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. . . That’s A Long Word . . . What Does It Mean

Fibromyalgia is one of those complicated medical words which nobody really knows how to spell . . . except maybe the odd medical secretary or med student, but it’s a very real problem which thousands of sufferers have to deal with every day of their lives. The etiology of fibromyalgia arthritis is unknown, but symptoms are characterized by widespread pain with abnormal pain processing, fatigue, sleep disturbance and often accompanied by psychological distress. That’s not all . . . people suffering from fibromyalgia might also have;

• stiffness in the mornings (of the joints . . . not the old “morning glory” or “dawn horn” . . . whichever floats your boat)
• Numbless and tingling in the feet and hands
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Memory and thinking problems (maybe I’ve got a dose of that)
• Painful menstrual periods
• Problems urinating
• Nausea
• Dizziness

as well as a whole lot more . . . just take a peak at the poor woman in the photo, she’s definitely got her “suffering” face on hasn’t she . . . poser!

Fibromyalgia – The Cause

I’ve already said that the etiology of fibromyalgia is unknown, but there are some factors which might be loosely connected to the onset of the disease . . . food for thought, as it were;

• Car accidents and other stressful or traumatic events
• Viral infections and other illnesses
• Repetitive injuries
• Some diseases (RA, SLE)
• Obesity
• Genetic predisposition

Fibromyalgia, like many other types of arthritis can be treated with aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises, as well as treatment for depression if necessary. Oh, and if you’re a little on the tubby side . . . you know what’s coming next . . . lose some weight!

Pretty enlightening video don’t you think . . . certainly makes you stop and think about it!