Fibromyalgia

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Chronic pain all over your body may be a sign of fibromyalgia, which affects between 2-4% of American adults. For proper diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia, visit the pain management specialists at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center. Located in Olney, Rosedale, Hyattsville, Lanham, Gaithersburg, Dundalk, and Baltimore, Maryland, the team provided specialized treatment for men and women throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain throughout your muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons, as well as fatigue and tender points all over your body. With fibromyalgia, slight pressure causes pain. While it’s more common among women, fibromyalgia can affect men, too.

Fibromyalgia may also be called fibrositis, chronic muscle pain syndrome, psychogenic rheumatism, and tension myalgias. It can vary in severity and pain may come and go, depending on your overall health and well-being.

What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia symptoms can range from mild to severe pain and cause tenderness throughout your body. It may also present with additional symptoms, including:

Fatigue and sleep disturbances
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Headaches and facial pain
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
Heightened sensitivity to touch and pressure
Mood changes, including depression and anxiety
Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
Dry eyes, skin, and mouth
Painful menstruation
Dizziness

Certain factors may reduce or amplify symptoms, including the weather, your stress levels, and physical activity. The team may recommend you keep a log of your symptoms in order to identify potential pain triggers or patterns that cause flare-ups.

What causes fibromyalgia?

Unfortunately, the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. A current theory — called central sensitization — states that people with fibromyalgia have an increased sensitivity to pain in their brains, which leads to lower thresholds for sensing pain. Studies of this theory show that in the brains of patients with fibromyalgia, specific chemicals and neurotransmitters decrease the natural pain threshold and make you more sensitive to nonpainful stimuli.

Other factors that may cause or contribute to fibromyalgia symptoms include:

Sleep disturbances
History of trauma or physical injury
Viral or bacterial infections
Changes in muscle metabolism
Abnormalities of the autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system, which controls your heart rate, blood vessel contraction, and digestion

Based on your medical history and physical exam, the team may be able to identify potential causes of your symptoms.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed and treated?

Since the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, there is no test to diagnose it. Instead, fibromyalgia is diagnosed through a process of exclusion when all other potential causes have been ruled out. The team completes a thorough exam and blood testing to rule out other causes of your pain before confirming a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Treatment options for fibromyalgia include: