FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia is the second most common condition affecting your bones and muscles. Yet it’s often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Its classic symptoms are widespread muscle and joint pain and fatigue.
But a combination of medication, exercise, managing your stress, and healthy habits may ease your symptoms enough that you can live a normal, active life.
Clinical features
• Muscle pain, burning, twitching, or tightness
• Low pain threshold or tender points
• Draining fatigue
• Trouble concentrating and remembering, called “fibro fog”
• Insomnia or not sleeping well
• Feeling nervous, worried, or depressed
Treatment
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe pain relievers, anti depressants, muscle relaxers, and drugs that help you sleep.
• Milnacipran
• Pregabalin
• Duloxetine
Regular moderate exercise is key to controlling fibromyalgia. You will want to do low-impact activities that build your endurance, stretch and strengthen your muscles, and improve your ability to move easily
— like yoga, tai chi, Pilates, and even walking.
Exercise also releases endorphins, which fight pain, stress, and feeling down. And it can help you sleep better.