Arm Yourself with Knowledge

Welcome to module one of You vs Fibromyalgia: Arm Yourself with Knowledge.

This is a condensed version what Fibromyalgia is along with a summary of my research.

  • What is Fibromyalgia?
  • My Six Tips for Fighting Fibromyalgia (video and text lesson)
  • Diagnosis
  • Further reading
  • Make some goals

What is Fibromyalgia?

On the University of Maryland Medical Center website,Fibromyalgia is explained in this way:

“Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons; fatigue; and multiple tender points on the body.”

And on the same page, they list the signs and symptoms of Fibromyalgia:

Widespread pain and stiffness

Fatigue [and]/or trouble

sleeping

Paresthesia (tingling)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Skin sensitivity

Heightened sensitivity to noises, bright lights, smells

Depression

Headaches

Pain after exertion

Memory lapses/difficulty

concentrating

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)

Dizziness

Anxiety

Hemorrhoids

However, the trouble is that Fibromyalgia seems to be very unique to each person: how it comes on, what symptoms are present, what helps said symptoms.

For me, the pain came on slowly for a long time. The fatigue came with a bang after a severe bug that I caught in my last trimester of university. The insomnia seems to have been present for a lot longer than I knew that not sleeping well was not normal.

There is also a debate as to whether trigger points are present in Fibromyalgia or part of a separate issue called Myofascial Pain Syndrome. A lot of the above symptoms overlap with a lot of different conditions.

Please feel free to introduce yourself in the comments below and let us know what conditions you have.

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