FOR JULY 30, 2023
MEDICAL INSIDER
DR CORA LIM
FIBROMYALGIA
(Part 2)
Last week, we started discussing a new subject
matter called Fibromyalgia. We discussed the
meaning of Fibromyalgia, how it is diagnosed,
what are its symptoms and its associated
conditions.
Here are more questions we need to answer
about Fibromyalgia?
- What causes Fibromyalgia? – No specific
physical cause has been found for
Fibromyalgia and this doesn’t mean that the
symptoms are unreal or ‘all in the mind’, but
anxiety, physical or mental trauma, and sleep
disturbance are thought to play a part.
Patient’s anxiety or trauma causes increased
sensitivity to pressure that wouldn’t be
painful in healthy persons. Sleep disturbance
also contributes to this increased sensitivity.
A number of things may lead to sleep
disturbance, such as:
Pain from an injury or another condition such
as arthritis
Stress at work or strain in personal
relationships
Depression brought on by illness or unhappy
events
- What are some of the Fibromyalgia
Treatment Options? – These are: Exercise,
Healthy Diet, Medication, Sleep Hygiene,
Pacing To Improve Energy, Complementary
Treatment, Therapy
- Who should treat Fibromyalgia? – A
rheumatologist is recommended to treat
Fibromyalgia.
How can I help myself if I have
Fibromyalgia? – These are some of the
suggestions: Learn about and understand
your condition; Psychological and physical
techniques to reduce tension in the body and
self-directed anger or frustration; Pace your
daily activities; Follow a graded program of
physical activity (for example swimming,
walking or cycling), starting gently and
gradually building up; Share your experiences
with other people; Tackle any stress or
unhappiness at home or at work; Avoid tea,
coffee (and any other forms of caffeine) and
alcohol close to bedtime; Eat a balanced diet
and keep to a healthy weight; Stop smoking;
Keep a notepad by your bed if you think of
something you need to do the next day, write
it down and then put it out of your mind; Try
not to sleep during the day; Avoid watching
TV and using computers, tablets or
smartphones in your bedroom
A Rheumatologist may advise you to go for
physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pain
management clinic and psychological therapies
(To be Continued)