Fibromyalgia Joint Pain: A Form of Arthritis

The main areas that are affected are tender points and muscles in different parts of the body. The problem can sometimes be very complicated and the extent of suffering can be intense and almost debilitating.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia Joint Pain

The symptoms of fibromyalgia joint pain often tend to overlap with those of autoimmune diseases. They might also overlap with those of muscoskeletal conditions. This is why it is sometimes very difficult to diagnose. In many cases, defining the signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia is part of coming up with a diagnostic framework of this condition. Even in this case objective and subjective symptoms are difficult to tell them apart.

About 2 percent of American population is estimated to be sufferers of fibromyalgia syndrome. There are two main criteria that are used to classify fibromyalgia joint pain by American College of Rheumatology. The first one is the history of the pain that spreads to all the four body quadrants of the patient’s body which are the right, left side, below waist and above waist for a period of not less than three months.

The second criterion is the presence of intense pain in not less then 11 of the 18 tender joints when they are subjected to physical examination. The force applied to these joints has to be equivalent to 9lbs or 4 kg. In most cases, pain in fibromyalgia is migratory. In other words, it keeps moving from one part of the body to the other. This is a clear indication that the central nervous system is not functioning well.

The manner in which the body responds to stress also determines the manner in which fibromyalgia joint pain spreads throughout the four body quadrants. Stress becomes a major cause of fibromyalgia syndrome when the body is unable to handle stress. In this case, depression sets in leading in a very awful situation whereby an individual’s health deteriorates at a very alarming rate.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome among Women

Fibromyalgia joint pain is very common among women who are in the child-bearing age. Children and old people can also be affected by this condition. Apart from pain that occurs in tender tissues, there are also other symptoms that are non-defining in nature. One of these symptoms is fatigue. One feels very tired and this might cause or be accompanied by lack of sleep, sweating at night and disturbances in the form of cognitive difficulties and memory lapses.

Tension might also occur accompanied by migraine headaches. If the rib cage is affected by pain one becomes very sure that the problem that ails the individual is in deed suffering from fibromyalgia joint pain. Some people become very sensitive to chemicals when they are suffering from this condition.