Health and Disability

.....the CNS of patients with fibromyalgia appears to both heighten the response to painful stimuli and perceive normally non-painful stimuli as painful. A major implication here is that fibromyalgia and possibly related states like chronic fatigue syndrome are drastically different in origin than other conditions common to rheumatology clinics like osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, both of which result in discernible tissue damage.

Better still for fibromyalgia sufferers is that it’s now relatively treatable. Several neurotransmitter-modulating drugs and drug classes appear to be effective, including some pain medications and antidepressants. Among these, three treatments are now FDA-approved. Possibly more effective, according to the current evidence, are exercise, cognitive-behavioral therapy — a form of psychotherapy based in altering negative thoughts and behaviors — and simply patient education. Clauw stresses that while medications can help alleviate symptoms, patients rarely see significant symptom improvement without also adopting self-management approaches like stress reduction, quality sleep and exercise.