2 Where in Lynchburg & Southside Can I Get Help? * Ward Gypson, MD UVA Health Charlottesville | 434.243.5639 www.uvahealth.com
Will Likins, DC Chiropractic Care Center Forest | 434.525.4588 www.drlikins.com
Akhtar Purvez, MD Pain and Spine Center of Charlottesville Charlottesville | 434.328.2774 www.painspinecenters.com
East West Acupuncture Lynchburg | 434.851.8533 www.eastwestacupuncture.net
Fibromyalgia
What is fibromyalgia?
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
For decades, medical providers misdiagnosed fibromyalgia, a condition indicated by widespread, general pain and fatigue, or simply refused to diagnose patients at all. Thankfully, physicians are more frequently – but not always – recognizing fibromyalgia for the difficult and very real issue that it is. Around five million adults, of which 80 to 90 percent are women, suffer from fibromyalgia, which affects a person’s soft tissue. The cause is unknown, but factors could include infections, physical or emotional trauma, long-term stress and genetics.
Fibromyalgia presents much like arthritis, but doesn’t cause the same sort of joint and muscle inflammation and damage as that particular condition. In addition to widespread pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia symptoms include headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, painful menstrual periods, sensitivity to heat and cold, concentration and memory issues (often referred to as “fibro-fog”) and tingling and numbness in the hands and feet.
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Genesis Health Solutions Forest | 434.381.1986 www.genesishealthsolutions.net
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At one time, physicians diagnosed fibromyalgia by checking known trigger points and pressing on certain areas of the body to determine if they were painful. Those points included the back of the head, upper chest, knees and elbows. While painful trigger points are still standard for fibromyalgia, they’re no longer the primary way to diagnose. Instead, a doctor might determine a patient has fibromyalgia if they’ve experienced general, widespread pain for at least three months and have no other diagnosable medical condition to explain it.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Where in Lynchburg & Southside Can I Get Help? *
How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
When it comes to invisible diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) might be the most invisible of all. Little is known about the disorder, which was only recently recognized to be a legitimate condition. CFS could be the result of a viral infection such as Epstein-Barr, but researchers have yet to find a definitive link. Healthcare professionals also point to immune system problems and hormonal imbalances as potential culprits. Life with CFS can be isolating, leading to complications such as depression, increased work absences – and, as a result, difficulty climbing the career ladder – and a restriction on daily activities that can keep a person healthy and happy.
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What are the symptoms of CFS? As the name suggests, severe fatigue is the main indicator of CFS. It gets worse after physical or mental activity, but the exhaustion doesn’t get better after rest. This form of fatigue isn’t just feeling tired, but rather an all-consuming exhaustion that has lasted six month or longer. People with CFS often experience problems with thinking and memory, as well as dizziness or weakness while standing or sitting up. They might also feel muscle or joint pain and headaches, although those aren’t symptoms experienced by everyone with the condition.
How is CFS diagnosed? Diagnosing CFS isn’t easy – for the patient or the physician. There isn’t a test that can plainly tell if a person has CFS, so it’s mostly a diagnosis of elimination by testing for and ruling out other diseases, such as sleep disorders, hypothyroidism and mental health issues. However, even if CFS is diagnosed, there’s no true treatment—and there’s certainly no cure. Instead, the focus is on relieving symptoms through medications such as antidepressants, cognitive therapy and a few minutes of movement a day that’s gradually increased to help reduce hypersensitivity to exercise.