Fibromyalgia: Myths and Facts
Fibromyalgia is a sensory disorder caused by miscommunication between the nerves and the brain. It is one of the most misunderstood disorder in medicine today. Some people believe it isn’t real, or that the symptoms are signs of depression, stress or any other number of conditions.
The symptoms are diverse – joint pain, stiff neck, exhaustion, lightheadedness, insomnia, etc. – which makes the diagnose hard. With fibromyalgia the patient may feel all of these and more but has no idea why. To make things worse, the patient may have had every medical test imaginable, but the doctors can’t say what’s causing the symptoms.
To get to know about it may let’s talk about what fibromyalgia is not.
Fibromyialgia is not deadly – unlike illnesses that can be terminal, fibromyalgia doesn’t shut down your major organs or cause tumors to grow and spread throughout the body. It doesn’t harm your joins, muscles or internal organs. It also doesn’t make it likely that you’ll die an earlier death.
It is also not a progressive disease – it doesn’t damage the body over time. However, the symptoms may worsen at times. Fibromyalgia is not a chronic infection and it doesn’t make you a hypochondriac.
Myths vs. Facts
Myth 1. Fibromyalgia isn’t real
This is the top misconception about fibromyalgia. People sometimes think that fibromyalgia isn’t a real medical problem or that it’s all in your head. Since the symptoms can be so vague they could apply to any number of conditions. Plus, who hasn’t felt sore, tired or moody – or all of those things at once.
Truth: Many, if not most medical illnesses aren’t seen as real until more is know about them. At one point, even asthma was thought to be a made-up condition. Rheumatoid was thought to be an infection. In both cases knowing more about how they have developed led to better understanding, as well as better ways to diagnose and treat them. Fibromyalgia has been and still is in the same situation.
Bottom line: Fibromyalgia is caused by a real problem happening within the body. It is thought to be caused by a glitch in how the brain and nerves through the spinal cord process pain signals. As a result, people with fibromyalgia react more strongly to pain and many other sensations.
Myth 2. Fibromyalgia is a mental health disorder
Fibromyalgia can be hard to diagnose. When one test after another comes back with no solid answer, some doctors may wonder if the patient’s symptoms are actually related to a mental health condition, instead of something that’s happening to the body.
Truth: While symptoms of fibromyalgia may be related to things going on in the mind such as stress or depression, fibromyalgia is not “in the patient’s head.” It is a medical disorder that is not caused by a mental health disorder – although stress can play a role in its symptoms. It’s also important to note that having any kind of a medical condition can make a person feel depressed or anxious.
Bottom line: Fibromyalgia is a real physical condition.
Myth 3. Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disorder
The autoimmune system’s job is to fight off viruses and bacteria before they make us sick. When we have an autoimmune disorder, our immune system attacks mistakenly healthy cells instead. There are more than 80 conditions labelled as autoimmune disorder. Some common ones are rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s disease, celiac disease or lupus.
Truth: Fibromyalgia and autoimmune disorders and many other conditions often share many symptoms. Blood tests that are used to diagnose auto immune disorders are not used in fibromyalgia. A physical exam is often enough for a doctor to be able to tell the difference between the two. Medications used to treat an auto immune disorder can’t address symptoms of fibromyalgia. Also an auto immune disorder often causes permanent damage to the body including the skin and joints which isn’t the case with fibromyalgia.
Bottom line: Although fibromyalgia can occur with an auto immune disorder, it is in itself not an auto immune disorder. Researchers are currently studying the link between the two.
Myth 4. Fibromyalgia is a connective tissue disorder
Cartilage, bones and fats are types of connective tissue. They create a sturdy web of protein that supports the body and gives it structure. Without them the body would be floppy and formless. Connective tissue disorder can change how the body looks and grows. They affect the skin, bones, organs, blood vessels, eyes, ears, etc. They can also change how the tissue works which is not the case with fibromyalgia.
