Frequently Asked Questions - FIBROMYALGIA
Dr. Jai Maharaj
Fibromyalgia
By Joel Rutstein, M.D.
Q. Is fibromyalgia a progressive crippling and life
threatening condition? Will I end up bedridden?
A. Although the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia can be
quite severe, this condition is not associated with
development of deformities. There is no actual
destruction of muscle or deterioration of bones in
joints. Thus, patients do not end up being completely
bedridden by this condition, although they may be
incapacitated by it. Fibromyalgia tends to frustrate the
patient because of its persistent and widespread pain,
but certainly is not life threatening and does not
involve the internal organs of the body in any
significant manner that would result in a shortened
lifespan. By controlling pain and maintaining a general
fitness and exercise program, an individual generally is
able to care for their basic daily needs, even though on
occasion they may not be able to continue to hold a
steady job. With a good treatment program, an individual
may learn to cope and adjust to this condition. With
proper medication and exercise, the patient may be able
to maintain continued functional independence.
Q. I have trouble remembering things and I am unable to
concentrate. Does fibromyalgia cause Alzheimer's or
senility?
A. There is no evidence that fibromyalgia causes
Alzheimer's disease or senility, but fibromyalgia may
affect one's ability to calculate or think clearly.
Sometimes patients will complain of "cloudy thinking."
Thus patients will complain of problems with memory and
concentration as well as alertness and ability to perform
calculations. There is no progressive or permanent brain
damage, however, associated with this condition.
Q. How do I know if it's my fibromyalgia or another
disease when I feel sick?
A. Since fibromyalgia is associated with widespread pain
as well as significant fatigue, it is often difficult to
know whether symptoms are related to fibromyalgia or
another medical condition. This is why it is important to
follow up with your primary care physician or
rheumatologist regarding any new symptoms you are
experiencing. Your physician can then assess your history
as well as your physical examination and laboratory
testing to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.
You should not take for granted that everything that you
are feeling or experiencing is from fibromyalgia alone.
Simply because you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia,
this does not exclude the possibility of a second medical
problem. Therefore, the best advice is to always get a
checkup with your physician when in doubt.
Q. Is there a cure for fibromyalgia?
A.There is no specific cure for this condition. Since the
exact cause of fibromyalgia has not been identified, it
is unlikely that any kind of cure would be found in the
next few years. On the other hand, fibromyalgia may be
controlled with a complete program including medication,
exercise, lifestyle changes and education about this
condition. As more research uncovers new information
about the underlying causes of this condition, we will
hopefully have better treatments available for patients
in the coming years.
Q. Is fibromyalgia a mental condition?
A. Fibromyalgia does have some psychological and even
psychiatric aspects associated with it in up to
approximately half the patients with this disorder. The
most common problems include anxiety and depression.
Patients are sometimes told that this condition "is in
their mind." This is not fair to the patient nor
accurate. The patient actually feels diffuse and
widespread musculoskeletal pain as well as significant
fatigue. These are real symptoms to the patient. It only
frustrates the patient more when it is implied to them
that this is "an imagined" condition. Any symptoms of
depression or anxiety need to be addressed and treated as
part of the overall management of this condition.
Q. What are some other diseases that may be associated
with fibromyalgia?
A. Fibromyalgia may occur in conjunction with other
rheumatic conditions. This may include rheumatoid
arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as
other connective tissue diseases. It may also commonly be
seen in hypothyroidism, and thus it is important to test
thyroid function in any patients complaining of diffuse
muscular pain and fatigue. Polymyalgia rheumatica
generally affects the proximal muscles with aching more
commonly than distal muscles. Polymyalgia rheumatica is
most commonly associated with a markedly elevated
sedimentation rate, whereas in fibromyalgia, the
sedimentation rate is normal. Hepatitis C infection may
also sometimes be associated with muscular type symptoms,
and therefore, testing for this along with liver function
tests may be part of a patient's laboratory evaluation.
Q. What is the best exercise for fibromyalgia?
A. Stretching type exercises may be helpful in
fibromyalgia in order to avoid the muscle spasm and
tension that sometimes go along with this condition.
Thus, yoga or prolonged stretches may be beneficial.
Patients do not tend to do well with high-impact type
activities. Thus, low impact exercise is preferred. This
may include simple walking. Aquatic exercise in a heated
pool may be highly beneficial. Some patients may also
tolerate a stationary bicycle. It is important to
gradually work up to a higher level of activity and not
start off too aggressively at first. A physical therapist
may be helpful in establishing a proper exercise regimen
for the individual patient.
Q. What alternatives are available to help my pain
besides pain pills?
A. Regular massage therapy may help work out some of the
muscle tension and spasm that are often present. This
should be done on a weekly basis with a massage therapist
who is familiar with fibromyalgia. At first, the massage
therapist needs to start off slowly because of the tender
points that may be present. If too much pressure is
applied in these areas, it can be quite painful for the
patient. When there is severe spasm present, physical
therapy may also be beneficial. This may include the use
of a transcutaneous nerve stimulator (a TENS unit), which
provides pulses of electrical stimulation that may help
relieve the pain. Cognitive behavioral therapy may be
helpful in helping patients learn how to cope with their
illness. This may include relaxation therapy as part of
this program. Some patients may benefit from seeing a
psychologist or psychiatrist, particularly if they are
having extreme anxiety or severe problems with
depression. They also may receive some guidance in
dealing with other aspects of coping with their daily
situational problems. Patients may also be trained in
self-hypnosis to deal with the pain or how to utilize
biofeedback techniques.
- Joel Rutstein, M.D.
End of forwarded message
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Dr. Jai Maharaj
"Nora" <willem...@chello.nl> posted:
>
> Would you be so kind to stop cross posting?
