread pain in the body lasting longer than 3 months and pressing on at least 11 of the 18 sensitive points is the first indispensable condition of the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
The presence of at least 3 common findings in fibromyalgia and any of the other accompanying findings together will support the diagnosis. These complaints increase in morning immobilization, cold, humidity, gloomy indoor weather and extreme activities, unhappiness, hot weather, massage or hot treatments or even on holiday.
In fact, fibromyalgia is very difficult to diagnose because these symptoms are closely similar to those found in other diseases. Therefore, the doctor has to question the patient’s medical development in full. If these complaints last longer than 3 months, fibromyalgia should be suspected.
In fibromyalgia, there is no definitive diagnostic method such as laboratory, X-ray. They can only be valuable in differential diagnosis. For this purpose, full blood count, urinalysis, thyroid hormone tests or rheumatism tests may be requested. In summary, the doctor should make the diagnosis not only based on the patient’s analysis and film, but rather by listening to the patient and after a detailed examination.
“Fibromyalgia Risk Test” which includes sensitive spot detection and some standard questions should be done in patients. You can also take this test to find out if you have fibromyalgia yourself.
In addition to the patient, relatives should be trained
Patients should not withdraw from life despite all their problems and should lead a life with participation. All restricted vital functions of the patient should be re-increased. The main objective should be to teach the patients the strategies of coping with pain and other problems in stages. Physician patient cooperation in the treatment of fibromyalgia is extremely important. So the first step of treatment is the training of the patient and his relatives. Secondly, i.e. Exercise therapy; increases condition, reduces traumas and externally harmful stimuli, and pain can break the vicious cycle. Drug therapy, physical therapy methods, local injections, proper diet and regular water drinking are among the treatment methods.
