Issues with Fibromyalgia

Mike Ciszewski

PSY-218

Extra Credit paper

12/5/10

Fibromyalgia

I chose to write my extra credit paper on Fibromyalgia for a few different reasons with the main reason being that my Mother is diagnosed with it. Fibromyalgia is when a wide spread pain occurs in a variety of different parts of the body, usually around 11 to 18 specific tender spots or “pressure points”. Fibro, as a disorder, has only been recognized since the late 1980’s.

There are no direct causes for fibromyalgia as of yet leading scientists to look into a patient’s history for possibilities of abuse or addiction or even being genetically passed down from parents. This leads some doctors to call fibromyalgia a “diagnosis by exclusion” meaning simply that all other possibilities for a diagnosis have been extinguished.

Although fibromyalgia is most common in women that are over 30 years old, men and children are also susceptible to acquiring it. There are more than 60 different symptoms for the disorder with the main ones being chronic stress, fatigue, anxiety, mental fog (often referred to as fibro fog), morning stiffness, headaches or migraines, and several different sleep disorders. People with fibromyalgia may also have other conditions as well including Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Myofascical pain syndrome.

Ciszewski p.2

I think that sleep disorders play a huge role in cases of fibromyalgia because those who

do not get a sufficient amount of sleep, or tossing and turning all night preventing them from

getting a good night’s rest. Sleep disturbances that result in waking up still exhausted and/or unrefreshed can contribute to muscle fatigue, heightened depression, or mood disorders.

Some medical professionals believe fibromyalgia is a neurologically based disorder that sends off amplified signals from the nerves in the brain sending sensations on intense dull, stabbing, and burning pain...