Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain (muscle and bone) extends that is often accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and change the atmosphere and the feeling. This condition is caused by the strengthening of pain signals in the brain that makes the pain more and more powerful. Symptoms sometimes begins after physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, the symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no obvious trigger.
Causes
The exact cause is unknown to date. Fibromyalgia is likely to involve a variety of interrelated factors as mentioned below:
- Genetics: Fibromyalgia tend to be found in one family, there may be certain genetic mutations that can make a person more susceptible to developing the disorder.
- Infection: Some diseases appear to trigger or aggravate fibromyalgia.
- Physical and emotional trauma: post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with fibromyalgia.
Symptoms and Signs
The pain felt by patients with fibromyalgia often described as a constant pain, usually starts in the muscle. Pain then usually spread on both sides of the body. Fibromyalgia is characterized by additional pain when strong pressure made to specific areas of the patient's body, called tender points. These points are at the back of the head, between the shoulder blades, over the shoulder, the front side of the neck, upper chest, elbows outer, upper hips, the hips, the knees. Patients also often experience fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up feeling tired, even though they reported sleeping for long periods of time. Sleep is often disturbed by pain, and many patients with fibromyalgia have other sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, which usually worsen the symptoms. Fibromyalgia patients also often experience anxiety and symptoms of depression.