Fibromyalgia and FMS

FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) is a extensive musculor-skeletal pain and fatigue disorder whose origin is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means "pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons." FMS is said to affect anywhere between 3% - 7% of women in the U.S.A.

Most people with FMS say that they ache all over. Their muscles feel like they have been pulled and/or overworked. Sometimes muscles twitch, and other times they burn. Women are far more afflicted with FMS. While mostly women over 40 are affected, it shows up in people of all ages. To complicate matters for women, they begin suffering with FMS as they are going through menopause.

Although the syndrome has been known by other names, the word fibromyalgia was first introduced in 1976. This word is derived from the Latin roots "fibro" (fibrous tissue), "my " (muscles), "al" (pain), and "gia" (condition of). Fibromyalgia was known most commonly by the misnomer fibrositis, the "itis" implying an inflammatory component. Chaitrow asserts that no inflammatory process ever has been found to be part of this disease.

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Most doctors will ask about your pain symptoms and then press on a series of soft tissue body sites called "tender points." There are 18 tender points on the body that will usually be highly sensitive to pressure in people with fibromyalgia as specified by the American College of Rheumatology criteria.

To help your family and friends relate to your condition, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply. While the severity of symptoms fluctuate from person to person, FMS may resemble a post-viral state. This similarity is the reason experts in the field of FMS and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) believe that these two syndromes may be one and the same. Gulf War syndrome also overlaps with FMS/CFS.

Living with FMS adds a tremendous amount of stress to daily life. In addition to normal stresses, the person with FMS endures daily pain, fatigue, physical limitations, concentration or memory impairment, and other difficulties. Trying to work and carry on a normal life with severe pain and fatigue is very stressful.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio found that people with FMS experienced greater stress related to everyday inconveniences than did people with rheumatoid arthritis even though the two groups were otherwise similar. Daily frustrations ranged from waiting in line to lacking funds for medical care. Stress aggravates symptoms of fibromyalgia and causes flare-ups.

Lessening the stress of daily frustrations may help reduce flare-ups and the overall pain of FMS. When the source of stress cannot be reduced or eliminated, the response to stress should be changed to avoid making the symptoms worse.

One of your greatest allies is not the doctors and medical community, rather it is your peers and fellow women (and a few men) who struggle with Fibromyalgia. That is why we have created a fibromyalgia blog for you to interact with us and others who visit the site.

None of this is to say the medical community cannot help, but shared wisdom and experience can sometimes be what we need. And, maybe along the way some fellow fibro-folks will also be a part of our peer group.

Go to the Fibromyalgia Blog

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