Treatment For Fibromyalgia

One of the biggest challenges in medicine today is treatment for fibromyalgia. At the moment, we do not know what really causes this pathology. And it is a considerable obstacle to the development of an effective treatment making it possible to annihilate it.

On the other hand, we know how much it can decrease the quality of life of people who suffer from it. This disease is characterized by generalized and chronic pain, especially in the musculoskeletal system.

Science has determined that it is a disease of rheumatological origin. It also appears that the pain experienced by patients results from an imbalance in the functioning of neurotransmitters. However, a treatment for fibromyalgia must act on several factors to be effective.

Some general information about fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disease that can severely handicap people who suffer from it.

The hardest part is to endure the pain, or myalgia, which is more intense and longer than all the classic pains that one can feel from time to time. It is in fact diffuse and affects different parts of the body simultaneously.

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is extremely complex. For the moment, no laboratory test can allow to identify with certainty its presence.

Typically, doctors perform a clinical exploration on the patient, exerting light pressure on 18 different points of the body. People who suffer from fibromyalgia also often experience:

• Fatigue
• Rigidity
• Sleep disturbances
• Cognitive deterioration
• Depression and anxiety
• Gastrointestinal disorders

Specialists divided fibromyalgia into several types to be able to facilitate its treatment and assess its severity:

• Type I: no concomitant disease
• Type II: simultaneous presence of rheumatological and autoimmune diseases
• Type III: presence of a serious psychopathological alteration
• Type IV: simulation of the patient

Treatment for fibromyalgia

Treatment for fibromyalgia is not intended to cure the disease. It seeks to relieve the symptoms. Its ultimate goal is therefore to reduce the presence of symptoms in patients.

This treatment was designed to provide a better quality of life for people with fibromyalgia and to relieve their disability.

It is also important to emphasize that the treatment of fibromyalgia involves different actions on different factors. Three main aspects must therefore be taken into account:

• Pain management
• The development of patient functionality
• The psychosocial condition of the patient

One of the crucial aspects of this treatment is the education of the patient. Without his full and conscious cooperation, it is virtually impossible for fibromyalgia treatment to work. The more a person engages in this treatment, the greater their chances of being cured.

Pharmacological treatment

The treatment against fibromyalgia obviously includes a pharmacological component. Doctors tell us that a dose of pain relievers and / or anti-inflammatory drugs is also needed.

Patients should therefore consume tramadol or paracetamol, or both at the same time.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not very effective in managing the patient’s pain. They are therefore generally used in addition to other molecules, over a relatively short period of time, and in a non-systematic manner.

It is also common for doctors to prescribe other types of medication. Including benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants, anti-convulsants, antidepressants and steroids.

It is also important to note that self-medication is extremely dangerous. It can indeed greatly reduce the effectiveness of treatments prescribed by doctors.

Physical activity

Regular physical activity has been shown to be effective in treating fibromyalgia. Obviously, this is only a supplement. However, the practice of a sport not only has positive effects on the physical capacity of the patients, but it also makes it possible to reduce their symptoms in the short term.

Physical exercises should be tailored to each patient. It is obviously the attending physician who must guide this practice which, in all cases, must be gradual. Aerobic exercise is essential in this context, as it significantly contributes to improving the general physical performance of the patient.

Swimming and various forms of hydrotherapy and hydro-gymnastics have also been shown to have positive effects on fibromyalgia patients. Disciplines focused on relaxation, such as Tai Chi and yoga, are also effective.

Psychotherapy and other effective methods

In the treatment of fibromyalgia, it is very important that the patient develops a constructive attitude towards his disease. It is normal, given that he is in terrible pain, that he is irritable and that he may plunge into episodes of sadness or anxiety. But this state of mind can make their symptoms worse.

Experts indicate that it is strongly recommended that patients with fibromyalgia undergo cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.

This will allow him to fight against his despair and will prevent him from being isolated. Fibromyalgia can indeed, if left untreated, be a factor in the deterioration of interpersonal relationships.

Even if not all patients are sensitive to it, many of them respond favorably to treatments based on acupuncture, chiropractic or homeopathy. If you choose these practices, make sure they are given to you by a competent physician.