My husband’s and my older son, Jim, has been suffering from Fibromyalgia for at least 12 of his nearly 45 years of life. Any newly-injured part of his body seems to trigger more of the disease’s extreme discomfort.
Jim often said, “The night pain, even after a warm shower, can be very devastating.”
This neurological and musculoskeletal disorder consists of the main symptoms of widespread chronic pain, exhaustion, memory (mood) issues, and sleep problems. According to Leslie J. Crofford, MD, professor and director of pathology, microbiology, and immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, “Fibromyalgia develops when there’s a miscommunication between signals coming from your body, spinal cord, and brain. The signals get amplified, so even things that shouldn’t be painful, like soft touch, are sent to the brain as pain signals.”
Mayo Clinic states that “Symptoms sometimes begin with a physical problem or psychological trauma, surgery, infection, or psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.”
Mayo also states that the widespread pain, afflicting more women than men, can be genetic, and usually lasts for more than 3 months. The disease is usually diagnosed by a pain management physician or rheumatologist.
“The repeated nerve stimulation involves an increase in levels of certain brain chemicals that signal the brain’s neurotransmitters,” the clinic adds.
As suggested by Vanderbilt’s professor, the brain’s receptors, in turn, then seem to develop a memory of the pain and overreact. In severe cases, fibromyalgia can lead to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. There is no known cure at this time.
In the May 2015 edition of WebMD.Com, Dr. Crofford offers advice on how to cope with this complex malady. You might recognize these same suggestions also being used to help control many other chronic diseases. First, GET MOVING. Begin your exercise schedule at infrequent, low intensity intervals. Slowly build your aerobic routine to include at least 30-minute periods done three times weekly. Swimming, biking, and any kind of walking comes highly recommended by the professor.
Second, because exhaustion can be a major complaint, GET PLENTY OF SLEEP ON A REGULAR TIME SCHEDULE. Crofford comments, “Don’t nap during the day. Turn off electronics before bed, and keep pets out of the bedroom.”
Jim would agree with this suggestion.
When his wife traveled to see her family recently, their young cat, Peaches, spent nightly escapades keeping our son’s hours and quality of sleep greatly reduced. Jim’s intense and lengthy swim workouts, along with a cool, dark bedroom did, however, help to minimize the kitty’s distractions.
Third, ZAP STRESS. The professor’s third recommendation, works in combination with movement for stress relief.
“Deep breathing exercises work really well,” Crofford adds. The breathing can be done almost everywhere for a small amount of repeated time.
Lastly, Crofford offers, “Though there’s no solid evidence that following a particular diet eases fibromyalgia symptoms, limiting processed foods and eating healthy foods – including whole grains, lean meats, and lots of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetable – may make you feel more in control of your health.”
These foods tend to produce more energy making you feel generally better.
