Fibromyalgia

The symptoms of fibromyalgia can interfere with your life, but there is hope. At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our compassionate doctors provide the care you need. We listen to your concerns and provide a clear treatment plan to help you get back to the life you enjoy.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes pain or tender spots throughout your body. This condition often interferes with sleep and can lead to long-term fatigue. Fibromyalgia affects about 10 million U.S. adults.

Anyone can get fibromyalgia, but it most often affects females between ages 20 and 50. Ways to manage fibromyalgia pain may include exercise, physical therapy, relaxation techniques or medications.

Causes of fibromyalgia

Experts don’t know exactly what causes fibromyalgia, but it can run in families. People with fibromyalgia may have abnormal areas in the brain that trigger an increased sensitivity to pain.

Other factors may also lead to the condition, such as:

• Diseases that cause pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Hormonal changes, such as menopause
• Infections
• Mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression
• Physical or emotional trauma

Fibromyalgia symptoms

Widespread pain without an obvious cause is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia. This pain can range from mild to severe and may feel like:

• Areas of burning, shooting pain
• Body aches and stiffness upon waking
• Overall achiness
• Pain that gets worse with activity, cold or damp weather, or stress
• Tender points, or areas that hurt when you press on them

Other symptoms of fibromyalgia may include:

• Depression or low mood
• Digestive issues or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Fatigue
• Memory and concentration problems
• Numbness and tingling in your hands and feet
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Sleep problems
• Tension or migraine headaches

Fibromyalgia diagnosis

You may receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis if you have had at least three months of widespread pain along with at least one other symptom, such as:

• Fatigue
• Memory or concentration problems
• Ongoing sleep problems

For most people, fibromyalgia causes no changes to blood and urine tests. But your doctor may use these tests to help rule out other health conditions.

Fibromyalgia risk factors

Some things can make you more likely to develop fibromyalgia, such as:

• Family history of fibromyalgia
• Female sex assigned at birth
• Frequent headaches
• Higher body weight index (BMI)
• Other health conditions, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
• Sleep disorder
• Smoking

Fibromyalgia prevention

There is no known way to prevent fibromyalgia. But you may be able to help manage your symptoms with certain lifestyle habits, including:

• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean protein
• Getting regular exercise, especially low-impact activities like walking or swimming
• Using stress management or relaxation techniques like deep breathing, massage or yoga