It’s understandable to feel pain after a car accident, childbirth or from a broken bone. There are also clear steps that can be taken to help a person heal. However, in the event that a person experiences chronic and widespread pain, the solution is not always easy, and the symptoms don’t always make sense. Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain all over the body. While there is no cure, a pain management specialist can help to control the symptoms. The Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas know how debilitating fibromyalgia can be and have proven methods to help patients improve their quality of life. 

What is Fibromyalgia? 

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain and tenderness in the muscles and soft tissues throughout the body (musculoskeletal pain) as well as fatigue. The disease is often characterized by tender points on the body, of which there are 18 (one on each side of the body). Most patients usually experience flare-ups of symptoms, where the pain intensifies during the flare-up, while others describe pain as ever present. The periods of low pain and high pain can make living with fibromyalgia seem unbearable. 

What Causes Fibromyalgia?

There is no definitive reason why a person might develop fibromyalgia. Studies have found that certain health conditions, stress, life changes and nerve stimulation changes can trigger it. The most common causes include: 

• Genetics: a history of fibromyalgia in the family increases a person’s chances of developing the condition
• Infections: certain illnesses can trigger the development of fibromyalgia
• Physical or emotional events: a traumatic event, such as a car accident, or prolonged psychological stress can also trigger fibromyalgia 
• Poor sleep: studies have found that people who lack ideal quality of sleep are at a greater risk for suffering from widespread, chronic pain conditions
• DIsorders: chronic inflammatory or autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and osteoarthritis are common risk factors for fibromyalgia

A specific condition that is both a cause and an effect of fibromyalgia is central sensitization syndrome, which is also known as allodynia. This common complication of chronic pain occurs when there is an increase in the nerve reaction within the central nervous system, and subsequent sensations registered by the peripheral nervous system. This causes an extreme sensitivity to touch, meaning that a person could experience incredible pain just from brushing their hair. 

While anyone can suffer from fibromyalgia, it most commonly affects women who are at least 40 years of age or older. 

What are Fibromyalgia Symptoms?

The most common symptom of fibromyalgia is widespread pain. As mentioned above, these mostly are felt in tender points in the body, which include the back of the head, upper back, neck, elbows, hips and knees. So, as you can imagine, the pain can cause a person to experience an extreme reduction of quality of life. 

In additional to painful flare-up, additional symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Fatigue
• Muscle pain or tenderness
• Face and jaw pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Bladder control issues
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and digestive problems
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sleep disorders
• Mood disorders
• Dizziness
• Inflammation and associated pain
• Memory problems

Common triggers for painful flare-ups include hormone changes, not sleeping well or enough, emotional stress, changes in your daily routine, getting sick, starting new medications, changes in diet, and more. 

How is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?

In addition to a person dealing with the symptoms of fibromyalgia, they also have to deal with getting an accurate diagnosis. The reason being is that there are so many possible reasons why a person might develop fibromyalgia, as well as a myriad of conditions that fibromyalgia can exacerbate, which lead to additional symptoms. 

The best way to receive an accurate diagnosis is to partner with a pain management specialist who can expertly and comprehensively diagnose your pain symptoms. On average, it can take five years to receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis. This is because symptoms can overlap with other conditions.

Preliminary diagnostic key points include:

• If pain has lasted for three months or longer
• If pain is symmetrical and widespread (located above and below the waist)
• Other symptoms of fibromyalgia are present (see list above)

A pain specialist will also rule out other possible causes of pain, which include rheumatic diseases, mental health disorders and neurological disorders. They will also perform a physical exam, review your family and medical history, and take lab tests to diagnose fibromyalgia. 

How is Fibromyalgia Treated?

There is no one singular treatment for patients with fibromyalgia. Often, pain management specialists will recommend several treatment options, including those that have a physical and psychological focus, with the goal to help reduce flare-ups, have increased periods of remission, as well as reduce pain symptoms when flare-ups do occur.  

The most common treatment options involve:

• Exercise: not only does exercise help release serotonin, which is the body’s “feel good” hormone, it also helps to relieve stress, improves mental health and increases flexibility
• Diet changes: focusing on an inflammation-reducing diet, as well as maintaining a healthy BMI, can help to reduce the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms
• Biofeedback: due to the fact that stress is one of the causes of fibromyalgia flare-ups, learning how to recognize and manage stress can help to thwart or lessen flare-ups
• Therapies: water therapy (float tanks proven to help relieve stress), cognitive behavioral therapy (redirecting the relationship with pain) and stress management therapy all help a person to better cope with their disease
• Alternative therapies: yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy and meditation can all help to relax the body and mind, which have proven helpful for providing pain relief
• Medications: both over-the-counter and prescription medications are proven to reduce symptoms. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), pain relievers, muscle relaxers, antidepressants and sleep aids can all effectively combat the variety of symptoms associated with fibromyalgia

Future treatments could include medical marijuana, Vitamin D supplements, light therapy, TENS unit therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). 

Since there are a myriad of causes and conditions that can lead to fibromyalgia, there’s no one singular area of the body that can be pinpointed with an injection or a stimulation. This is what makes a comprehensive approach to treatment so effective. The goal with treatment is to allow a person to live an active lifestyle, improve sleep patterns, and reduce pain symptoms, all while focusing on the mental and physical aspects of the disease. 

If you are suffering from unexplained pain that is causing you to feel sore and tired all over your body, fibromyalgia might be the reason. Please schedule an appointment with the Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas so that we can rule out or confirm this disease, and answer all your questions about what happens next.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic, widespread form of myofascial pain. Fibromyalgia symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many cases there appears to be no triggering event. The condition is associated with trigger points and sleep disturbance. Click on this link for more information about fibromyalgia, About Fibromyalgia.

Treatment options for myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia include medications, physical therapy, and trigger point injections. Click on this link for more information about trigger point injections, Trigger Point Injections.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic, localized form of muscle pain. The pain arises from “taut” bands in muscle that are called “trigger points.” The trigger points in the muscle are painful when touched. Myofascial pain caused by trigger points has been linked to many types of pain, including headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, low back pain, pelvic pain, and arm and leg pain.

Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists is recognized as an industry leader in pain management. Moreover, We have a state-of-the-art facility in Reno, Nevada, that allows for us to offer the highest possible level of quality care of our patients.

Additionally, We are committed to providing a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach for each individual’s pain complaints to provide the most appropriate care. Moreover, Our approach includes analysis of biomechanics, joint motion, as well as skeletal, nerve and muscle tissues. Every individual is evaluated for the root cause of their pain – not just a “quick fix” approach to only provide symptomatic relief.

Additionally, Your pain will be evaluated with latest diagnostic tools and technologies used by the professionals at Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists to make accurate assessments including: EMG/Nerve testing, MRIs, x-rays, bone scans, and diagnostic pain injections.