Fibromyalgia Better Understood, Experts Say

Fibromyalgia is now accepted as a diagnosable illness, and as more is understood about the syndrome, better treatment becomes available, experts say.

A simple description of fibromyalgia is that it is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread muscle pain and fatigue.

For still unknown reasons, people with fibromyalgia have increased sensitivity to pain that occurs in areas called their "tender points."

Common tender points are the front of the knees, the elbows, the hip joints, the neck, and spine. People may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.

Women Are Affected in Greatest Numbers

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 million to 6 million Americans, 80 percent to 90 percent of whom are women. The condition is most often diagnosed during middle age, but at least one of its symptoms appears earlier in life.

But is there a psychological tie-in strong enough to differentiate fibromyalgia from other similar diseases and conditions? Apparently not.

"Fibromyalgia patients are such a diverse group of patients, they cannot all be the same," says Dr. Thorsten Giesecke, a University of Michigan research fellow.

Dr. Giesecke and his colleagues evaluated 97 fibromyalgia patients, including 85 women and 12 men. The patients underwent a two-day series of tests, answering questions about their coping strategies and personality traits - particularly their emotional well-being. They were also tested for sensitivity to pressure and pain.

"It's generally been thought that fibromyalgia patients who have higher distress have higher pain sensitivities," notes Dr. Giesecke.

In other words, it was believed that those with fibromyalgia who were prone to emotional difficulties such as depression and anxiety were more likely to experience greater physical pain.

But his study did not bear that out. In fact, patients in one of the three groups in the study who had the highest pain levels had the lowest anxiety.

The term fibromyalgia comes from the Latin word for fibrous tissue (fibro) and the Greek ones for muscle (myo) and pain (algia). Tender points are specific locations on the body - 18 points on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and upper and lower extremities - where individuals with fibromyalgia feel pain in response to relatively slight pressure.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) states that fibromyalgia patients often experience combinations of many other chronic and frustrating symptoms, including:

Latest research indicates that fibromyalgia is the result of internal biochemical imbalances that cause physical symptoms such as pain, weakness, and mental impairment.

Because it is a syndrome - a collection of signs and symptoms - rather than a disease, fibromyalgia cannot be diagnosed by an invariable set of specific symptoms or reproducible lab findings.

Even with the findings about relatively small psychological influence, practical experience seems to indicate that stress may play a role.

Roger H. Murphree, a Birmingham, Ala., chiropractor who specializes in treating patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, said he has seen a link between stress and the intensity of fibromyalgia.

"Most of us live in a world of stress," Murphree says. "Something has to give, and it's usually sleep. Meanwhile, we subsist on junk food, caffeine, alcohol, and prescription medications. Such a lifestyle isn't good for anyone. But for an unlucky few, the toll is severe."

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, whose practice in Annapolis, Md., led him to do research into fibromyalgia and the closely related chronic fatigue syndrome, concluded that the body's endocrine system could hold the clue to treatment. It's a matter of how the body's energy is marshaled, he says.

"Fibromyalgia is like the body blowing a fuse," he explains. "The hypothalamus serves as humans' internal fuse box. When the demands of living build up, stress increases and the hypothalamus shuts down. Because the circuit is overtaxed and the fuse is blown, the body simply can't generate enough energy."

"That causes muscles to cease functioning in a shortened position, resulting in pain all over the body and a general feeling of fatigue or weariness," Dr. Teitelbaum says.

Murphree's experience with hundreds of patients confirms Dr. Teitelbaum's analogy. Most, he says, are either "Type A" perfectionists or "Type B" caregivers.

"Type A fibromyalgia patients work and work and work until they burn out," says Murphree. "Type B patients give and give and give - nurturing their spouses, children, family, and friends - until they break down. Anyone whose lifestyle includes very little downtime is at risk."

Help Is on the Way

Dr. Teitelbaum recommends a four-pronged approach to repair the "blown fuse" and turn the body's current back on:

Dr. Teitelbaum uses the acronym SHIN to summarize his treatment regimen. "S is for sleep, H for hormone balance, I for infection control, and N for nutrition," he explains. "The important thing is that all four should be implemented in concert with one another for maximum therapeutic effect."

Always consult your physician for more information.