Surveillance, Prevention, Maintenance, And Outcomes For Fibromyalgis

Fibromyalgia

Name

Institution

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by persistent and chronic tenderness and pain in various body parts. Although it is highly prevalent in the women yet it can affect the individuals belonging to any age group and sex (Wolfe et. al., 2016). The most common symptoms of Fibromyalgia include muscle stiffness, fatigue, disturbed sleeping patterns, anxiety, depression and impairment in daily activities (Wolfe et. al., 2016). The diagnosis of Fibromyalgia may encapsulate multifaceted etiologies particularly pre-morbid with many other neurological and muscular disorders such as dyspnea, chest pain, palpitations hypothyroidism, other inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatic. In order to make objective diagnosis, complete blood count, TSH level, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D level, iron level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum ferritin and magnesium level of the patient is determined along with urinalysis (Wolfe et. al., 2016). Other than the laboratory testing, following subjective tests are performed including Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, The Mood Disorder Questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 Questionnaire, The Physician Health Questionnaire–9, Scales for cognitive performance and helplessness and checklist of current symptoms (Gershwin et. al., 2015).

It is worth noting that there is no proven treatment for this disorder hence it is not curable but only manageable. Therefore, life style changes, cognitive and behavioral modifications and pharmacological treatment might be proven affective for its surveillance. The non-pharmacological treatment includes stress management techniques, diet and exercise aimed at improving weight loss, bone and muscle strength, aerobic exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy and sleep therapy (Gershwin et. al., 2015). On the other hand, pharmacological treatment consists of medicines such as Analgesics, Alpha 2 agonists such as clonidine, Anticonvulsants such as tiagabine, gabapentin and pregabalinand Antidepressants such as desvenlafaxine, amitriptyline, venlafaxine, milnacipran and duloxetine, and Skeletal muscle relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine and Antianxiety/hypnotic agents such as sodium oxybate, buspirone, trazodone, zolpidem, alprazolam, and temazepam. Medicines that can be prescribed for sleep disturbances include dopamine agonists, non-benzodiazepines, Anticonvulsants, Antidepressants and Muscle relaxants (Gershwin et. al., 2015). Other supplements aimed at controlling multifaceted symptoms associated with this disorder include minerals and vitamins, combination of magnesium and malic acid, amino acids, antioxidants, herbs and other supplements.

As mentioned earlier, women are mostly affected by this set of undesirable symptoms and exercise is considered as an evidence- based management technique for its successful prevention and management (McDowell et. al., 2015). Exercise involves keeping the body and its muscles active and moving on almost daily basis including swimming, walking, running, stretching, yoga and tai chi. Exercise not only affects body movement but also a bulk of literature supports its link with the secretion of endorphins—the hormones of happy mood. Studies indicate that when we take exercise, a sense of meaningfulness develops which nurtures our reward system and in turn endorphins are released that develop the sense of optimisms and usefulness (McDowell et. al., 2015). This psychological component coupled with the physical activity brings about positive change in the somatic state of individual. Serotonin is another hormone associated with fibromyalgia (McDowell et. al., 2015). When we are stressed out, the release of our serotonin becomes too low; exercise acts as an effective distracter and enables us losing our attention towards undesirable body symptoms; as a result, serotonin production is regulated that is a mood stabilizer. Besides this, following are the accepted medical benefits of exercise for the women suffering from fibromyalgia; pain relieving, muscle strengthening, controlling depression and anxiety, developing the sense of meaningfulness, improving sleep quality, elevating aerobic capacity, improving cardiovascular health, increasing muscle strength and energy (McDowell et. al., 2015). A women suffering from fibromyalgia would be advised to take exercise for 20-30 minutes daily whenever she feels frustrated in terms of lower moods and insomnia. Initially after every trial and after every one week period, objective and subjective tests would be administered to find her scores and compare them with the pre-test scores. In this way, improvement in her condition would be measured (McDowell et. al., 2015).

References

Wolfe, F., Clauw, D. J., Katz, R. L. et al. (2016). Revisions to the 2010/2011 fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria. Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism.46, 319-29.

Gershwin, M. E., Borchers, A. T. et. al. (2015). Fibromyalgia: a critical and comprehensive review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 49(2),100–51.

McDowell, C. P., Cook, D. B., Herring, M. P. (2017). The effects of exercise training on anxiety in fibromyalgia patients: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc.49(9),1868–76.