Fibromyalgia is a Complex Condition

Recent studies show that 80-90% of the diagnoses for Fibromyalgia are given to women. Additionally, the chronic muscle pain and disrupted sleeping patterns associated with the disorder leave 60% of the afflicted on disability, unable to work. One must wonder why Fibromyalgia and its subsequent symptoms aren't being treated as a national medical emergency, like AIDS or Cancer. The answer lies in the under-funded and under-researched realm of neuroscience.

One of the treatments for Fibromyalgia Syndrome is, surprisingly, a sleeping pill! Unfortunately, Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome go together like peanut butter and jelly. Researchers point out two possible causes of the Fibromyalgia and fatigue; the first being that since MRIs for patients with Fibromyalgia show brain signals lighting up in the same areas continuously, the neurons simply get worn out and leave the patient more sensitive to pain and soreness. The other possible cause for tiredness has to do with body chemicals, or dopamine and adrenal fatigue. Since the body is constantly producing stress-related chemicals on a normal basis, it's unable to produce enough "feel-good" chemicals to enable rewarding sleep cycles.

Not only is Fibromyalgia linked to bizarre brain activity, but researchers are now looking into the connection between Fibromyalgia and reproductive health as well! Roughly 85-90% of the patients with Fibromyalgia are women. Women with chronic pain syndromes are more likely to have breast cysts, greater stiffness during pregnancy, as well as severe headaches and abdominal cramping during PMS. Many women find the onset of Fibromyalgia concurrent with menopause, which may be related to lowering levels of estrogen and cortisol.

It's possible that genetic polymorphisms in one's serotonergic, catecholaminergic, and dopaminergic systems can predispose some people to Fibromyalgia and sleep disorders. Other hypotheses focus on malfunctions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (which controls stress hormone release) or unregulated nerve growth. In some studies, patients with Fibromyalgia were found to have four times as much nerve growth in their spinal fluid. Whatever the cause may be, doctors are looking to find something that will cure the symptoms in order to unlock the mystery cause.