Fibromyalgia: causes, symptoms and treatments

This disease is linked to a sensation of muscular and skeletal pain without apparent causes.

A caress, a simple touch, moving or simply doing nothing are things that most people find pleasant and pleasurable. We generally enjoy the sensations that our body transmits to us, unless they cause us some kind of discomfort or pain..

However, this exception is the rule for many people who experience chronic pain in most parts of their body without any clear disease causing it. They are people who suffer from fibromyalgia..

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a well-known disease that is characterized mainly by the presence of a constant musculoskeletal pain spread throughout the body.. This pain is diffuse and non-specific and has a duration of more than three months of persistence.

It also highlights a hypersensitization of different points of the body, called trigger points, in which there is usually hyperalgesia. The threshold at which a perception becomes painful a perception becomes painfulThe slightest touch on these points can trigger sensations of great pain.

Symptoms

It has been seen that these people frequently suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety, symptoms that may be the result ofsymptoms that may be a consequence of the chronicity of their condition and the lack of knowledge of the causes of their condition. However, it has also been indicated that their presence may be part of the symptoms of the disorder. They tend to suffer from sleep problems such as insomnia or frequent awakenings, which in turn facilitates their discomfort and fatigue.

It is not uncommon for muscle stiffness to appear in the form of cramps, stiffness and even tremors. It is also common for fibromyalgia sufferers to tend to become fatigued very easily without having to exert much effort to do so. Sometimes these symptoms are these symptoms are added to the presence of other disorders, but these do not explain the pain.but these do not explain the generalized pain.

The medical analysis of the patients does not reflect any indication of alterations or injuries that may cause pain. In fact, for many years it has come to be considered a somatoform disease, since no signs of pain are found.It has been considered a somatoform disease for many years, since no evidence of real lesions is found, despite the fact that the suffering and pain perceived are real. However, today it is considered a rheumatic disease. It is more frequent in women than in men.

Causes of this disorder

Fibromyalgia is a disorder for which even today the exact causes are not yet known, not having located in this disease any specific lesion that can generate widespread pain. no specific lesion that can generate a generalized pain..

However, research points to a malfunction in the transmission of serotonin and substance P, which is altered in many of these patients. Specifically, a decrease in serotonin levels has been detected while there is an increase in substance P (the latter is highly involved in pain perception).

The altered levels of these substances could cause an anomalous reaction of the pain circuits. anomalous reaction of the nervous circuits and pathways and pathways linked to pain sensation, causing the body to interpret different sensations as painful.

In addition, it has been considered that it may be due to aspects such as sensitivity to nickel or gluten (although without reaching intolerance), but there is still not enough data on this subject.

It has also been considered that the presence of stressful and/or traumatic events may contribute to the onset of the disorder and to its maintenance, especially when taking into account that it is frequent that it is present with mood or anxiety disturbances.. This, as we have indicated previously, can be due to the fact that the patient feels helpless and desperate when not being able to give an explanation to his state.

Treatment of fibromyalgia

Due to the definitive lack of knowledge about the causes of fibromyalgia, the treatment applied is usually focused on palliating its symptoms and improving the patient's quality of life from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Pharmacological intervention

At the pharmacological level, the following have been applied sedative-hypnotics such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants and anticonvulsants have been applied with the purpose of reducing fatigue, possible muscle spasms and depressive and anxious symptoms.

Also commonly used are analgesics and Anti-Inflammatory drugs are also commonly used in order to try to reduce the level of perceived pain.

Psychological intervention

At the psychological level, the use of multimodal programs that take into account a large number of essential factors to improve the condition of the subject in question is recommended.

Within these programs, it is essential to use relaxation, meditation and relaxation strategies, meditation and biofeedback. in order to try to reduce the intensity of the pain and to have a greater capacity to manage it. Physical exercise has been shown to be useful in the treatment, especially those of aerobic type that are performed in water.

It is necessary that the patient is able to express his sensations and fears, as well as to work on these and to work on these and the feelings of helplessness that he/she may have, so that the subject perceives him/herself as more competent and capable of controlling the situation.

It is also helpful for the patient to try to give meaning to the pain and reinterpret it, seeking to be able to establish differentIt is also helpful for the patient to try to give meaning to the pain and reinterpret it, seeking to be able to establish different strategies that will allow him/her to cope with the disorder.

Psychoeducation for the patient and the patient's environment is also fundamental, since it is reassuring to receive information about the problem in question (it must be taken into account that most of the subjects do not know what is happening to them) and about strategies to be applied in order to reduce it. In addition, the fact that there are no injuries may lead the environment to think that the person may be simulating a disorder.

Bibliographical references:

• Clariana, S.M. and De los Riós, P. (2012). Psicología de la Salud. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR. CEDE: Madrid.

• Smith, H.S.; Harris, R. & Claw, D. (2011). Fibromyalgia: An Afferent Processing Disorder Leading to a Complex Pain Generalized Syndrome. Pain Physician; 14.