Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by diffuse or specific muscle, joint, or bone pain, fatigue, and a wide range of other symptoms. It is not contagious, and recent studies suggest that people with fibromyalgia may be genetically predisposed. It affects more females than males, with a ratio of 9:1 by ACR (American College of Rheumatology) criteria. Fibromyalgia is seen in 3% to 6% of the general population, and is most commonly diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 20 and 50. Because the nature of fibromyalgia is not well understood, some physicians believe that it may be psychosomatic or psychogenic.

The defining symptoms of fibromyalgia are chronic, widespread pain and tenderness to light touch. Those affected may also experience heightened sensitivity of the skin, tingling of the skin, achiness in the muscle tissues, prolonged muscle spasms, weakness in the limbs, and nerve pain. Chronic sleep disturbances are also characteristic of fibromyalgia, and some studies suggest that these sleep disturbances are the result of a sleep disorder called alpha-delta sleep , a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. Deeper stages of sleep are often dramatically reduced.

In addition, many patients experience cognitive dysfunction, which may be characterized by impaired concentration and short-term memory consolidation, impaired speed of performance, inability to multi-task, and cognitive overload. Many experts suspect that "brain fog" is directly related to the sleep disturbances experienced by sufferers of fibromyalgia. However, the relationship has not been strictly established.

Although there is no universally accepted cure, some doctors have claimed to have successfully treated fibromyalgia when a psychological cause is accepted. The disease itself is neither life-threatening nor progressive, though the degree of symptoms may vary greatly from day to day with periods of flares or remission.

...More at Wikipedia

Related Links:

• National Fibromyalgia Association
• Healthwell.com
• Mayo Clinic

Recent Hope Cube Blog Entries For Fibromyalgia

• Cat Handcuffs and Fibro Flares Thu, August 23, 2007 - [view]
  (originally written August 10, 2007) So, today was the first time since I started blogging and setting up MySpace and Xanga pages over a month ago that I felt too crappy to get online at all. I decided to go analog and just use a legal pad and a pencil instead (it's a mechanical pencil - I'm not a total Luddite). I planned to enter it into my blog tomorrow, but I can't seem to sleep tonight, so I thought I'd give it a shot now. I didn't even spend an inordinate amount of time online yesterday, or do any of the kinds of things that trigger my symptoms (cleaning, laundry, etc.) Sometimes the storm just hits with no warning or provocation, and I've come to terms with that. What does surprise me is how much I missed doing this, even for just a day. I guess I've become more attached ...
• A Day in the Life...with Fibromyalgia Thu, August 23, 2007 - [view]
  (originally written August 2, 2007) So I realized that I have been blogging for awhile now, and have yet to talk about my condition. I have no intention of turning this into a whine-fest, but sometimes it's awkward to ask about these things, and I don't think most people understand what fibromyalgia is like. I'm not going to try to define fibromyalgia, or try to get technical about it. There are lots of medical web sites that can explain that stuff far better than I ever could. Instead I would like to just talk about how my condition affects me on a day-to-day basis. Today was a good day. When I woke up, I was able to get out of bed on the first try, after only 10 minutes of slow leg stretches. Many mornings I have to make multiple attempts before I can stand, and even then it's a craps...
• Too Focused On The Pain Sun, August 19, 2007 - [view]
  My Fibromyalgia pain has been a lot worse lately than usual. Normally, my CFS symptoms will outweigh the pain, but the last week has been really rough. The severe headaches that migraine medication and Darvocet aren't helping with have me near tears some days. The pain in my knees and hips makes my 38-year-old body feel like 80. Add to all of that the fatigue - I am a disaster! I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow...