Fibromyalgia And Sleep Disorders

It is possible that a sleep disorder causes the condition, as fatigue from lack of good sleep over a long period may be responsible for muscle pain.

On the other hand, it is difficult to achieve a good night's rest when one is in pain, and so there is reason to believe that it contributes to sleep disorders.

Fibromyalgia is characterised by long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in joints and muscles.

In other words if you have pain over an area of your body that has not been caused by injury or infection or any other detectable cause, and it has lasted over weeks and sometimes months, this could be your problem.

It is identified by 3 months or more of pain, in at least 11 out of 18 areas, which include the arms/elbows, buttocks, chest, knees, thighs, shoulders, neck and lower back.

The statistics of fibromyalgia and sleep disorders overlap to a great degree. This condition strikes an estimated 1 in 20, to 1 in 25 people world-wide, most commonly women between 20 and 50.

It has also been associated with fatigue, headaches, depression and anxiety and no wonder! Other possible triggers could be emotional or physical trauma, infections or abnormal pain recognition in the brain.

It can be mistaken for chronic back or neck pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, under-active thyroid, Lyme disease (a tick-borne infection) or sleep disorders.

The symptoms are painful areas called tender points, from which the pain radiates outward. A deep ache or shooting burning pain seems to be worse in cold damp weather, and during activity or stress.

Numbness in hands and feet or tingling also can occur and tension or migraine headaches are common. Memory and concentration difficulties, and palpitations are included also.

There is no cure, the cause is unknown and there are only exclusionary tests, so the treatment is for the symptoms.

As there are a number of different symptoms, no single treatment will work for all of them.

It is therefore likely you will need to try a variety of treatments to find a mix that suits you. This will normally be a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.

Physical therapy, light massage and relaxation techniques can help the pain. Otherwise the following drugs are used to treat these symptoms:

Muscle relaxants, pain relievers, sleeping aids, anti-seizure, anti-depressants, each of which could have some side-effects.

Different specialists who might be involved with treatment are neurologist (central nervous system) and rheumatologist (muscles and joints).

Other options include immersion in heated water, relaxation techniques and massage to improve stiffness or weakness in muscles.

Psychological counselling and support group therapy can help to deal with issues caused by fibromyalgia, and promote a positive approach.

Research into some complementary medicines, such as plant extracts, has not found that they are particularly effective.

If you decide to use any complementary or herbal remedies, check with your GP first. Some remedies can react unpredictably with other medication, or make it less effective.

Acupuncture can improve fibromyalgia and sleep disorder symptoms for some people.

However, sufferers have been experimenting and have come up with some interesting ways to alleviate the symptoms.

On a blog I found a report that one or two glasses of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water and baking soda relieves symptoms.Another report attributes increased mobility and well-being to acupuncture and healing Tai chi(Qi Gong).

Fibromyalgia and sleep disorders have symptoms and treatments in common, see what works for you.

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