If someone has never experienced fibromyalgia (“fibro”) firsthand, it can be difficult for them to understand what it’s really like for those with the condition. Simply saying you are in pain or fatigued often isn’t enough to convey the full reality of the symptoms. Although just about everyone has felt physical pain at some point, it…
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic, complex, and heterogeneous disorder of still poorly understood etiopathophysiology associated with important musculoskeletal widespread pain, fatigue, non-restorative sleep, and mood disturbances. It is estimated to afflict 2–3% of the worldwide population, with clean prevalence among women. The objective of this paper is to propose a novel treatment for symptomatic…
What is Fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a long-term (chronic) condition that can cause widespread pain and tenderness over much of the body. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), around 5 million adults aged 18 years or over in the United States experience fibromyalgia, and 80 to 90 percent of…
If you’re living with fibromyalgia, it’s important to make time for self-care. It’s a chronic (long-lasting) condition that causes muscle pain and tenderness all over the body. This can make it hard to move, relax, or sleep, and it can cause mood and memory problems, too. NIH MedlinePlus Magazine asked two top fibromyalgia experts (and NIH…
The foods you eat can have a big impact on how you feel, and that’s especially true when you are trying to manage a health condition like fibromyalgia. Nutritional neuroscientist Kathleen Holton, PhD, a provost associate professor of health studies at American University in Washington, DC, has researched the effects of a variety of dietary components…
One of the most challenging aspects of fibromyalgia is the condition’s unpredictability, with symptoms that can fluctuate daily and sometimes even hourly. Pain may move from one part of the body to another, and symptoms can suddenly intensify for days or weeks and then subside just as quickly. That can lead you to feel overwhelmed and powerless….
For any of the 5 and 10 million Americans who suffer from fibromyalgia, winter can be extremely difficult. As we’ve discussed before, fibromyalgia has a variety of symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, all of which are often exacerbated by winter’s frigid temperatures, short, grey days, and rapid changes in barometric pressure. It’s enough for anyone…
Fibromyalgia is a widely misunderstood condition, causing chronic pain and fatigue, impacting sufferers’ mental health, ability to work and quality of life – and predominantly affecting women, 6 to 9 times more than men. It is a condition considered “medically ill-defined”[iii] and confirming a diagnosis can take up to up to five years[iv] of eliminating…
Fibromyalgia manifests itself in different ways for different patients, but most can agree that all the symptoms are life-altering. It’s not always clear how (or if) they can be treated, and the physical challenges can all too easily turn into emotional challenges as the things you used to do become more and more difficult. We asked our…
Although the ancient Chinese tradition was originally for self defense, tai chi has “evolved into a graceful form of exercise that’s now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions,” notes the Mayo Clinic. “Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements.” Those gentle movements…