Fibromyalgia commonly affects the musculoskeletal system. Pain is the predominant symptom but there may be other symptoms that include fatigue, memory, sleep and mood disorders. Patients have a lowered threshold for musculoskeletal pain such that even small stimuli are perceived as being very painful. Triggering factors include infections, trauma and stress. There are several fibromyalgia treatment options that can be used to improve symptoms.
The exact cause of the condition remains unknown. There are a number of risk factors, however, that have been identified through research. Genetic factors are believed to play a significant role. The disorder runs in families and a number of genetic mutations have been found in susceptible individuals. Some infections are also thought to trigger the development of the disorder as do physical and emotional traumatic episodes. Gender is also a risk factor as the disorder is more common in women than men.
Patients with mild symptoms are usually treated with NSAIDS. Paracetamol, which is available as an over-the-counter drug, helps relive muscle pain. Other NSAIDS that may be used are ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac. In the event that the NSAIDS are ineffective, stronger analgesic agents such as opioids are used. These include drugs such as codeine and tramadol. Tramadol is highly effective for pain relief but may lead to side effects such as fatigue, diarrhoea and withdrawal symptoms.
Several antidepressants have been demonstrated to have a positive effect. Their major mechanism of action is to increase the levels of neurotransmitters in circulation. This is because low levels of neurotransmitters are often associated with altered sensations. The commonly affected neurotransmitters include noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. Drugs used to restore their levels include duloxetine, fluoxetine and amitriptyline.
Another group of drugs that acts on the brain to relive symptoms includes the anticonvulsants. These drugs lower the amount of neurotransmitters but have a similar clinical effect to that of antidepressants in spite of opposing mechanisms of action. Pregabalin is one of such drugs. It decreases the amount of glutamate and therefore effectively reduces pain perception. Some of its side effects are weight gain, nausea, vomiting, weight gain, dizziness, blurred vision and constipation.
Research strongly suggests that there could be a psychological component to fibromyalgia. Depression may worsen the associated symptoms, particularly the pain. For this reason, some practitioners have recommended some psychological treatments to augment pharmacological treatment. Given alongside drugs, cognitive-behaviour therapy helps relieve a number of the symptoms. It also helps patients to identify the precipitating factors.
When seeking treatment for fibromyalgia, the main concern for the affected individual is often the constant pain. It should also be remembered that the other symptoms also need to be treated. These include, among others, fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis and anxiety. For this reason, patients are advised to seek the help of various specialised medical professionals to sort out these symptoms.
Patients have to live with the condition for a long time. Symptoms often improve with time but they may also worsen. There is a need for psychological counselling of affected individuals to help them cope better with the associated challenges. A major challenge to treatment is the fact there is no known prevention method as yet. Several patients undergoing fibromyalgia treatment report to have benefited from alternative medicine. This is an encouraging development for the affected individuals.
The exact cause of the condition remains unknown. There are a number of risk factors, however, that have been identified through research. Genetic factors are believed to play a significant role. The disorder runs in families and a number of genetic mutations have been found in susceptible individuals. Some infections are also thought to trigger the development of the disorder as do physical and emotional traumatic episodes. Gender is also a risk factor as the disorder is more common in women than men.
Patients with mild symptoms are usually treated with NSAIDS. Paracetamol, which is available as an over-the-counter drug, helps relive muscle pain. Other NSAIDS that may be used are ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac. In the event that the NSAIDS are ineffective, stronger analgesic agents such as opioids are used. These include drugs such as codeine and tramadol. Tramadol is highly effective for pain relief but may lead to side effects such as fatigue, diarrhoea and withdrawal symptoms.
Several antidepressants have been demonstrated to have a positive effect. Their major mechanism of action is to increase the levels of neurotransmitters in circulation. This is because low levels of neurotransmitters are often associated with altered sensations. The commonly affected neurotransmitters include noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. Drugs used to restore their levels include duloxetine, fluoxetine and amitriptyline.
Another group of drugs that acts on the brain to relive symptoms includes the anticonvulsants. These drugs lower the amount of neurotransmitters but have a similar clinical effect to that of antidepressants in spite of opposing mechanisms of action. Pregabalin is one of such drugs. It decreases the amount of glutamate and therefore effectively reduces pain perception. Some of its side effects are weight gain, nausea, vomiting, weight gain, dizziness, blurred vision and constipation.
Research strongly suggests that there could be a psychological component to fibromyalgia. Depression may worsen the associated symptoms, particularly the pain. For this reason, some practitioners have recommended some psychological treatments to augment pharmacological treatment. Given alongside drugs, cognitive-behaviour therapy helps relieve a number of the symptoms. It also helps patients to identify the precipitating factors.
When seeking treatment for fibromyalgia, the main concern for the affected individual is often the constant pain. It should also be remembered that the other symptoms also need to be treated. These include, among others, fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis and anxiety. For this reason, patients are advised to seek the help of various specialised medical professionals to sort out these symptoms.
Patients have to live with the condition for a long time. Symptoms often improve with time but they may also worsen. There is a need for psychological counselling of affected individuals to help them cope better with the associated challenges. A major challenge to treatment is the fact there is no known prevention method as yet. Several patients undergoing fibromyalgia treatment report to have benefited from alternative medicine. This is an encouraging development for the affected individuals.
About the Author:
If you need an effective fibromyalgia treatment, visit nopainohio.com. Come see what the Ohio Pain Center can do for you, when you go to http://nopainohio.com today.
Very informative blog... Fibromyalgia involves lot of pain and treatment for Fibromyalgia can help to reduce pain as well as patient get better health condition. Thanks for sharing information.
ReplyDelete