What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects your bones and muscles. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, you will experience widespread pain all over your body. You may also have problems sleeping while still feeling tired all the time. The condition will make you more sensitive to pain. Other symptoms may include: depression and anxiety, problems with memory and concentration, as well as tingling or numbness of hands and feet pain in your face or jaw and digestive problems. Fibromyalgia affects about 4 million adults in the US which is about 2% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The cause for Fibromyalgia is not known. Doctors usually diagnose Fibromyalgia using your history, physical examination, X-rays, and blood work.

Risk Factors

Experts say most people get diagnosed around middle age with Fibromyalgiaa and the older you get, the more likely you are to suffer from the condition. However, Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages including children. If you have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you are more likely to develop Fibromyalgia. Researchers also found that women are twice as likely to have Fibromyalgia as men. The condition can be effectively treated and managed with medication and self-management strategies.

What You Can Do

Staying physically active can sometimes help reduce the pain. Try to walk, swim, or bike 30 minutes a day for five days a week. Experts say regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. If exercise is helping with your symptoms, try to maintain consistency with your exercise routine.

If you think you may suffer from Fibromyalgia, contact your healthcare provider.