A report on Fibromyalgia

The location of the 19 pain areas for the Widespread Pain Index of fibromyalgia
A woman feeling stress
The location of the nine paired tender points that comprise the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia
Widespread pain index (WPI) areas
Stress and trauma are strongly linked to fibromyalgia

Medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression.

- Fibromyalgia
The location of the 19 pain areas for the Widespread Pain Index of fibromyalgia

40 related topics with Alpha

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Milnacipran

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Milnacipran (trade names Ixel, Savella, Dalcipran, Toledomin) is a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) used in the clinical treatment of fibromyalgia.

Image with a microscope of focal lymphoid infiltration in the minor salivary gland associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjögren syndrome

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Long-term autoimmune disease that affects the body's moisture-producing (lacrimal and salivary) glands, and often seriously affects other organ systems, such as the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.

Long-term autoimmune disease that affects the body's moisture-producing (lacrimal and salivary) glands, and often seriously affects other organ systems, such as the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.

Image with a microscope of focal lymphoid infiltration in the minor salivary gland associated with Sjögren's syndrome.
Characteristic dryness appears at multiple locations, such as the tongue, face, and eyes.
Speckled immunofluorescence staining pattern of antinuclear antibodies on HEp-20-10 cells
Singer-actress Carrie Ann Inaba is the national awareness ambassador and spokesperson for the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation.

Sjögren's syndrome is associated with a number of other medical conditions, many of which are autoimmune or rheumatic disorders, such as celiac disease, fibromyalgia, SLE (lupus), autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis and spondyloarthropathy, and several malignancies, principally non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

An adult deer tick (most cases of Lyme are caused by nymphal rather than adult ticks)

Lyme disease

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Vector-borne disease caused by the Borrelia bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus Ixodes.

Vector-borne disease caused by the Borrelia bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus Ixodes.

An adult deer tick (most cases of Lyme are caused by nymphal rather than adult ticks)
An expanding rash is an initial sign of about 80% of Lyme infections. The rash may look like a ‘bull's eye’, as pictured, in about 80% of cases in Europe and 20% of cases in the US.
Deer tick life cycle
Borrelia bacteria, the causative agent of Lyme disease, magnified
Ixodes scapularis, the primary vector of Lyme disease in eastern North America
Tick Ixodes ricinus, developmental stages
Removal of a tick using tweezers
Countries with reported Lyme disease cases.
CDC map showing the risk of Lyme disease in the United States, particularly its concentration in the Northeast Megalopolis and western Wisconsin.

However, problems such as depression and fibromyalgia are as common in people with Lyme disease as in the general population.

A hand severely affected by rheumatoid arthritis. This degree of swelling and deformation does not typically occur with current treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis

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Long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints.

Long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints.

A hand severely affected by rheumatoid arthritis. This degree of swelling and deformation does not typically occur with current treatment.
A diagram showing how rheumatoid arthritis affects a joint
X-ray of the hand in rheumatoid arthritis.
Appearance of synovial fluid from a joint with inflammatory arthritis.
Closeup of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis.
Deaths from rheumatoid arthritis per million persons in 2012

Other diseases that may present similarly include systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, and fibromyalgia among others.

Acupuncture

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Form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body.

Form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body.

One type of acupuncture needle
Acupuncture needles
Traditional and modern Japanese guiding tube needles
Old Chinese medical chart of acupuncture meridians
Modern acupuncture model
Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty (c. 1368–1644)
Acupuncture chart from Shisi jing fahui (Expression of the Fourteen Meridians) written by Hua Shou (fl. 1340s, Ming dynasty). Japanese reprint by Suharaya Heisuke (Edo, 1. year Kyōhō = 1716).
An ancient Acupuncture statue at the lobby of the Emperor's College clinic, California
Acupressure being applied to a hand.
Sujichim, hand acupuncture
Japanese moxibustion
A woman receiving fire cupping in China.

A 2013 Cochrane review found low to moderate evidence that acupuncture improves pain and stiffness in treating people with fibromyalgia compared with no treatment and standard care.

Allodynia

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Condition in which pain is caused by a stimulus that does not normally elicit pain.

Condition in which pain is caused by a stimulus that does not normally elicit pain.

Allodynia is a clinical feature of many painful conditions, such as neuropathies, complex regional pain syndrome, postherpetic neuralgia, fibromyalgia, and migraine.

Schematic of the HPA axis (CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone)

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis

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Complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland (a pea-shaped structure located below the thalamus), and the adrenal (also called "suprarenal") glands (small, conical organs on top of the kidneys).

Complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland (a pea-shaped structure located below the thalamus), and the adrenal (also called "suprarenal") glands (small, conical organs on top of the kidneys).

Schematic of the HPA axis (CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone)
Hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal cortex
Schematic overview of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Stress activates the HPA-axis and thereby enhances the secretion of glucocorticoids from the adrenals.

The HPA axis is involved in the neurobiology of mood disorders and functional illnesses, including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, major depressive disorder, burnout, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and alcoholism.

Chronic pain

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Classified as pain that lasts longer than three to six months.

Classified as pain that lasts longer than three to six months.

Myofascial release has been used in some cases of fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, and tennis elbow but there is not enough evidence to support this as method of treatment.

Detailed view of a neuromuscular junction:

Muscle relaxant

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Drug that affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone.

Drug that affects skeletal muscle function and decreases the muscle tone.

Detailed view of a neuromuscular junction:
Chemical diagram of pancuronium, with red lines indicating the two acetylcholine "molecules" in the structure
A view of the spinal cord and skeletal muscle showing the action of various muscle relaxants – black lines ending in arrowheads represent chemicals or actions that enhance the target of the lines, blue lines ending in squares represent chemicals or actions that inhibit the target of the line

Spasmolytics such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine, metaxalone, and methocarbamol are commonly prescribed for low back pain or neck pain, fibromyalgia, tension headaches and myofascial pain syndrome.

Metabolism of amitriptyline to major active metabolites.

Amitriptyline

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Metabolism of amitriptyline to major active metabolites.
Chemical synthesis of amitriptyline.
Two boxes of amitriptyline (Endep; produced by Alphapharm, Australian market) in 10 and 25 mg doses

Amitriptyline, sold under the brand name Elavil among others, is a tricyclic antidepressant primarily used to treat cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), major depressive disorder and a variety of pain syndromes from neuropathic pain to fibromyalgia to migraine and tension headaches.