All information on this page is not my own and is simply copied from the source. The hyperlink of the booklet/NHS is on the page and should be selected for more information.
So what is Fibromyalgia?
FMA UK explain Fibromyalgia as "Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition of widespread pain and profound fatigue, recognised by the National Health Service (NHS) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The pain tends to be felt as diffuse aching or burning, often described as head to toe. It may be worse at some times than at others. It may also change location, usually becoming more severe in parts of the body that are used most. The fatigue ranges from feeling tired, to the exhaustion of a flu-like illness. It may come and go and people can suddenly feel drained of all energy – as if someone just “pulled the plug”. Fibromyalgia is a common illness. In fact, it is more common than rheumatoid arthritis and can even be more painful. " - FMA UK Information Booklet (hyperlink)
Fibro Fighters describe Fibromyalgia as "Fibromyalgia is a long term, chronic pain condition that causes wide spread pain throughout the body, but it doesn’t stop there; most cases of people that suffer with Fibromyalgia also report other conditions too."
The NHS described Fibromyalgia as "Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body."
The Independent voice of UK Fibromyalgia describes it as: "Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes severe chronic pain and is still far from being comprehensively understood by doctors and researchers. Those who live with fibromyalgia suffer from extreme fatigue, pain all over their body and brain fog, more commonly referred to as fibro fog."
South Devon NHS explains it as: "Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a common and complex condition. It affects up to 2-4% of the population – that’s up to one in twenty-five people. Despite this, many people have not heard of it and there is still some way to go in building awareness and understanding of what FMS is and how it affects people. If you or someone you know has FMS, it may be really helpful to start to understand more about the condition. "
Bupa describe Fibromyalgia as "Fibromyalgia is a long-term (chronic) condition that causes pain in different places in your body. It can also disturb your sleep, make you feel tired and cause problems with your memory.
Doctors don’t fully understand what causes fibromyalgia, although it does run in families. There’s no cure for fibromyalgia, but there are treatments which can help ease your symptoms. These include medicines, exercise and psychological therapies."
There are various symptoms of Fibromyalgia, as explained by the above sources. These compiled consist of:
Pain (or increased sensitivity to)
Fatigue
Unrefreshing sleep – waking up tired and stiff
Difficulty sleeping
Headaches – ranging from ordinary to migraine
Irritable bowel – alternating diarrhoea and constipation, sometimes accompanied by gas in the abdomen or nausea
Cognitive disturbances including lack of concentration, temporary memory impairment, temporary issues with "mental process" and word mix up or "Fibro Fog"
Clumsiness and dizziness
Sensitivity to changes in the weather and to noise, bright lights, smoke and other environmental factors
Allergies
South Devon NHS explains the pain of Fibromyalgia as "Widespread Pain is the key experience of having Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Pain occurs throughout many areas of the body, but might feel worse in some areas. Headaches and pelvic pain are common. Pains are generally in the muscles and ligaments rather than the joints. Sometimes pains are there all the time, sometimes they come and go or may even seem to move around. The experience of pain can vary and be felt in different ways. Common descriptions of pain include: Bruning, aching, sore, tenderness, stabbing stiffness and electric shock. Fibromyalgia can make people extremely sensitive to pain. Sensations that would not normally be painful such as light touch and temperature changes can start to hurt. Pains that relate to other conditions or injuries can also feel worse. If you hurt yourself – for example, if you stub your toe – this may be more painful than you would expect and the pain may continue for longer than usual. Fibromyalgia can also cause stiffness. This may be most severe when you have been in the same position for a long period of time – for example, when you first wake up in the morning. Some people get spasms in their muscles when they contract (squeeze) tightly and painfully."
They go on to explain the other symptoms too:
"Some people find they become very sensitive to noise, temperature changes, smells, bright lights and busy places. These changes in sensation and pain experiences make sense when we understand that in FMS there are thought to be changes in the nervous system that lead the system to be in a state of ‘high alert’. These are very real changes.
Fatigue is a deep sense of tiredness or weariness. This is beyond normal tiredness. It can range from a mild, tired feeling to being really exhausted. Severe fatigue may come on suddenly. Some people say it’s like the ‘energy plug’ has been pulled. Others say it feels like they are a bit fluey.
Sleep is often poor and people find that even when they do get to sleep they wake up feeling like they still need more. People with Fibromyalgia Syndrome do not get the deep sleep that normally helps you feel refreshed in mind, body and spirit. It’s not uncommon for people with FMS to have other sleep related difficulties such as restless leg syndrome, teeth grinding, sleep apnoea and other sleep disturbances.
Cognitive Problems are difficulties with mental processes. This includes problems with memory, concentration, finding the words you want and ordering your thoughts. Some people describe this as ‘fibro-fog’. It’s common to find that too much information may leave you feeling overwhelmed. Some people find that busy situations where there is lots of sensory input, such as supermarkets or crowded places, with lots of noise and lights, can become difficult to tolerate."
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