What is Fibromyalgia?

What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic achy musculoskeletal pain that has no obvious physical cause. The pain is usually described as burning, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing and may be accompanied by chronic headaches, strange sensations in the skin, insomnia (and a myriad of sleep disorders , irritable bowel syndrome, and temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ). The person often complains of chronic fatigue and depression as well.

Other conditions such as premenstural syndrome, painful periods, anxiety, palpitations, memory impairment, irritable bladder, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, and impaired coordination may also be seen with the syndrome. Such activities such as lifting and climbing stairs are often difficult and painful. The most distinctive feature of fibromyalgia, however, is the existence of certain tender points specific spots where the muscles are abnormally tender to the touch.

This disorder is much more common in females than in males, and most often begins in young adulthood. In most cases, symptoms come on gradually and slowly increase in intensity. They can be triggered or made worse by by a number of different factors including overexertion, stress, lack of exercise, anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, trauma, extremes of temperature and/or humidity. A significant number of people with fibromyalgia are actually disabled by the condition. Because malabsorption problems are common in people with this disorder, higher than normal doses of all supplemental nutrients are needed. Whenever possible, it is best to use sublingual vitamins and other supplements because they are more easily absorbed.

Although the exact cause of fibromyalgia is not known, it is known that some of the neurochemicals, which help signal the nerves and the muscles in the correct way are abnormal. More specifically, it is known that people with fibromyalgia have low serum serotonin levels, low norepinephrine and low dopamine levels, and very high levels of substance P in the spinal cord. As a result, toxification occurs along with impairment of neurologic function.

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