Dr. Ravi

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterised by chronic widespread body pains and increased responsiveness to pressure. Women are at a higher risk of suffering from this disorder than men. Fibromyalgia can be treated with physiotherapy, pharmacotherapy and combined efforts of physician and the patient.

Some of the symptoms that characterize this disorder are:

1. Pain: Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain that has no apparent reason. It can affect different parts of the body and presents itself in different ways. Some people may experience a stabbing pain while others complain of a persistent dull ache. This pain may be affected by climate changes or stressful situations. There is reduced threshold to pain, because of certain chemical ( neurotransmitters) abnormalities in brain. Pain is generalized, felt above and below the waist, right and left-side of body, arms, legs, neck and back. 
2. Abnormal Sensitivity: Fibromyalgia patients are extremely sensitive to environmental changes that involve sight, sound and smell. For example, cigarette smoke can make a fibromyalgia patient extremely nauseous while loud music can give the person an instant headache. Lights that are brighter than normal can also make such a person feel uncomfortable. Patients have an abnormal sensitivity to pain, which leads to generalized aching of the body and tender points. 
3. Muscle & Joint Stiffness: Fibromyalgia patients often experience stiff muscles and joints without any form of strenuous activity or other reason. This may be localised to one group of muscles or affect the whole body. For some patients, this pain is worse in the morning or when sitting for extended periods of time. However, moving around does not provide any significant relief.
4. Chronic Fatigue and Exhaustion: There are two main reasons for a Fibromyalgia patient to complain of tiredness. Firstly, the condition itself drains a person of energy even without overexerting themselves. Secondly, the pain and joint stiffness can hamper a person’s sleep and lead to sleep deprivation. Over time, this can become a vicious cycle of tiredness and insomnia. Chronic fatigue also affects a person’s immune system causing his or her energy levels to drop.
5. Cognitive Impairments: Fibromyalgia patients also complain of a compromised short term memory. They often face difficulties recalling names of people they have recently met or other newly acquired information. These people may also have trouble concentrating on tasks for extended periods of time and experience mental sluggishness also known as fibro-fog.
6. Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Bowel disturbance is another common symptom of this disease. Passing stool may become difficult due to a combination of pain and muscle stiffness. With time, this problem can worsen unless addressed with laxatives. However, an over-dependence on laxatives can lead to further problems.
   Apart from pain, patient experiences unrefreshing sleep and fatigue throughout the day. Other associated features can be depression, abdominal cramps, chest pain, tingling. 
   
   Lab Tests: Fibromyalgia is a clinical diagnosis. There are no definite laboratory tests. In fact, most conducted tests will turn out to be normal.  
   
   Treatment: Foremost important is an education of patient and caregivers, regarding nature of the disease. The patient needs to indulge in recreational activities and undergo supervised physiotherapy. There are potent medicines to correct the chemical imbalance in the body thereby increasing the pain threshold and leading to better quality of life. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a rheumatologist and ask a free question.

Arthritis is an agonising and degenerative condition caused by swelling and inflammation of the joints that causes pain and stiffness. Whether it is dull, sharp, smouldering or a pressure that must be described as having a hammer crushing one of your joints, chronic arthritis pain and joint inflammation is a very common disease among many adults.

Here are a few generic tips to help the condition of arthritis:

1. General and regular exercising: Specialists prescribe the use of a workout plan that guarantees certain activities and exercise routine. The point of the regular exercising routine is to guarantee mobility and flexibility of the joints and enhance the scope of movement for patients. In the meantime, working out helps in enhancing the quality of the joints and allows better strength and support for the body. Along these lines, they help in diminishing both weight and strain on the joints.
2. Weight control and healthy diet: Patients with arthritis will suffer more on account of weight gain. To keep away from an excess of weight and pressure on the joints as an after effects of weight gain, stay away from putting on weight. Eat healthier foods that comprise of more minerals and vitamins while giving less fat and calories to the body. Increasing vegetables and organic products in the eating regimen is great for arthritis pain. The leafy vegetables contain anti-oxidants. They also have anti-inflammatory effects on the joints and bones.
3. Hot and cool treatment: Simple and basic hot and cold treatments can improve things greatly with regards to arthritis pain. Long, warm baths or showers particularly in the morning ease solidness and stiffness in your joints. Use an electric cover or warming cushion around evening time to keep your joints free and use moist warming cushions. Cool treatments are best to relieve arthritis pain. Wrap a gel ice pack or a sack of frozen vegetables in a towel and apply it to the painful joints for fast alleviation and relief from the pain and swelling.
4. Inflammatory and anti-inflammatory foods: Arthritis and joint pain can increase if patients continue using nourishments that have high inflammatory impacts. However, some might not have a thought of what the foods are or what they give to the body. One needs to abstain from eating fast and junk food and processed food products. Turmeric, the most basic Indian spice, has a chemical in it called curcumin that might have the capacity to diminish arthritis pain.
5. Plan carefully: It is hard to tell when a flare-up may happen, making your joints turn out to be hard and swollen, or when you will try too hard while working out. Since you cannot anticipate these occasions, it is a smart thought to be prepared beforehand and get ready for issues before they emerge with medication and your emergency numbers in place.