Many patients are labeled with fibromyalgia simply because they have chronic soft tissue pain. But it is important, at least for the sake of correctness, that not all chronic soft tissue pain be called fibromyalgia.
In fact, localized or regional pain is often due to myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a rather common condition which affects certain muscle areas. MPS is often present in the fibromyalgia patient, but not all MPS patients also suffer from fibromyalgia.
MPS generally involves pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, back, jaw and head. This pain is often accompanied by stiffness or tightness. It is important that the doctor listen to the patient to learn where the pain is most intense. And because MPS is not diagnosed with a lab test or x-ray, it is important that the doctor carefully examine the patient.
Trauma is a common cause of MPS, in the form of muscle strain or ligament and tendon sprain; or as a result of chronic trauma due to repetitive work injury, or altered posture due to poor exercise. An example of the former is whiplash from an auto accident. An example of the latter is an individual who works at a computer all day, and subsequently develops MPS involving the muscles of the upper back and shoulders; such individuals often develop tension headaches. Of course, more than one area may be involved, and this can make distinguishing between MPS and fibromyalgia all the more difficult.
MPS can occur with a variety of medical problems, including spinal disc disease, or inflammatory illnesses. And like fibromyalgia, MPS symptoms can be made worse due to stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue and vitamin deficiencies, to name a few.
It is important for the doctor to identify all other illnesses in an individual patient so that therapy can be most effective and accurate.
As there is no cure for fibromyalgia, so there is no cure for MPS. The goals of treatment should obviously include pain relief and improvement/restoration of mobility and functionality. It is important to identify any other accompanying conditions, and give treatment to these also. Perhaps most importantly, the patient needs to be educated on how to best manage chronic pain, so that life can be lived as normally as possible.
The key differences between these two chronic pain syndromes:
1. MPS has more localized or regional pain versus the diffuse pain of fibromyalgia.
2. MPS patients have “trigger points” which can cause pain at a distant location when pressed, whereas fibromyalgia patients suffer from “tender points”.
3. MPS has a better prognosis, as the pain often resolves with treatment or the rectification of the offending stimulus (such as the ergonomically incorrect office desk); the pain of fibromyalgia has a much higher chance of being chronic.
Unfortunately, many individuals are misdiagnosed with either myofascial pain syndrome or fibromyalgia. Therefore, it’s absolutely essential for the individual experiencing widespread symptoms of pain and fatigue, to seek professional help and follow through with the proper assessments to determine which of these two similar conditions, the individual has developed, in order to properly treat them.
Many people are diagnosed with fibromyalgia after reporting symptoms of chronic pain, however, it’s safe to say that not all widespread pain could indicate the presence of this painful condition. In fact, myofascial pain syndrome is another condition, frequently misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Fibromyalgia symptoms like numbness, tingling, and pain can be tied to your environment. Learn how pain can be affected by reactions to light, sound, or smell.
Sensitivity to environmental stimulation, including bright lights, loud noises, and even certain smells, can make living with fibromyalgia particularly challenging. You might wake up each morning wondering what new trigger may exacerbate your fibromyalgia symptoms.
“I deal with everything on a day-to-day basis,” says Stephanie Parker of Dover, Del., who believes her symptoms are consistent with fibromyalgia but has not yet been formally diagnosed. The symptoms keep her from participating in daily family activities, such as watching her kids’ ballgames in the afternoons.
Tina Pringle, who was diagnosed 16 years ago with fibromyalgia, says that her fibromyalgia symptoms have been overwhelming at times. “The symptoms all merge together, and because of the fatigue and brain fog, everything becomes a maze of sheer confusion,” explains Pringle.
This heightened sensitivity may be difficult for you to understand, much less explain to friends and family members who see no outward problem. The uncomfortable and painful sensations of fibromyalgia may be part of your brain’s unusual way of processing pain, suggests fibromyalgia researcher Benjamin Natelson, MD, a neurology professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and author of Your Symptoms Are Real: What to Do When Your Doctor Says Nothing Is Wrong.
According to a study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation�that compared and analyzed reports from women with rheumatoid arthritis, women with fibromyalgia, and women without a pain syndrome, those with fibromyalgia were much more likely to report intense, unpleasant responses to sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations.
Another study, published in the journal Pain Research and Treatment,suggests that changes in brain chemistry among people with fibromyalgia may be linked to sensitivity to stimuli such as sound and smell. Imaging studies have provided visual depictions of this altered response to sensations. In some respects, the brains of people with fibromyalgia may be hyper-responsive to even the possibility of pain or discomfort, Dr. Natelson says.
