Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects your nervous system. Doctors are uncertain of the exact cause, but they do know that it amplifies sensations of pain across a patient’s body, along with other symptoms. Doctors speculate that some sort of stress triggers this condition by changing the way your brain and the rest of the body communicates. Although the condition has no cure yet, the team of experts at Houston Pain Specialists can determine whether you are suffering from fibromyalgia and help you manage it and continue living comfortably. They provide comprehensive care to patients with fibromyalgia in Houston.
Causes of Fibromyalgia
Recurrent stimulation of your nerves can cause changes to the spinal cord and brain of individuals with fibromyalgia. The changes involve an unusual rise in the levels of the brain chemicals that signal pain.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Common symptoms include:
- Touch sensitivity
- Fatigue
- Inadequate sleep
- Foggy thinking
- Memory problems
- Anxiety
- Migraine
- Digestive problems
- Widespread pain
Fibromyalgia does not lead to serious or life-threatening complications, but these and other symptoms can set in gradually and worsen over time.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Fibromyalgia currently has no cure, but there are plenty of options offered to manage your symptoms and help you live comfortably with the condition. Since fibromyalgia has symptoms that are so diverse, you may be referred to one or more specialists to aid in your treatment.
Your symptom management plan might include:
- An exercise plan
- Pain relief medication
- Antidepressants
- Counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy
- Physical or occupational therapy
Who is at risk of getting fibromyalgia?
Risk factors for fibromyalgia condition include:
- Being a woman – More women are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia than men.
- Having a family member with it – Fibromyalgia is likely to run in families; thus, there might be some genetic mutations that increase an individual’s susceptibility to develop the condition. You are more likely to develop fibromyalgia if a sibling or parent also has the condition.
- Having other disorders like osteoarthritis
- Physical trauma
- Severe psychological stress, anxiety, and depression – Studies show that these and other mood disorders appear to be linked to fibromyalgia.
- People who do not exercise. The condition is much more common in individuals who are not physically active. Exercise is one of the best treatments for fibromyalgia you already have. It helps turn the pain volume down.
These are the factors taken to consideration by the doctor when determining whether you have fibromyalgia or if it could be a different condition.
Some doctors speculate stress changes the way the brain and the rest of the body communicate, thus turning up the volume of pain in your brain to maximum, dubbing it as central pain amplification disorder.
If you have been feeling pain that does not disappear without any visible injury or illness, you might have fibromyalgia. That requires specialized care from a highly qualified and reliable provider. For reliable care for fibromyalgia in Texas, contact Houston Pain Specialists today by calling their offices or booking an appointment online.
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