Fibromyalgia is commonly encountered disorder characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, paresthesia, disturbed sleep, and easy fatigability along with multiple painful tender points, which are widely and asymmetrically distributed.
Fibromyalgia affects predominantly women in a ration of 9:1 compared to men
STATISTICS:
- Prevalence of fibromyalgia of all ages -2%, females-3.4%, males-0.5%
- It affects the estimation of 3.7 million people, and women often ranging in age from the mid-thirties the to late fifties
PAIN IS CONSIDERED WIDESPREAD WHEN ALL THE FOLLOWING ARE PRESENT:
Pain in the left and right side of the body
Below and above the waist
Cervical spine or anterior chest or thoracic spine or lower back
Pain in 11 -18 tendons points sites on pressure
CAUSES OF FIBROMYALGIA:
Abnormal blood flow decreases cellular oxygen and nutrient levels from low ATP levels. this results in a deficiency of substances to make ATP which your muscles need to function. This deficiency leads to an increase in muscle protein breakdown to make more ATP. this can cause pain in the muscles.
- An infection {viral or bacterial}.
- An automobile accident
- The development of another disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylosis or hypothyroidism.
- Repetitive injuries
Researchers have found that people with Fibromyalgia may have abnormal levels of several chemicals, such as substance P and serotonin.
SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA:
Headache
Restless legs
Dysmenorrhoea
Extreme sensitivity to cold
Odd patterns of numbness and tingling
Intolerance to exercise
Stiffness
Paresthesia
Easy fatigability
Palpitations
Irritable bladder
Functional; bladder disturbances
Chronic sleep disorders
Impaired concentration
Problems with memory
Inability to do multitasks
Diminished a tension
Anxiety and depression
DIAGNOSIS FOR FIBROMYALGIA:
- A diagnosis is made by evaluating the symptoms and presence of tender points
- Widespread pain for at least 3 months and pain in11 out of 18 tender points on digital palpitation
- X-Ray
- Blood tests
- Ct scan
- ESR
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES FOR FIBROMYALGIA:
Arnica
Bryonia
Rhustox
Ruta
causticum
kalmia latifolia
Cimicifuga
rhododendron
Arnica:
This medicine is best known for its action on injuries to reduce bruis¬ing and swelling. However, it is useful whenever the body feels bruised and sore, especially if markedly worse after exertion. A characteristic feeling des¬cribed is of “the bed feeling too hard”, in other words, soreness and bruised feeling are worse if the part is lain upon. Arnica can be good medicine to start treatment of fibromyalgia with if there is not a clear picture suggesting another medicine at the onset. Hopefully, after a period, a clearer picture will develop.
Causticum:
This remedy is for again, soreness, weak¬ness and stiffness, worse with exertion and cold, better for warm applications and being warm in bed. The unusual thing that might suggest Causticum is that the symptoms are worse in dry weather and better when it rains.
Bryonia:
For Bryonia to work, the pain must be very much worse for the slightest movement (the opposite of Rhus tox). Heat will aggravate the pain and pressure on the relevant part alle¬viates, possibly by preventing move¬ment. In my experience, this is a more unusual presentation for fibromyalgia.
Kalmia latifolia:
This medicine is especially helpful for severe shooting pains in muscles, and there is often an accompanying numbness or cold sen¬sation. Always make sure that there is no suggestion of nerve pressure or dam¬age if these symptoms are present.
Cimicifuga:
This medicine is used where the pains, soreness, and stiffness are mostly in the neck and upper back muscles. These may have been preceded by an injury and are generally worse for cold or drafts. Symptoms are often accompanied by headaches, especially on the top of the head or radiating up from the neck.
Rhus tox:
This is the rheumatism remedy par excellence and was the rem¬edy studied by Dr. Peter Fisher in the 1980s and shown to be effective in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of fibromyalgia. It is effective for pain and stiffness which is worse when having been still and gets better for getting moving, particularly bad after overdo¬ing things or in cold damp weather, eased by warmth and moderate exercise. It is interesting to note how these match up with the conventional recommendations below!
Ruta grav:
The remedy picture is sim¬ilar to Rhus tox except that the stiffness is, if anything, more marked and less susceptible to improvement with gentle movement. There is often involvement of the tendons or the places where ten¬dons meet bone (heels, elbows, etc). There is often a bruised feeling. Pains are worse for cold damp weather but without the definite benefit from warmth which is seen in Rhus tox.
Rhododendron:
The picture is very similar to Rhus tox except that the pains are very much worse for changes in the weather, especially if there is an impend¬ing storm or thunderstorm.