Researchers have also tested tissue samples and found elevated levels of inflammatory markers in the skin of people with fibromyalgia � which may be linked to hypersensitivity to touch. Touch sensitivity is real for people like Pringle, who says that there are times when even holding hands with her partner is too painful to bear. Clothes that are too tight, massages, and even light touches all ratchet up her pain and stress. To make matters worse, Pringle says she occasionally even flinches involuntarily when touched by others, which can be hurtful to those around her.
Widespread pain and fatigue are well-known symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, however, recent studies have concluded that an individual’s symptoms can also be tied to their environment, including reactions to light, sound or smell. Sensory overload can be an additional symptom to fibromyalgia.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Automobile safety is the study and practice of vehicle design, construction, and equipment to minimize the occurrence and consequences of automobile accidents. (Road traffic safety more broadly includes roadway design. One of the first formal academic studies into improving car safety was by Cornell Aeronautical Labs of Buffalo, New York. The main conclusion of their extensive report is the crucial importance of seat belts and padded dashboards. The anatomy of a car accident is a cool video to share with all ages.
The More Things Change: The More They Remain the Same
Improvements in roadway and automobile designs have steadily reduced injury and death rates in all first world countries. Nevertheless, auto collisions are the leading cause of injury-related deaths, an estimated total of 1.2 million in 2004, or 25% of the total from all causes. Risk compensation limits the improvement that can be made, often leading to reduced safety where one might expect the opposite.
When pregnant, women should continue to use seatbelts and airbags properly. A University of Michigan study found that “unrestrained or improperly restrained pregnant women are 5.7 times more likely to have an adverse fetal outcome than properly restrained pregnant women”. If seatbelts are not long enough, extensions are available from the car manufacturer or an aftermarket supplier.
Children present significant challenges in engineering and producing safe vehicles, because most children are significantly smaller and lighter than most adults. Safety devices and systems designed and optimised to protect adults � particularly calibration-sensitive devices like airbags and active seat belts � can be ineffective or hazardous to children. In recognition of this, many medical professionals and jurisdictions recommend or require that children under a particular age, height, and/or weight ride in a child seat and/or in the back seat, as applicable. In Sweden, for instance, a child or an adult shorter than 140 cm is legally forbidden to ride in a place with an active airbag in front of it.
Child safety locks and driver-controlled power window lockout controls prevent children from opening doors and windows from inside the vehicle.
Infants left in cars
Very young children can perish from heat or cold if left unattended in a parked car, whether deliberately or through absentmindedness. In 2004 the U.S. NHTSA estimated 25 fatalities per year among children left in hot cars.
In the UK, a full driving licence can be had at age 17, and most areas in the United States will issue a full driver’s license at the age of 16, and all within a range between 14 and 18. In addition to being relatively inexperienced, teen drivers are also cognitively immature, compared to other drivers. This combination leads to a relatively high crash rate among this demographic.
In some areas, new drivers’ vehicles must bear a warning sign to alert other drivers that the vehicle is being driven by an inexperienced and learning driver, giving them opportunity to be more cautious and to encourage other drivers to give novices more leeway. In the US New Jersey has Kyleigh’s Law citing that teen drivers must have a decal on their vehicle. Commercial services also exist to that provide a notification phone number to report unsafe driving such as IsmyKidDrivingSafe.com and CarefulTeenDriver.com.
Some countries, such as Australia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand, have graduated levels of driver’s licence, with special rules. By 2010, all US states required a graduated driver’s licence for drivers under age 18. In Italy, the maximum speed and power of vehicles driven by new drivers is restricted. In Romania, the maximum speed of vehicles driven by new drivers (less than one year in experience) is 20 km/h lower than the national standard (except villages, towns and cities).
Insurance statistics in the United States indicate a 30% increase in the number of elderly killed, comparing 1975 to 2000. Several states require additional testing for elderly drivers. On a per-driver basis, the number of fatal and overall crashes decreases with age, with some exceptions for drivers over 75. The overall trend may be due to greater experience and avoiding driving in adverse conditions. However, on a per-miles-travelled basis, drivers younger than 25-30 and older than 65-70 have significantly higher accident rates. Survivability of crashes decreases monotonically with the age of the victim.
This vintage short flick holds theories that today can serve us all well. �Concentration, Control & Courtesy are so important here in our very own El Paso. �Today, as our town grows so fast we must be vigilant about driving and teaching our children the hazards of driving in such a growing city. �This was a fresh of breath air short flick. �Teach it to your kids… Regards Dr. Alex Jimenez
Millions of Americans are affected by fibromyalgia, a mysterious debilitating disorder. Here’s what is known so far about its symptoms, causes, and risk factors.
