A caress, a simple touch, moving or simply doing nothing are things that seem pleasant and pleasurable to most people. Generally we enjoy the sensations that our body transmits to us, unless they cause us some kind of discomfort or pain.
However, this exception is the norm for many people who experience chronic pain throughout most of their body without any clear disease causing it. These are people who suffer from fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a well-known disease that is mainly characterized by the presence of a constant musculoskeletal pain spread throughout the body. This pain is diffuse and non-specific and lasts more than three months of persistence.
It also highlights a hypersensitization of different points in the body, called trigger points, in which hyperalgesia usually exists. The threshold from which a perception becomes painful so that the slightest touch on these points can trigger sensations of great pain.
Symptoms
It has been seen that These people frequently suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety , symptoms that may be a consequence of the chronicity of your condition and lack of knowledge of the causes of your condition. However, it has also been indicated that its presence may be part of the symptoms of the disorder. They tend to suffer from sleep problems such as sleep insomnia or frequent awakenings, which in turn contributes to their discomfort and fatigue.
It is also not uncommon for muscle rigidity to appear in the form of cramps, stiffness and even tremors. It is also common for those who suffer from fibromyalgia to tend to fatigue very easily without having to make much effort to do so. Sometimes These symptoms are added to the presence of other disorders but these do not explain the generalized pain.
The medical analysis of the patients does not reflect any indication of alterations or injuries that could cause pain. In fact, for many years It has come to be considered a somatoform disease , since no signs of real injuries are found even though the perceived suffering and pain are real. However, today it is considered a rheumatic disease. It is more common in women than in men.
Causes of this disorder
Fibromyalgia is a disorder for which even today the exact causes are not fully known, and it has not been located in this disease. no specific injury that could cause widespread pain.
However, the research carried out points to a malfunction in the transmission of serotonin and substance P, which is altered in many of these patients. Specifically, a decrease in serotonin levels has been detected while there is an increase in substance P (the latter is highly involved in the perception of pain).
Altered levels of these substances could cause a abnormal reaction of nervous circuits and the pathways linked to the sensation of pain, causing the body to interpret different sensations as painful.
In addition, it has been considered that it may be due to aspects such as sensitivity to nickel or gluten (although without intolerance), but there is still not enough data in this regard.
It has also been considered that the presence of stressful and/or traumatic events can contribute to the onset of the disorder and its maintenance, especially when taking into account that it frequently occurs. along with alterations in mood or anxiety. This, as we have indicated previously, may be due to the fact that the patient feels helpless and desperate at not being able to give an explanation for his condition.
Due to the definitive lack of knowledge of the causes of fibromyalgia, the treatment applied usually focuses on alleviating its symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life from a multidisciplinary perspective.
Pharmacological intervention
At the pharmacological level, they have been applied sedative-hypnotic such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants and anticonvulsants with the purpose of reducing fatigue, possible muscle spasms and depressive and anxious symptoms.
They are also commonly used analgesics and anti-inflammatories in order to try to reduce the level of perceived pain.
Psychological intervention
At a psychological level, the use of multimodal programs that take into account a large number of essential factors to improve the state of the subject in question is recommended.
Within these programs, the use of relaxation, meditation and biofeedback strategies in order to try to reduce the intensity of the pain and have greater capacity to manage it. Physical exercise has been shown to be useful in the treatment, especially those of the aerobic type that are performed in water.
It is necessary that the patient is able to express his feelings and fears as well as working on these and the feelings of helplessness they may have, so that the subject perceives themselves as more competent and capable of controlling the situation.
It is also helpful if the patient try to give meaning to the pain and reinterpret it seeking to be able to establish different strategies that allow them to face the disorder.
Psychoeducation for the patient and his environment It is also essential, since it is reassuring to receive information about the problem in question (it must be taken into account that the majority of subjects do not know what is happening to them) and strategies to apply in order to reduce it. Furthermore, the fact that there are no injuries can lead the environment to think that the person may be simulating a disorder.
