So what is Fibromyalgia?

So many people have asked me what is fibromyalgia, so here is the medical definition, and my own definition of it and what it all entitles i just thought i would try and explain a bit.

So in my own terms, fibromyalgia is just a widespread chronic pain disorder and the pain level interferes with sleeping and daily life.
On looking at the UK Fibromyalgia website, it states that fibromyalgia is:
FMS (fibromyalgia (fi-bro-my-Al-juh) syndrome) is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the fibrous tissues in the body.

The pain comes from the connective tissues, such as the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. FMS does not involve the joints

(http://www.ukfibromyalgia.com/what-is-fm.html)

Everyday i suffer with pain all over, and i can't get up without my knees aching and my fingers are so stiff i cant move them. its a struggle getting from bed to the bathroom especially when my knees are bad. most days i don't do much apart from get up and potter around the house getting my self dressed, etc, i go back to university in a few days and im really worried because i cant handle pottering around the flat at the moment let alone going to university to learn, but that's a new challenge.

The NHS describes Fibromyalgia as:
Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome, is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. 
The name fibromyalgia comes from three Latin words:

• 'fibro' meaning fibrous tissues, such as tendons (tissue that connects muscles to bones) and ligaments (tissue that connects bones to bones)
• 'my' meaning muscles
• 'algia' meaning pain

However, the pain of fibromyalgia does not just affect the muscles, ligaments and tendons, but is felt all over the body. It results in widespread pain and extreme tiredness. People with fibromyalgia may also have:

• difficulty sleeping
• headaches
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• muscle stiffness

The NHS go on to explain about the patients outlook on life,
There is currently no cure for fibromyalgia, because the cause is unknown. However, there are a number of treatments that may ease symptoms. Treatment tends to be a combination of:

• medicines – such as antidepressants and painkillers
• talking therapies – such as counseling
• lifestyle changes – such as better sleeping habits and relaxation

In particular, exercise has been found to have a number of important benefits for people with fibromyalgia, including helping to reduce pain.For most people, the symptoms of fibromyalgia are permanent, although they can vary in severity. There are several lifestyle changes that can help to relieve your symptoms and make your condition easier to live with.

(http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx)

The are also plenty of symptoms to this syndrome,
Your symptoms may sometimes get better or worse depending on factors such as, changes in the weather, stress levels, and how physically active you are,
The symptoms are,

• pain- widespread,(an ache, a burning sensation, a sharp stabbing pain)

• Extreme sensitivity, you can become extremely sensitive to pain all over your body, you may find the slightest touch very painful,, hyperalgesia- when you are extremely sensitive to pain, allodynia- when you feel pain from something that should not be painful at all, such as a very light touch

• You may also be sensitive to such things as, smoke, certain foods, bright lights
  
• stiffness, most severe when you have been in the same position for a long time , like first thing in the morning after sleep.
  
• muscle spasms can affect sleep
  
• fatigue, extreme tiredness, can range from a mild, tired feeling to exhaustion often experienced during a flu- like illness, something severe fatigue may come on very suddenly and can drain all you energy , where you may be too tired to do anything.
  
• poor quality of sleep, you can often wake up tired even when you have had plenty of sleep, this is because fibromyalgia can sometimes prevent you from sleeping deeply enough to refresh you properly 'non-restorative sleep'.
  
• cognitive problems ('fibro-fog'),  trouble remembering and learning new things, problems with attention and concentration, slowed or confused speech,
  
• Headaches, if you have pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulders from fibromyalgia you may also have frequent headaches, these can vary from being mild headache to severe migraines, which may also involve other symptoms such as nausea.
  
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) you may develop IBS, its a common digestive condition causes pain and bloating in your stomach, it can also cause constipation and diarrhea.
  
• Other symptoms can include, not being able to regulate your body temperate, restless leg syndrome, tingling, numbness, prickling or burning sensations in your hands, feet, tinnitus, (noise in both or one ear which comes from inside the body), unusually painful periods (in women), anxiety.
  
• Depression, fibromyalgia can lead to depression this is because the condition can be difficult to deal with and low levels of certain hormones, such as serotonin, can make you prone to developing depression, depression can cause many symptoms including, constantly feeling low, lack of interest in the things that you usually enjoy, feeling tearful.

so i hope that this blog gives everybody a insight into what fibromyalgia entitles and how hard it can be too cope.