Fibromyalgia is a disease that is still relatively unknown. And yet, it affects more than a million French people ! This chronic syndrome is characterized by symptoms that can be disabling on a daily basis. It is therefore important to take it seriously. Here is why fibromyalgia is not, contrary to popular belief, a psychosomatic illness.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia (or fibromyalgia syndrome) is a chronic condition characterized by diffuse pain throughout the body. People with fibromyalgia describe pain similar to arthritis. However, no muscle, bone or joint damage appears on medical imaging.
For this reason, fibromyalgia has long been considered a "psychosomatic" or even "imaginary" illness. However, it is a very real medical condition.
Since 1990, the WHO (World Health Organization) has finally recognized fibromyalgia as a pathology. In June 2018, the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) classified fibromyalgia as "chronic widespread pain".
Today in France, approximately 1.6% of the population suffers from fibromyalgia according to INSERM . This chronic condition affects more women than men. It occurs more frequently between the ages of 40 and 50.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
The first symptoms of fibromyalgia are widespread, diffuse pain and increased sensitivity to touch or pressure.
The pain experience varies from patient to patient. This is why diagnosing fibromyalgia is so difficult. The pain can be felt in one or more parts of the body. It usually affects the joints or soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The intensity of the pain can be mild, moderate, or severe. Patients describe burning sensations, electric shock, stiffness, aches, or sharp, persistent pain. The legs are the most commonly affected part of the body.
People with fibromyalgia are also more sensitive to touch. This means that firm pressure applied to the soft tissues of the body (such as muscles) can cause intense pain. This symptom can occur during a hug, for example.
Fibromyalgia patients may also experience other symptoms:
- Chronic fatigue;
- Sleep disturbances;
- Low resistance to effort;
- Headaches;
- Tingling in the legs and feet;
- Mandibular pain;
- Concentration problems;
- Memory problems;
- Irritability;
- Digestive system disorders;
- Bladder disorders;
- Increased sensitivity to noises, lights, sounds and temperatures;
- Painful periods;
- Anxiety and depression.
Causes of Fibromyalgia
It is extremely difficult to know the causes of fibromyalgia because in most patients, this disease occurs without necessarily an apparent trigger. There is no inflammatory syndrome, nor visible damage to the affected soft tissues. For the moment, doctors and researchers have not yet found what triggers fibromyalgia syndrome.
However, recent studies have concluded that fibromyalgia is an alteration of the pain perception mechanism located in the central nervous system. In other words: in a fibromyalgia patient, the pain receptors are hypersensitive. Non-painful stimuli (such as pressure) trigger an abnormal secretion of chemicals indicating pain in the brain. Similarly, moderate pain will trigger an excessive reaction and be perceived as much stronger.
One possible cause would be the development, over time, of a sort of "pain memory" following repeated stimulation of the nerves. The patient would then develop a hypersensitivity which would be at the origin of the diffuse pain felt permanently, even when no lesion is highlighted.
In most cases, the disease develops without a known trigger. But in some patients, it follows a determining event:
- An infectious or viral pathology (Lyme disease, Covid-19, etc.).
- Physical trauma: accident, childbirth, surgery, etc.
- Emotional trauma: romantic breakup, death of a loved one, etc.
What are the risk factors for fibromyalgia?
According to researchers and doctors, certain factors may increase the risk of fibromyalgia:
- Gender and age: Women are affected twice as much as men and it seems that the disease appears more frequently between the ages of 40 and 50.
- Heredity: A genetic mutation may cause fibromyalgia.
- Sedentary lifestyle: in the absence of regular physical activity, the risks are higher.
- Personal psychological history such as depression or feelings of isolation.
- Another disease: for example, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
Furthermore, an empirical study of fibromyalgia cases has shown that stress, anxiety or significant muscle loss can promote the chronicity of the disease.
Diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia
Diagnosing fibromyalgia is very difficult because there is no medical observation technique that can detect this disease. There is no visible damage to the soft tissues of the body. In addition, the symptoms of fibromyalgia can be easily confused with those of other conditions, including some autoimmune diseases.
To detect fibromyalgia, doctors rely on the patient's description of symptoms. Also, they proceed by elimination by prescribing blood tests and MRI scans.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment to date to cure fibromyalgia. However, it is possible to relieve the disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle. It is proven that regular physical activity and reducing daily stress can alleviate the pain felt by the patient.
Taking medication is not necessarily helpful! The perception of pain in fibromyalgia is due to poor processing of stimuli by the brain. To relieve symptoms, the patient must learn to communicate another message to his cells. This also goes through the brain. This is why it is often recommended to turn to alternative therapies such as meditation, relaxation, hypnosis, psychotherapy and sophrology.
“It’s in your head”: How to manage fibromyalgia socially?
Socially, managing the symptoms of fibromyalgia is very complicated. Indeed, a person with fibromyalgia syndrome appears very healthy and their medical tests are very good. Nothing indicates, on paper, that they are ill. And yet, their suffering is very real.
For this reason, fibromyalgia patients are not always taken seriously by those around them. Worse still, they will often hear guilt-inducing speeches such as "It's all in your head" or "You'll get better if you take antidepressants". The feeling of being misunderstood leads to a feeling of isolation and, very often, stress, anxiety and even depression. The consequence is, in most cases, a worsening of symptoms.
To avoid getting to this point, it is important for the patient with fibromyalgia to communicate about his illness. The more others understand what he experiences on a daily basis, the more he will be able to regain confidence in himself and in his own feelings.
