Before looking for the best possible answer for this question, we need to bring in your knowledge of what fibromyalgia is and what factors are responsible for this condition. Let’s get hands-on with some basic information about the disease.
All about Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is characterized by widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain and tenderness (sensitive to slight touch). A condition affecting almost all of your bones and muscles, often accompanied by fatigue, cognitive disturbance, trouble sleeping, and memory issues.
What causes fibromyalgia is still not known and is often related to genetics. Researchers believe that certain genes can make you more likely to get the disease. This central sensitization syndrome cannot be caused by genes only because many of the patients have no history of such a disease running in their families. A few researchers associate it with multiple physical or emotional stressors, environmental (non-genetic) factors, and other health problems that can also be responsible for developing the disorder.
Fibromyalgia can alter the way your brain processes the pain. As a result, patients become hypersensitive to the perception of pain i-e experience a higher than normal increase in the perceived intensity of pain.
The most common Symptoms of Fibromyalgia include:
● Fatigue
● Lack of energy
● Trouble sleeping
● Depression or anxiety
● Problem with concentrating and memory issues
● Headaches and bloating
● Intensified sensitivity to light, noise, odors, and temperature
● Muscle and joint stiffness
● Tingling or numb feeling in the hands and feet
● Itch, burn, and other skin problems
Can Fibromyalgia Be Cured?
Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no known cure for fibromyalgia. Still, some treatments are found to help ease the symptoms by medication or non-drug treatments involving therapies and physical activities.
To cope with the disease patient’s education is crucial for treatment. Before getting a list of medications, patients need to understand their condition. One must know that the symptoms can flare up due to any physical or emotional trauma; that’s why a patient must be encouraged to practice relaxation and become a part of stress reduction programs. Reassuring that fibromyalgia is a real disease affecting the quality of life and needs treatment.
Ways of Treating Fibromyalgia
The most practiced and effective ways of treating fibromyalgia are:
1. Non-Drug Treatments
Your treatment plan must be a mix of psychological and behavioral therapy and self-management approaches, such as physical exercise and other non-drug therapies like yoga or Tai chi. A Group or individual therapy can potentially reduce the stress that aggravates fibromyalgia symptoms. Group therapy like aerobic exercise or chiropractic and massage therapy may be the most affordable option and can give you a chance to meet others who are going through the same issues.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is also available if you prefer a one-on-one help approach that makes patients learn symptom reduction skills that lessen pain and manage stressful situations.
2. Pharmacological Treatments
Combined with other therapies, medication can be used to lessen the pain, making it easier for the patient to sleep and making them capable of surviving the stress and anxiety in a better way. All the patients may not get the desired result by just some exercises or behavioral therapies. In such cases, your medical officer can recommend:
Pain-relievers are the most common and safest approach to treating fibromyalgia. Your doctor can prescribe over-the-counter drugs, including aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium, each of which has its own importance that helps regulate your body’s hormones.
Non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs are for people who need additional pain relief because fibromyalgia does not cause tissue inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medications are usually not prescribed for treating inflammation. Instead, they are prescribed to treat other painful conditions that may coexist with fibromyalgia.
Anti-depressants play a vital role in the treatment of fibromyalgia patients because depression, anxiety, and environmental factors are known to be the triggering factors. Tricyclic medications like serotonin reuptake inhibitors and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors enhance tolerability in the patients.
Anti-epileptic or Anti-seizures
Pregabalin is an anti-seizure drug that helps block nerve cells from sending out pain signals, lessens the pain, and improves sleep quality by interfering with the pain signal transmission to the brain.
Even with all these treatment options, a patient’s self-care and a healthy lifestyle are vital to improving symptoms. Visit healthylineoutlet.com for more information that can help you cope better with fibromyalgia and let you live a more normal life.
