Fibromyalgia Care
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Are you tired of constantly feeling sick and tired?
If you answered "yes" to this question, you may be searching for answers and a physician who can help treat the debilitating conditions known as Fibromyalgia (FM), Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) or Unrelenting Fatigue (UF). Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers can provide the answers you are searching for and more importantly they can provide you with the path to your recovery.
Please call us at 1-888-479-5831...it is toll free. We can help.
Other great sources of Fibromyalgia information:
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What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. Fibromyalgia symptoms are not restricted to pain, leading to the use of the alternative term fibromyalgia syndrome for the condition. Other core symptoms include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Some patients may also report difficulty with swallowing, bowel and bladder abnormalities, numbness and tingling, and cognitive dysfunction. Buskilla and Cohen state that "There are mounting data supporting comorbidity of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and psychiatric conditions."[1] and cite conditions such as anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Not all people with fibromyalgia experience all associated symptoms.
What causes Fibromyalgia?
The cause of fibromyalgia is currently unknown. Some of the more well known hypotheses are:
- Genetic predisposition
There is evidence that genetic factors may play a role in the development of fibromyalgia. For example, there is a high aggregation of fibromyalgia in families.
- Stress
Stress may be an important precipitating factor in the development of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is frequently comorbid with stress-related disorders such as chronic fatigue, posttraumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome and depression.
- Central dopamine dysfunction (hypodopaminergia)
The "dopamine hypothesis of fibromyalgia" proposes that the central abnormality responsible for symptoms associated with fibromyalgia is a disruption of normal dopamine-related neurotransmission. Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter with roles in pain perception and natural analgesia. There is also strong evidence for a role of dopamine in restless leg syndrome, which is a condition found frequently in patients with fibromyalgia.
- Abnormal serotonin metabolism
In 1975, researchers hypothesized that serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep patterns, mood, concentration and pain, could be involved in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia-associated symptoms. In 1992, decreased serotonin metabolites in patient blood samples and cerebrospinal fluid were reported. However, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have met with limited success in alleviating the symptoms of the disorder, while drugs with activity as mixed serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have been more successful.
- Deficient human growth hormone (HGH) secretion
Levels of hormones under the direct or indirect control of human growth hormone (HGH), including IGF-1, cortisol, leptin and neuropeptide Y may be abnormal in people with fibromyalgia, but supplementing growth hormone in patients does not have large effects, and a 2007 literature review reported a need for "further study before any solid recommendations can be made."[2]
- Psychological factors
There is strong evidence that major depression is associated with fibromyalgia, although the nature of the association is controversial. A comprehensive review into the relationship between fibromyalgia and major depressive disorder (MDD) found substantial similarities in neuroendocrine abnormalities, psychological characteristics, physical symptoms and treatments between fibromyalgia and MDD, but currently available findings do not support the assumption that MDD and fibromyalgia refer to the same underlying construct or can be seen as subsidiaries of one disease concept.
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