> TIA
Would you be so kind as to start crosspossting?
Please read:
Please do crosspost.
"If you feel an article will be
of interest to more than one Newsgroup,
be sure to CROSSPOST the article rather
than individually post it to those groups."
- Netiquette Guidelines, S. Hambridge,
Network Working Group, Intel Corporation,
2880 Northwestern Parkway,
Santa Clara, CA 95052 USA; October 1995.
"I remind you that cross-posting is not
spamming. With cross-posting, only a single
article is sent into each news server. With
spamming, you have many separate copies of
the same article sent to different
newsgroups."
- Kenneth M. Taira
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti
> Dr. Jai Maharaj schreef in bericht
> news:health-170...@news.mantra.com...
hello hello
"Dr. Jai Maharaj" <use...@mantra.com> wrote in message
news:health-170...@news.mantra.com...
Dr. Jai Maharaj
"hello hello" <mayb...@hotmail.com> posted:
> That was a pretty good post.
You're welcome. The credit for authoring it goes to Dr. Rutstein.
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti
> Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote in message
Randy
FMS can most certainly be crippling, and most certainly can not be
"controlled" in most or even many cases. Not in those I've run across for
the past fifteen-twenty years. Your discussion of fibro as having
psychological implications is offensive; you say, "These are real symptoms
to the patient." Implying
that they are NOT real to the doctor attending to them? Saying,
"Fibromyalgia may occur in conjunction with other rheumatic conditions."
Implies that fibro itself is a rheumatic condition. Or is your grammar
simply not up to par? In your defense, you mention some good ideas,
specifically regarding physical therapy guidelines. But you could have been
more careful to be more accurate when posting this to multiple
health-related groups as if it were the final word on the subject, which it
most certainly is not. Don't apologize by noting you didn't author the
piece, edit it to make it more correct before cross-publishing it.
What is your ultimate agenda vis-a-vis this newsgroup and fibromyalgia,
anyway?
"Dr. Jai Maharaj" <use...@mantra.com> wrote in message
news:health-17h99...@news.mantra.com...
> In article <bbqnu2$c7n9d$1...@ID-78373.news.dfncis.de>,
> "Nora" <willem...@chello.nl> posted:
> >
> > Would you be so kind to stop cross posting?
> > TIA
>
> Would you be so kind as to start crosspossting?
> Please read:
>
> Please do crosspost.
>
> "If you feel an article will be
> of interest to more than one Newsgroup,
> be sure to CROSSPOST the article rather
> than individually post it to those groups."
> - Netiquette Guidelines, S. Hambridge,
> Network Working Group, Intel Corporation,
> 2880 Northwestern Parkway,
> Santa Clara, CA 95052 USA; October 1995.
>
> "I remind you that cross-posting is not
> spamming. With cross-posting, only a single
> article is sent into each news server. With
> spamming, you have many separate copies of
> the same article sent to different
> newsgroups."
> - Kenneth M. Taira
>
> Jai Maharaj
> http://www.mantra.com/jai
<snip>
Randy
"hello hello" <mayb...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:48dEa.20196$3Sm....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
Rainbows Rain
> Then how about this--cross post with accurate information?
I noticed too that he also said in the post that it can not cause you to
become bedridden. I have* been bedridden a few times with fibro during my
flare-ups. There were other parts that seemed offensive and/or not quite
accurate (well, I should say, at least were opposite of what I and others I've
known have experienced).
I don't know how reliable these sources are but here's some good info I run
across on the 'net:
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/66/79682.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC
77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
As for trigger points, here's another bit of information:
"Pain at 11 or more of 18 specific tender points when the areas are pressed.
It is now recognized that some people with fibromyalgia will have less than 11
tender/trigger points but will have most of the other known symptoms."
from:
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/106/26495.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E9
0-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
Here's a list of articles from that site that deal with Fibormyalgia:
http://my.webmd.com/search/search_results?query=Fibromyalgia+trigger+points&fi
lter=mywebmd_all_filter&go.x=3&go.y=10
Sorry about the cross-post. Wasn't going to but I want folks who might have
saw the FAQ some other information that is more useful. One thing as a fibro
sufferer that I hate is people getting the wrong idea. Or only half of the
information with the other half of it missing.
Ginnie
"Dr. Jai Maharaj" insists on cross-posting to:
The fibro group has asked, pleaded, demanded that Jai Maharaj
stop cross-posting the messages he leaves in the fibro group, but
he has absolutely ignored anything we've said. In fact, he has
quoted someone's Usenet pointers to defend his *intentional*
cross-posting.
By deleting all the various groups in your replies to him, your
groups have been fairly considerate to us, and I really appreciate
that y'all are doing that.
And I also apologize for any unintentional cross-posts I've made
to your groups.
May I enlist your help further? Some responses from other
groups have still shown up in the fibro group, and they most
often don't relate to the focus on fibromyalgia disease or our
support of those who have it, or are trying to learn the real
truths about it, for themselves or for a loved one.
Can I ask each group to be that much more careful about
deleting the fibro group, at least, from your replies?
Thanks very much, in advance, for any help you can give us
with this problem poster.
Ginnie
________________________________
Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
<snip>
Dr. Jai Maharaj
"If you feel an article will be
of interest to more than one Newsgroup,
be sure to CROSSPOST the article rather
than individually post it to those groups."
- Netiquette Guidelines, S. Hambridge,
Network Working Group, Intel Corporation,
2880 Northwestern Parkway,
Santa Clara, CA 95052 USA; October 1995.
"I remind you that cross-posting is not
spamming. With cross-posting, only a single
article is sent into each news server. With
spamming, you have many separate copies of
the same article sent to different
newsgroups."
- Kenneth M. Taira
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti