by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic, Scoop.it
A number of studies have shown a link between anxiety and fibromyalgia, however, the nature of the link is not yet understood. Some experts, according to a report, “Fibromyalgia,” in The New York Times, “believe that fibromyalgia is not a disease, but is rather a chronic pain condition brought on by several abnormal body responses to stress.” Others believe that physical injuries, emotional trauma or viral infections, such as Epstein-Barr trigger the disorder.
Fibromyalgia causes widespread and chronic pain the joints and symptoms are similar to arthritis, however, unlike arthritis, there is no inflammation in the joints. Karen Lee Richards, a patient expert at HealthCentral.com, states the additional symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Fatigue
- Sleep Problems
- Cognitive Dysfunction
- Sensitivity to Cold and/or Heat
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Digestive Problems
- Headaches
- Hypersensitivity
The Anxiety Disorders Association of America indicates that approximately 20 percent of those with fibromyalgia also have an anxiety disorder or depression. Studies put this number anywhere between 14 percent and 42 percent. While dealing with a chronic disease is certainly stressful, there may be physical causes of the increased levels of anxiety.
Cortisol is a hormone produced by our bodies when we are under stress. However, when under chronic stress, our cortisol levels can become skewed. Patients with fibromyalgia may have lower levels of this stress hormone resulting in muscle aches, fatigue, high blood pressure and anxiety. Reducing stress can often normalize cortisol levels.
Serotonin, a chemical “messenger” found in the brain is linked to feelings of well-being, adjusting pain levels and promoting sleep. Some patients with fibromyalgia have lower than normal serotonin levels.
Sleep problems are also common in those with fibromyalgia. Lack of sleep can increase feelings of anxiety and depression.
The Role of Anxiety in Your Life and Illness
Because dealing with any chronic illness causes stress, you may believe that anxiety is simply something you must deal with, however, in fibromyalgia there is evidence that stress and anxiety actually increase symptoms and make it more difficult to cope with those symptoms.
If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, you may feel hopeless and helpless. You may be less apt to seek or follow treatment, believing there is nothing you can do to make it better. You may not be willing to make lifestyle changes that can help improve symptoms.
When you have a chronic medical condition, it doesn’t just impact your health. Often you can’t work or miss time at work, you may have financial problems. Relationships frequently suffer when one partner is sick. While these can be true for all chronic conditions, when you add in depression or anxiety, common in patients with fibromyalgia, coping is even more difficult.
It is important to talk with your doctor about how you are feeling emotionally as well as physically. Your doctor may recommend treatments including medication, physical and occupational therapy to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. He may also suggest antidepressants to help treat your anxiety symptoms.
Lifestyle changes including getting the proper amount of sleep and exercising. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, a Harvard Medical School study indicated that strength training, aerobic activity and flexibility training were effective at helping women with fibromyalgia feel better both physically and emotionally.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.healthcentral.com
As a widely misunderstood chronic condition causing pain and fatigue among a number of people, fibromyalgia still remains a highly misunderstood condition. According to researchers, the painful condition not only causes the above mentioned symptoms, it can also cause symptoms of anxiety to develop.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900�.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Chiropractic, Scoop.it
Many people who battle fibromyalgia symptoms also deal with depression. Discover five fibromyalgia therapy strategies that may help relieve depression.
Most fibromyalgia patients are exhausted all the time and suffer from painful muscles and joints. But these aren�t the only common symptoms of fibromyalgia � at least one fourth of fibromyalgia patients also have some form of depression. In fact, adult fibromyalgia patients are much more likely than those without fibromyalgia to be depressed.
The link between fibromyalgia symptoms and depression makes sense. First, coping with the severe pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia can be frustrating and disruptive to your lifestyle. And fibromyalgia symptoms can also lead you through unchartered territory as you work through a maze of health care providers.
How Depression Can Make Fibromyalgia Symptoms Worse
Like other people with depression, fibromyalgia patients often experience a loss of interest in their favorite activities and feel lonely, tired, and sad.
�Depression makes pain worse and causes lots of fatigue and functional disability in fibromyalgia patients,� says Roland Staud, MD, professor of medicine, division of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. There is a strong correlation, Dr. Staud says, between pain and depression: �Alleviation of one leads to alleviation of the other.�
�Elizabeth W. Carson, PhD, a clinical psychologist on staff at St. Joseph�s Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., says she sees many fibromyalgia patients who are depressed as well as frustrated with their disease process. �Depression makes the patient more aware of the pain of fibromyalgia.�
While depression may be common in fibromyalgia patients, Staud says it is not common for people with fibromyalgia to be substance abusers. In fact, �There is no empirical evidence of substance abuse in fibromyalgia patients,� Staud says.
Fibromyalgia and Depression Therapy Option 1: Antidepressants
�There is no analgesic [pain reliever] to jointly treat pain and mood disorders,� says Staud. However, antidepressants are often used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms, with or without the presence of depression.
Two classes of antidepressants used to treat fibromyalgia symptoms are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and combined serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). �SNRIs are more effective for treating both depression and fibromyalgia symptoms,� says Staud. �SSRIs have a lesser effect on fibromyalgia symptoms.� SNRIs include Effexor (venlafaxine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine). Examples of SSRIs include Celexa (citalopram) and Prozac (fluoxetine).
Fibromyalgia and Depression Therapy Option 2: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Staud also recommends cognitive behavioral therapy for fibromyalgia patients who are dealing with depression. For fibromyalgia patients, the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to change how you think about pain and in turn change how you deal with the pain.
Carson says she uses this therapy to address negative thinking. �By retraining patterns of thinking, you can help the patient change his or her behavior and how they deal with their fibromyalgia.�
Fibromyalgia and Depression Therapy Option 3: Counseling
Counseling, another type of psychological therapy, can take place in group sessions, in which patients meet with a therapist and exchange experiences and ideas, or as one-on-one discussions with a therapist.
During these group or individual sessions, patients discover strategies for coping with pain or tackling other issues related to depression and fibromyalgia symptoms. �Group therapy is more economical and helps, but individual therapy is more effective,� says Staud.
Fibromyalgia and Depression Therapy Option 4: Self-Help
�Depression is a form of exhaustion,� says Carson. �With fibromyalgia, sleep is fragmented by pain, and circadian rhythms are disturbed.�
Getting into a regular routine of sleep and performing daily activities can help re-establish healthy circadian rhythms. �Sleep hygiene is really important in treating depression associated with fibromyalgia,� adds Carson.
Additionally, exercise such as walking, jogging, and riding a bike may benefit patients with depression. Exercise can help people feel better both physically and mentally.
Fibromyalgia and Depression Therapy Option 5: Easing Pain and Fatigue
Addressing the underlying fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain and fatigue may also help to relieve depression. Several prescription medicines are now available to treat fibromyalgia pain symptoms, including Lyrica (pregabalin) and Savella (milnacipran). Non-narcotic pain relievers such as tramadol are also prescribed for fibromyalgia pain.
By working with your doctor to find the right fibromyalgia therapy, you�ll be able to target all your fibromyalgia symptoms, including depression.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.everydayhealth.com
Fibromyalgia has long been characterized as a misunderstood condition which affects the normal function of the brain, spinal cord and nerves, causing widespread pain as well as fatigue as a result. Many individual’s frequently describe these prevalent symptoms, however, others experience symptoms of depression. Depression can be linked to a variety or conditions, in this case, recent studies have concluded that fibromyalgia may become worse with depression.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900�.
