Fibromyalgia Specialist

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a condition affecting your muscles and bones. If you have fibromyalgia, you experience widespread pain throughout most or all of your body. You might also have difficulty sleeping but still, feel tired all the time.

Fibromyalgia makes you more sensitive to pain and can cause issues like numbness or tingling in your hands and feet and pain in your jaw or face. Other symptoms include problems with memory and concentration (known as fibro fog), depression and anxiety, and digestive upsets.

Fibromyalgia affects around four million people in the United States, roughly 2% of the adult population.

Why would I get fibromyalgia?

The cause of fibromyalgia isn't clear, but research indicates there may be several factors involved, such as sleep problems, stress, biochemical imbalances, and dysfunction in your immune and endocrine systems.

Some are more likely to get fibromyalgia; for example, twice as many women as men get the condition. In addition, having an autoimmune disorder like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk, and if other people in your family have fibromyalgia, you're more likely to get it too.

Diagnosis typically occurs in middle age or later, but anyone can get fibromyalgia, including children. Louisiana Pain Specialists diagnose fibromyalgia after excluding other possible causes for your symptoms.

How is fibromyalgia treated?

There's no known cure for fibromyalgia, but the experts at Louisiana Pain Specialists can help reduce the severity of your symptoms. Some of the treatments they use include:

Medication

Anti-inflammatory medicines and pain relief medications can help ease your discomfort. Other drugs can also reduce symptoms, including antidepressants and approved fibromyalgia medicines like pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran.

Physical activities

Although it may seem challenging when you feel tired and in pain, staying physically active is essential. Physical therapy helps stretch your muscles and keep you flexible, so you should try to swim, walk, or bike for at least 30 minutes five days a week.

Regular physical activity also reduces your risk of developing other chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Relaxation

Learning how to relax and reduce stress can make a significant difference in your pain. Stress causes your muscles to tense, which worsens fibromyalgia pain. Therefore, a relaxation method that suits you, such as meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness, yoga, or Tai Chi, could be remarkably beneficial.

Heat treatments, occasional cold treatments, and therapeutic massage can be helpful for some patients. Good quality sleep and eating a healthy diet are also vital.

If you experience fibromyalgia symptoms, visit the experts at Louisiana Pain Specialists for support and effective therapies. Call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.