Fibromyalgia
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NovaSpine Pain Institute
Pain Management in Sun City, Sun City West, Glendale and Gilbert, Arizona
Fibromyalgia affects around 4 million adults in the United States, especially women. This debilitating condition causes widespread pain and can interfere with sleep, digestion, and mood. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, the team of specialists at NovaSpine Pain Institute can help control your pain and restore your quality of life. The team provides minimally invasive fibromyalgia treatments at their offices in Sun City West, Sun City, Gilbert, and Glendale, Arizona. To put your fibromyalgia symptoms behind you, schedule an evaluation with a pain expert. Call the office nearest you today or use the online contact form.
Fibromyalgia Q & A
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by ongoing pain that appears all over your body. Fibromyalgia pain is often accompanied by additional symptoms like:
- Muscle stiffness
- Numbness or tingling in hands or feet
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
- Migraines
- Tension headaches
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Difficulty concentrating
Chronic pain and insomnia can cause people who suffer from fibromyalgia to become stressed and irritable. Fibromyalgia can eventually lead to mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
What causes fibromyalgia?
The cause of fibromyalgia is not yet understood. Researchers believe it might be an autoimmune condition that causes changes in the way your nerves transmit pain signals to the brain, enhancing your pain response and creating a pain “memory” that makes you feel like you’re in constant pain.
Factors that might contribute to the condition include:
- Lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
- Physical or emotional trauma
- Existing mood disorders
- Repetitive injuries
- Viral infections
- Genetics
- Obesity
Women are twice as likely to develop fibromyalgia as men.
How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
No specific test can conclusively diagnose fibromyalgia, so your specialist at NovaSpine Pain Institute begins by ruling out other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus that have similar symptoms.
Your doctor carefully reviews your medical history and does a physical exam. Your doctor may also recommend additional tests like an MRI or diagnostic injections.
If no underlying conditions are found, your doctor uses a special two-part scoring system to analyze your symptoms for patterns that are consistent with fibromyalgia. Based on this analysis, they could diagnose you with the condition.
How is fibromyalgia treated?
To relieve your fibromyalgia symptoms, your expert at NovaSpine Pain Institute creates a custom treatment plan which can include:
- Prescription pain medication
- Physical therapy
- Trigger point injections
- Sympathetic or peripheral nerve block injections
Your specialist offers these minimally invasive pain management treatments right in the office at NovaSpine Pain Institute.
Your expert can also recommend that you see a mental health professional as psychotherapy, antidepressants, and other mental health treatments can improve your symptoms and help you cope with the strain of living with fibromyalgia.
If you suspect you have fibromyalgia, don’t wait to seek help. Schedule an evaluation with a skilled specialist at NovaSpine Pain Institute. Call the office today or use the online contact form.