Truth: To date no one has been able to proof of swelling and irritation in the tissues of people who suffer from fibromyalgia. The two can be confusing since their symptoms are overlapping. If a person has connective tissue disorder, a blood test will likely reveal proteins or markers showing inflammation in the body. The same blood tests come back normal for a person with fibromyalgia.
Bottom line: While even today, some people think fibromyalgia is a connective tissue disorder, the fact is that it’s not. Put simply, fibromyalgia is a pain disorder.
Myth 5. People with fibromyalgia are just looking for attention
Many people do not understand fibromyalgia. Unless you have it or have a loved one who has it, it can be hard to understand what it means to live with fibromyalgia day in and day out. For a number of reasons, people may react to fibromyalgia as though it’s plea for attention.
Truth: Research shows that only 1 in 4 graduating primary care doctors feel capable of helping patients manage chronic pain. In light of this, patients, may not learn about treatment from their doctors that can help them feel better.
Bottom line: If you suffer from fibromyalgia, be patient with yourself. It can be tough to feel as if you’re surrounded by skeptical people. Next, be patient with others. This may seem like a tall order when you’re feeling hurt and misunderstood. Know that doctors and loved ones want to help, they may just not always know how to.
Myth 6: People with Fibromyalgia are hypocondriacs
Over the years, it’s been thought that fibromyalgia was made up by stressed-out, overtaxed minds and the result of being a hypochondriac. This is in pat because patients often go to doctors only to be told that there’s nothing wrong with them.
Truth: Despite their seeming similarities, fibromyalgia and hypochondria are two separate conditions. Hypochondria starts in the mind and its symptoms are most often mentally induced. Fibromyalgia on the other hand stems from a problem with the way the brain processes pain signals and other physical sensations.
Bottom line: With these both conditions, test after test comes back normal, the reason why people often mix up the two.
Myth 7. People with Fibromyalgia are just lazy
People with fibromyalgia look the same as they always have. They look fine from the outside and so people think they just lazy when they cancel plans or don’t go to work.
Truth: When it comes to fibromyalgia, what people don’t see is what matters. They didn’t see the struggle to get out bed and stretch the stiff limbs or the pain you have trying to sit down. Without treatment fibromyalgia can make it hard to work and participate in everyday activities.
Bottom line: Many people with fibromyalgia search tirelessly for answers to find out what’s wrong with them and how to feel better. They’re quite motivated and more than willing to put in the work that’s needed to win their daily battle with their bodies.
Myth 8. People with fibromyalgia are just stressed
Its common to get stressed out now and again. Stress is a normal reaction to what happens in life, whether good or bad. Depending on who you are and what’s going on in your life, when you are faced with stress, you may sail through choppy waters, you may spin in circles without a paddle, or you may do both. Whether it’s mild or severe, stress can affect your health even without you realizing it. It can affect your body, your thoughts and behavior.
Truth: Although both stress and fibromyalgia have many symptoms in common, they can differ in how they last and how severe they are. For example stress can cause tense muscles. But muscle pain due to fibromyalgia often is described as a constant, dull ache that has lasted for at least three months. It is also wide-spread and affects both sides of the body, above and below the waist.
Bottom line: Researchers are studying what links the two, since stress plays a major role in the story of fibromyalgia. It is a good idea though to tackle stress because of the fact that stress sets fibromyalgia in motion.
Fibromyalgia does not have to define who you are. With tools and techniques, you can return to the life that you enjoy. Together we can create an interdisciplinary pain management program. I can teach you everyday skills that you can use to manage your symptoms, allowing you to live full, enjoyable life with fibromyalgia. Book a yoga therapy spot here.
Literature:
Abril, A. / Bruce, B.K. (2019): Mayo Clinic: Guide to Fibromyalgia. Rochester, MN: Mayo Clinic Press.
Fibromyalgia (2021): National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease. Bethesda, Maryland. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibromyalgia (as of: 12.12.2022)
Fibromyalgia (2021): American College of Rheumatology. https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Fibromyalgia (as of: 14.12.2022)