Fibromyalgia is a widely misunderstood and sometimes misdiagnosed chronic condition, commonly characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, concentration issues, and sleep problems. According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, it affects an estimated 10 million people, mainly women, in the United States alone. The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from one person to the next and may fluctuate even in a single individual, depending on such factors as time of day or the weather. Because it is a chronic condition, in most cases fibromyalgia symptoms never disappear entirely. The good news is that fibromyalgia isn’t progressive or life-threatening, and treatments can help alleviate many symptoms.
While the exact cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery, doctors do know that patients with the disorder experience an increased sensation of pain due to a glitch in the central nervous system’s processing of pain information. Studies have shown that people with fibromyalgia also have certain physiological abnormalities, such as elevated levels of certain�chemicals called nuerotransmitters that help transmit pain signals (thus amplifying, or “turning up,” the signals in the brain’s pain-processing areas).
In some cases, an injury or trauma, especially to the cervical spine, or a bacterial or viral illness, may precede a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. This has caused researchers to speculate that infections may be triggers as well.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia is a condition which causes chronic symptoms of widespread pain. Although it’s been recorded to affect millions of people, fibromyalgia is still largely misunderstood and often misdiagnosed among the medical field. Referred to as a condition without cure, the symptoms can be managed with proper care. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.�
Fibromyalgia, a chronic disease that causes pain and swelling in more than a dozen points all over the body, affects as many as 5 million people. Because doctors are still unsure of the cause of fibromyalgia, treatment can be frustrating (and often a process of trial and error). �Fibromyalgia symptoms are only about 30% amenable to current pharmaceutical strategies on the market,� says Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, lead author of Potential Dietary Links in Central Sensitization in Fibromyalgia.
That�s why many patients are taking matters into their own hands and experimenting with alternative treatments, including dietary changes. Forty-two percent of fibro patients reported that symptoms worsened after eating certain foods, and though much of the research is in its preliminary phases, there�s some evidence that simple diet tweaks may ease fibro pain.
Read on to get 5 food rules for fibromyalgia patients (just be sure to consult your doctor before drastically changing your diet).
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia can cause symptoms of pain and discomfort along with fatigue and concentration issues. Living with the condition can be difficult, however, there are many alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic, which can help people with the condition, find relief from their symptoms. In addition, following a balanced diet and the proper nutrition can help speed up the process of relief. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.�
A new study from Egypt reports that chiropractic care can be an effective treatment strategy for fibromyalgia treatment with chiropractic care.
The study involved 120 people between the ages of 40 and 65 who had suffered with severe fibromyalgia for four years or more. Each person rated their pain as a 4 or higher on a pain scale and also had limited movement in their cervical (neck area) spine, specifically in their C1-C2 area.
All of the individuals participating in this study engaged in 12 weeks of therapy which included:
An education program (one two-hour session per week) designed to provide the participant with more information about fibromyalgia and available treatment options;
Cognitive behavioral therapy (one two-hour session per week) which involved discussion regarding pain management via relaxation exercises, challenging treatment-prohibitive beliefs about fibromyalgia, and positive reinforcement about what types of actions can be taken to ease fibromyalgia symptoms;
and an exercise program (three one-hour sessions per week plus 20-minute session twice daily at home) which included relaxation techniques, as well as active and passive stretches.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia is a painful condition which affects the primary nerves of the body, present in a wide number of the population. There are several available treatment options for the condition but recent studies have concluded, chiropractic treatment can benefit fibromyalgia sufferers. From spinal adjustments to manual manipulations, chiropractic care can provide relief from the painful symptoms of the condition. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.
Though often termed an alternative treatment, chiropractic care is now becoming more accepted by the mainstream medical community. Almost 20% of American men and women have used the services of a chiropractor at some point in their lives. 80% of those who use chiropractors report significant pain relief, better functioning, and an increased sense of wellbeing. But what theories are chiropractic care based on and what exactly does a chiropractor do?
Chiropractic care is based on the theory that illness and pain are caused by misalignments in your skeletal structure. It sees the body as a connected system, which relies on your bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons to keep it functioning efficiently. When your skeletal structure is sound, your body should feel healthy and happy. But if parts of your skeleton are slightly off balance, it could cause serious problems, like chronic pain.
