Fibromyalgia is a form of 'soft-tissue' or muscular rheumatism rather than 'arthritis of a joint'. Fibromyalgia mainly affects muscles and their attachments to bones.
Unfortunately, because certain syndromes lack physical and laboratory findings (signs), but depend mostly on a person's report of complaints and feelings (symptoms), these syndromes are often viewed as not being real or important. In the past, fibromyalgia suffered from this type of negative thinking.
Over the past 10 years, however, fibromyalgia has been better defined through studies that have established guides for its diagnosis. These studies have shown that certain complaints, such as generalized muscular pain and tender points, are present in people with fibromyalgia and not commonly present in healthy people or people with other rheumatic conditions. These diagnostic features separate fibromyalgia from other types of conditions that have chronic muscle and bone pain.
Symptoms and Signs
Pain is the most prominent symptom of FMS. It is generally felt all over, although it may start in one region, such as the neck and shoulders, and seems to spread over a period of time. FMS pain has been described in a variety of ways including: burning, radiating, gnawing, sore, stiff, and aching. It often varies according to time of the day, activity level, weather, sleep patterns, and stress. Most people with FMS say that some degree of pain is always present. They sense that the pain is mainly in their muscles and often note that FMS feels like a persistent flu. For some people with FMS, the pain may be quite severe.
How is FMS diagnosed?
The above is taken from a leaflet from the Arthritis Foundation.
Arthritis Foundation
These sites below have much more information and I have found them very helpful in my search for help and support. Please visit these sites if you'd like to know more about this confusing condition.
Link to Fibromyalgia info and support groups
Good chat opportunity offers support
A good source of FM/CFIDS information
Med-help site that lists doctors by state
For more information, write to:
P.O. Box 7669
Atlanta, GA 30357-0669
1-800-283-7800
I put the ** before and after the sentence in the above paragraph as a reminder to myself that I don't know everything after all :-) I was diagnosed with FMS on 10-6-97 by an internist. It's still all new to me and I've got lots to learn.
Any information that you know of pertaining to FMS is greatly appreciated. Not just for me, but for the thousands who live with this condition daily and have been doing so for many years. I'll keep this page updated often with FMS related sites. I also plan to have an on-line journal, mostly for my own record. It's recommended by doctors to keep up with the symptoms and with your feelings so that you can see the whole picture.
I hope this information and these links prove helpful to you. More attention needs to be paid to this debilitating condition.
I have created a page, with help from a friend, that may help you if you have to file for SSDI benefits. It's a plain simple page in case you want to print it out. The page is here.
Other personal homepages of FMS Sufferers
Silverhair's Fibromyalgia Page
Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and other Medical Resources
D. Powell's FMS and Post-Partum Depression Page
A chance to sign a petition for Congress to get
medical professionals to pay more attention to Fibromyalgia.
Fibroworld Homepage
 |
 |
|
|---|
|
|---|
This page background and buttons designed by me. *smile*
Please do not use them for any reason.
The angel image was a gift from two special friends, Steve and Allayne.