In addition, autonomic nervous system abnormalities, endocrine hormone abnormalities, sleep disturbances, muscle and tendon microtrauma, etc. may also be the cause, and there are many cases where multiple causes occur rather than a single cause.
The typical symptoms are a feeling of stiffness or tingling in the body, or a soft pain in a deep place. It can start in one part of the body, such as neck, shoulder, and lower back pain, but it is characterized by extensive musculoskeletal pain throughout the body for more than 3 months.
In addition, they often feel fatigue due to poor sleep quality, such as not being able to sleep deeply or waking up from sleep, and 30% of fibromyalgia patients complain of psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. In addition, peripheral nerves such as numbness of hands and feet, headache, and abnormal sensations, and autonomic nervous system abnormalities such as dry mouth, cold sensitivity, orthostatic hypotension are also accompanied.
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed when pain occurs throughout the body for more than 3 months, and when more than 11 of 18 tender points, including the back neck, trapezius, pectoralis major, and knee, are tender. However, since symptoms vary from person to person, it is necessary to rule out other diseases that cause chronic systemic pain, and fibromyalgia can be suspected when there are no other causes.
Treatment starts with an accurate understanding of fibromyalgia, and depending on the symptoms, medications, exercise therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc. are implemented. It is good to treat not only simple pain, but also psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety caused by it.
Drug treatment is performed according to the severity of pain, and it is known that anti-inflammatory analgesics available at pharmacies or general steroids and narcotic analgesics are largely ineffective in improving symptoms. Drugs used for fibromyalgia may have side effects such as constipation, dry mouth, weight change, and drowsiness, so special attention is required.
Director of Rheumatology Department of Daedong Hospital, Jihye Park, said, “In most cases, when pain occurs, it is temporary due to excessive exercise or stress, and in many cases, it is ignored or tolerated by taking medications. And treatment should be done promptly.”
He also advised, “There are many cases of unfamiliar diseases that have no cause or preventive method, so fibromyalgia does not cause deformities or there is no treatment, so it is important to treat appropriately according to the initial symptoms.”
There is no way to prevent fibromyalgia, but it is good to manage the stress that can cause it. Physical therapy should not be stopped arbitrarily, but rapid improvement can be expected if it is continuously performed.
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