What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a neurological condition that makes you sensitive to touch and causes you to feel pain all over your entire body. It’s been theorized that fibromyalgia affects how the brain processes your pain, and magnifies the sensation.
Fibromyalgia is more common in women than men, and many people with the disorder also have tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, restless leg syndrome, depression, anxiety, or temporomandibular joint disorder.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
Common symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Widespread muscle pain that affects both sides of your body
- Tenderness to touch
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating
- Forgetfulness
If you’ve been experiencing these symptoms for more than three months, Dr. Whitten may be able to help, even if you haven’t yet been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
How did I get fibromyalgia?
Doctors are still researching the exact cause of fibromyalgia, but experts theorize that certain factors may trigger the disorder, including:
- Genetics
- An infection
- Another pain condition, such as arthritis or back pain
- Emotional stress
These factors may disrupt how your spinal cord sends pain signals to your brain, turning up the pain sensation in the brain.
How is fibromyalgia treated?
Dr. Whitten uses a combination of medication and self care to help you manage your fibromyalgia symptoms.
Medications he may recommend include:
- Over-the-counter pain relievers
- Antidepressants
- Antiseizure medication, such as gabapentin
Narcotic Medications are associated with worsening of fibromyalgia pain and therefore are not indicated. Dr. Whitten has a large repertoire of medications and interventions to help treat fibromyalgia.
While medications are effective at helping reduce the pain caused by fibromyalgia, Dr. Whitten also recommends regular exercise to help manage your symptoms. He often recommends walking, yoga, tai chi, swimming, or even low-impact aerobics, depending on your individual situation.
What can I do to alleviate pain?
There are many additional lifestyle changes you can make to help manage your fibromyalgia symptoms. You can:
- Develop healthy sleeping habits
- Work on relaxation through meditation or deep-breathing exercises
- Eat a healthy diet
- Exercise daily
- Learn as much as you can about fibromyalgia
Dr. Whitten may also suggest alternative treatments to help you manage pain, such as massage therapy or acupuncture.
For help with fibromyalgia, call the office or book an appointment online.
