Posted by TENA/ DIAMOND on 12/5/2008, 6:56 pm, in reply to "Fibromyalgia Pain #1"
Fibromyalgia Pain
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What are fibromyalgia's trigger points?
Trigger points or tender points are localized areas of tenderness around joints -- not the joints themselves -- that hurt when pressed. Trigger points are not areas of deep pain. Instead, they are superficial areas seemingly under the surface of the skin, such as over the elbow or shoulder. A correct diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based on a person having 11 or more out of a possible 18 trigger points or tender points.
How does the chronic pain of fibromyalgia impact lives?
Fibromyalgia's chronic pain seems unending. The ongoing headaches, neck pain, aching joints, and painful trigger points prevent sleep, causing you to awaken frequently at night. The chronic sleep disorder of fibromyalgia results in increased achiness, morning stiffness, and daytime fatigue. While you want to exercise and be active, you may suffer with foot pain, hip pain, knee pain, or swollen joints. All of these make it next to impossible to exercise with friends or to play with your kids or grandkids.
The constant pain causes more irritation and difficulty dealing with others, including family members, friends, and people at work. For women with fibromyalgia who must take care of family members and work full-time, coping with pain is a challenge. If there is undiagnosed pain and no effective treatment or medication for the fibromyalgia, the overwhelming feelings can lead to irritability, exhaustion, anxiety, social isolation, and depression.
How can I get relief for undiagnosed fibromyalgia pain?
Talk to your doctor about your symptoms of fibromyalgia, including the body aches, aching joints, painful trigger points, and fatigue. With a multifaceted program of effective medications, alternative therapies, psychotherapy, and mind/body remedies, you should be able to find good relief of symptoms and reclaim your active life again.
WebMD Medical Reference
SOURCES:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: "Fibromyalgia."
Fibromyalgia Network: "Symptoms."
Arthritis Foundation: "Fibromyalgia: What Causes It?"
National Fibromyalgia Association: "Understanding Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain."
McIlwain, H. and Bruce, D. The Fibromyalgia Handbook, Holt, 2007.
Reviewed by Matthew Hoffman, MD on April 30, 2008
© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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