Hope for Fibromyalgia: A Possible Fibromyalgia Vaccine

Fibromyalgia patients know very well how painful it can be to have this chronic condition, and as surprising as it may seem, fibromyalgia is a common disease that affects one in every 50 Americans alone. There is no specific reason as to why a person acquires this disease, but researchers have studied its possible causes, which can be genetics, infections, and physical or emotional trauma.

Fibromyalgia patients know that there is no cure for the pain and fatigue that they frequently feel. They can only medicate, go to therapy, and modify their lifestyle to, at least, ease the pain.

Life of fibromyalgia patients

People suffering from fibromyalgia have a distorted daily life since the disorder has affected their physical, mental, and social life. Living with the disease can be very difficult because of the chronic pain and fatigue it causes to the person. This is supported by a research study conducted by Health Central (2009) when they said that approximately 50% of people suffering from fibromyalgia have difficulty with or are unable to perform routine daily activities.

According to a patient who has fibromyalgia for almost 30 years, fibromyalgia affects the person’s daily activities, which can even be the simplest of conditions like picking up a carton of milk. In addition, 30 to 40% of fibromyalgia patients have to stop working or change jobs (Health Central, 2009).

“Fibromyalgia has taught me to take care of myself….then, all of a sudden, the stress was too great, and I had to quit my job” Carolyn Nuth said, a fibromyalgia patient since 1998.

Like any other chronic diseases, living with fibromyalgia never comes easy, and it has been strongly linked to depression because of the impact of the chronic pain it gives to the whole body. This fact requires the family of fibromyalgia patients to give their full support emotionally and even financially so that they are prepared to face the disease daily.

Current treatment of fibromyalgia

Though no cure for the disease has been found yet, many existing treatments are available in the health industry to help manage the disease. Some of them are:

Medications

The use of medications can help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia patients and improve their sleep. Some of the medications prescribed are pain relievers, muscle relaxant, anti-depressants, and anti-seizure drugs.

Therapy

Utilizing therapy to reduce the effects of the disease on the patient's body is equally helpful as taking medications and more importantly, it can help the patient mentally and emotionally. There are several therapy methods that a patient can choose from, which includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral, hydrotherapy, chiropractic treatment techniques, graded exercise, acupuncture, massage, and counseling.

Specialists

Going to a specialist to get help in managing fibromyalgia is vital in order to get the best treatment for the patient. One may go to a rheumatologist, clinical psychologist, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, physical therapist, and their primary care provider.

Self-care

This is the most important treatment in which a fibromyalgia patient's commitment to improvement is most needed. Any other treatment would be useless if the patient itself wouldn't do self-care; self-care includes physical exercise, stress management, and relaxation techniques.

Other treatment

Due to the researcher’s continuous effort in helping the community of fibromyalgia patients, new treatments that target to help reduce the pain they feel are ongoing. One of the newest studies that are published online is the treatment focusing on the inflammation of the brain.