DISCLAIMER/PREFACE: I am not a
doctor/healthcare professional. The information I am about to share is collective
of my own personal research/findings from various websites and articles. If you
have Fibro, much of this information will not be new news to you. My goal is to
share this information in a way that is easy to understand by people without
Fibro, and also to be used as a tool for people with Fibro to share with
others.
When most of you read the title of this entry, you’re
immediately going to think of the awesomeness that is Harry Potter. (You have
good taste, by the way.) Unfortunately this post has nothing to do with Harry
Potter, Hogwarts, or magic of any kind. This post is going to be mostly
informational, but not to worry! I promise to make it interesting!
Thus far in my blog, I’ve mentioned how Fibromyalgia is an
Invisible Illness, and that there is chronic pain involved. I’ve told you about
my personal experience with said pain, but I have not explained how and why the
pain occurs in the first place. Don’t worry, I’m not about to throw a bunch of
medical mumbo-jumbo at your face. This isn’t a pie throwing contest (although
that would be fun, too). I promise this entry will be painless (Ha) and maybe
even a little fun. So, let’s get started shall we?
First, let’s start with how pain is received by a person who
does not have Fibromyalgia. Typically
it goes like this:
- *Contact
with stimulus -- Stimuli can be mechanical (pressure, punctures
and cuts) or chemical (burns).
- **Example: Hand touches hot stove.
- *Reception
-- A nerve ending senses the stimulus.
- **Example: Nerve says, “You idiot. I guess I better
send the troops to alert the brain.”
- *Transmission
-- A nerve sends the signal to the central nervous system. The relay of
information usually involves several neurons within the central nervous
system.
- **Example: “Charge! The skin has been infiltrated! Alert, Alert!”
- *Pain
center reception -- The brain receives the information for
further processing and action.
- **Example: ”OUCH! That’s hot!”
People without Fibromyalgia have what would be considered a
“normal" nervous system. Their nervous system can tell the difference between an
un-harmful touch and a painful touch. For example, when a non-Fibro person sits
down on a chair, nerve endings in their back and buttocks are constantly
shooting signals up their spine to their brain so they can feel the pressure on
their buttocks from sitting in the chair. Since their brain can sense that it
is not a harmful touch, it sends back a “No Pain” message that still allows us
to feel the sensation of pressure on our buttocks from sitting, but it does not cause pain.
People with
Fibromyalgia have what is considered an “overactive" nervous system. Many
articles and doctors say our nervous system is on “Sensory Overload.” Being
that the nervous system is the director of The Five Senses, (Taste,
Smell, Sight, Touch, and Sound), things get interesting when all five, or even
just a couple of the senses are in over-drive. Often times in certain areas of
the body, un-harmful touches are interpreted as painful touches. Because
of this, a simple hug or squeeze on the arm can be nearly debilitating. The
best way I can personally describe it is it feels like someone poking at a
bruise. My sensitive areas are the sides of my legs, calves, and arms.
In addition to the over-loaded touch-sensors, a person with
Fibro may have extreme sensitivity to lights, sounds, and smells. (I personally
have not experienced a heightened sense of taste, but I’m sure it happens.) Sometimes
I feel like I have “pregnancy-nose.” I will smell things and ask my husband if
he smells it too, and he’ll just look at me like I’m nuts. Loud, abrupt noises
always make me jump, and I prefer a darkly lit room to bright fluorescent lighting.
<Do you have Sensory Overload
problems? If so, what are they?>
Another way a person with Fibromyalgia experiences pain is in their
joints and muscles. This is usually referred to as “widespread pain.”
Widespread pain occurs when the nervous system gets overloaded with messages of
perceived pain from the nerves. When the brain gets overloaded with these
messages, it can’t keep up with the “No Pain” replies that should be getting
sent back down to the nerves. Instead, the brain (figuratively) throws its hands
up in the air, leaving the overload of pain messages to land where they “fall.”
This allows the pain messages to get sent back out into the body like an “Out
of Office Reply.” Only these replies do not have a set destination; thus,
widespread, sometimes randomly placed, pain.
Over several years of research, doctors came up with
eighteen (or nine pairs) of trigger points to test. In order to be diagnosed
with Fibromyalgia, you must have a minimum of eleven “active” trigger points.
(You also must undergo several blood tests to rule out other diseases.)
These trigger points are found in the following areas on
both the left and right side of the body:
- Back of the Neck
- Elbows
- Front of the Neck
- Hips
- Lower Back
- Knees
- Upper Back
- Shoulder
To view a trigger point map, go here.
As you can see, most major junctions in the body are listed
above. Not everyone with Fibro has pain in each one of
these points, but as stated above, you can bet there is pain in at least eleven of these locations. This is why you often times hear someone with Fibromyalgia say, “I hurt
all over.” We really do! Because each Fibro patient is different, each person has an
extremely personal, customized treatment plan. If you have a good doctor, your
treatment plan should be continuously evolving with your Fibro symptoms. No one day is
ever the same with our trickster, Fibro. However, being in touch with your body
and learning your limits definitely helps to avoid major flares.
A common misconception about Fibromyalgia is that it is a
Disease. This is FALSE. Fibromyalgia
is a Syndrome. What’s the difference? I thought you’d never ask!
Highlighted below are the two qualifications Fibro does not meet, meaning it cannot be a Disease:
Disease:
a morbid entity characterized usually by at least two of these criteria:
1.
Recognized etiologic
agent (cause)
2. Identifiable
group of signs and symptoms
3.
Consistent anatomic
alterations
Syndrome: a
collection of signs and symptoms known to frequently appear together but without
a known cause.
Simply put, Fibromyalgia is not what is there; it is what is not
there.
Confused? Don’t worry, keep reading!
We still do not know the cause of Fibromyalgia. Many
believe the development of Fibro can be attributed to a physical or emotional
trauma. (I personally agree with that.) I will say, if there is one thing to be
thankful for regarding Fibro, there are no “consistent anatomic alterations.”
AKA: Fibro does not cause joint damage, or any other alteration
to the body like an auto-immune disease would. It is literally INVISIBLE!!! No
test can “find” Fibromyalgia. It is also extremely common to have other
illness’ that coincide with Fibromyalgia that are visible, such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Depression,
Anxiety, etc. This is why in order to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, one must
undergo several tests to rule out other diseases (many of them being
auto-immune.)
Therefore, because we do not know the cause of
Fibromyalgia, and it does not cause internal or external damage
to the body, it cannot be a Disease. SYNDROME, SYNDROME, SYNDROME!
/steps off soapbox
Lastly, let’s talk about the word “Fibromyalgia” and why it
was chosen to represent the many symptoms that encompass this chronic SYNDROME.
Here’s the breakdown:
Fibro -- Fibrous Tissue (This is where the overactive nerve
endings live.)
My --
Muscles (Where some of the pain is felt.)
Algia --
Pain
Pain in the fibrous tissue and muscle. Make sense?
See, I told you this would be easy!
Hopefully I have been able to help you “remove the
Invisibility Cloak” from Fibro for yourself or someone else!
<Are there any examples you like
to use when explaining Fibromyalgia to friends/family/co-workers/strangers? If
so, please share!!!>