Chiropractors aim to solve pain and related symptoms by correcting the imbalances in your skeletal structure. Through a series of techniques, including stretches, adjustments, and manipulations, your chiropractor will restore your skeletal balance, thereby eliminating any pain symptoms.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Chiropractic care is becoming increasingly popular among fibromyalgia sufferers because of the pain and stress relief that it can provide for those with the condition. It can often offer relief in short periods of time and help you to get back to enjoying life fast. Understanding the basics of�chiropractic care can help you to decide if it could be an effective treatment for you and your symptoms of fibromyalgia. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.
Fibromyalgia is a widespread condi�tion. Some investigators estimate as many as 2% of the general population in the United States suffers from FM, with women affected 10 times more than men.1 With the combination of symptoms faced by the FM patient, finding the solution to this problem is a tough task.
Medical science is yet to discover the cause for this condition. Because there are so many different symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, there are just as many theories for what causes it. Since those with FM often experience an altered mood � such as depression � many experts focus on the psychologi�cal aspect of the disease. Others feel that FM is more a physiological entity, and has its origins in physical trauma or chronic postural alterations. Some suggest that FM is a central nervous system disorder, with imbalances in neurochemicals � since those with FM are hypersensitive to even the slightest stimuli. They often have a pain response to normally non-painful pressure or activity. It�s not out of the question that a combination of psycho�logical and physical triggers can result in the onset of many of FM symptoms.
Chiropractors often offer their skills to FM patients, hoping to relieve some of their symptoms. In fact, evidence suggests that those with FM consult with chiropractors quite regularly. According to a study conducted at a tertiary Mayo Clinic, 37% of the 300+ FM patients surveyed had visited a chiropractor in the previous 6 months.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder involving widespread pain and sensitivity in the entire musculoskeletal system. In addition to pain, patients also report long-term fatigue, and/or disturbed sleep and mood. Other disorders commonly associated with FM may include: irritable bowel syndrome, TMJ pain and dysfunction, psychological condi�tions and some autoimmune diseases. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.�
Sleep disturbances are among the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia, a chronic condition affecting the spinal cord and brain that causes people to feel pain and fatigue, and affects concentration. In fact, along with the tiredness, pain, and psychosocial distress, sleep disturbances are a core feature.
In the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that treating the associated sleep disturbance improves the daytime symptoms of fibromyalgia.
It is estimated that 2 percent to 10 percent of the population suffers from fibromyalgia. Three quarters of those with fibromyalgia have sleep complaints. The most common is a feeling of non-refreshing or non-restorative sleep.�Insomnia, characterized by an inability to either fall asleep or stay asleep, is very common in fibromyalgia. Treating the insomnia with cognitive behavioral therapyand good sleep hygiene has been shown to improve symptoms of fibromyalgia.
People with fibromyalgia show less deep sleep, increased lighter stages of sleep, and more frequent arousals during the night than do others. Many of the newer medications approved for use in fibromyalgia such as pregabalin (Lyrica) work in part by increasing deep sleep.�In several studies of normal sleepers, disrupting deep sleep nightly for 7 to 14 days with either noise or awakenings resulted in symptoms indistinguishable from patients with fibromyalgia.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
Fibromyalgia is a painful, chronic condition which affects the overall function of the nerves. Along with pain and fatigue, two of the most common symptoms of fibromyalgia, the condition can also cause sleep disturbances. Among the various known statistics of the condition, treating the symptoms of fibromyalgia can help a person gain back their sleep. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.
If you�ve never been to a chiropractor, you may have some questions about how it works. Basically, chiropractors believe that the body is a connected system. If your bones, ligaments, muscles, joints and tendons aren�t functioning properly then they can lead to an improperly functioning system. When your skeletal structure is strong, your body is strong. Chiropractors help restore the balance in your skeletal structure through adjustments, manipulations and stretches to eliminate the pain associated with fibromyalgia. �
Patients with this syndrome have been turning to chiropractic care in increasing numbers over the years to treat the neck pain, back pain and leg cramps that often accompany fibromyalgia. Many have found that a few adjustments to the neck and spine can greatly relieve the chronic pain that they live with.
A lot of people who suffer from fibromyalgia are also afflicted with upper cervical spinal stenosis. This condition leads to the compression of meninges (the coverings of the upper spine) to become compressed. In turn, the patient is left with pain across their entire body. A chiropractor who is familiar with this syndrome can adjust the head and neck so that the spine isn�t compressed, which can help alleviate some of the chronic pain that is associated with fibromyalgia.
Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C.,C.C.S.T’s insight:
If you�ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia you may feel as if there will never be an end to the tingling, pain and exhaustion that accompany this syndrome. However, help may be as close as your chiropractor�s office. Chiropractic care has demonstrated to be an effective treatment for individuals with fibromyalgia. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.�
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