Undeniable Hope in the World of Fibromyalgia

One of the hardest health issues to solve and understand is diseases linked to the brain, or what are known as neurological diseases. Neurological diseases and other diseases linked to the nervous system are hard to detect because it involves complex systems, and many of the symptoms are similar in different diagnoses, which can also include different combinations of diseases. In addition, physical exams and medical history records are not sufficient in diagnosing neurological diseases.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome or FMS is described as a complex disorder with the common symptoms as pain amplification, musculoskeletal discomfort, and an array of systemic symptoms. It is also used to generally describe conditions of chronic and idiopathic pain. FMS is mostly considered as a rheumatic condition due to its prominent musculoskeletal discomfort and the chronic pain that one experiences, and it is dubbed as one of the leading causes for rheumatology referrals because it accounts for at least a third in the United States. However, before one can definitely say that he or she has fibromyalgia syndrome, their chronic pain must not be explained by any inflammatory or degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. According to recent statistics, there are about 10 million cases of FMS in the United States and an estimated 3-6% in the worldwide population. The disorder is mostly prevalent in women, which accounts for about 70-90%, but it is recorded to occur in men as well.

Quick look into fibromyalgia syndrome

Years back, many doctors did not believe that FMS could be a real disorder. Some doctors considered FMS as a “wastebasket” diagnosis or a diagnosis dumping ground for malingering patients who seek medication who are experiencing unexplainable pain, fatigue, and depression. A lot of doctors in the medical world are confused as to whether to treat these diseases under the category of musculoskeletal diseases or as a neurological disorder. Due to this dilemma in the medical field, this pushed for tons of researches and development in terms of understanding the etymology and the nature of fibromyalgia syndrome.

Few of the questions that everyone asks about FMS are: “Is FMS real?” and “Is FMS a neurological disorder?” Thanks to advances in research, these questions have been answered. Supported by the hard facts and years of research, FMS is now categorized under a chronic central nervous system disorder. Despite FMS being the second underlying cause of common rheumatic disorder and osteoarthritis, it is now classified under neurological disorders. Even though it is still misunderstood, its advanced in understanding has helped a lot of doctors in focusing on better treatment plans and precautionary actions. In FMS, it is highly stressed that the chronic pain experienced by the patients are not coming from areas in the body but are rather from the brain and spine. This is because of the brain’s dysfunction in processing pain and sensory information. In addition, most pain the patient's experience is not explained by any injury or inflammation of some kind.