Rheumatism - Fibromyalgia, Symptoms, Treatment Cure

An inflammation of the fibrous or connective tissue of the body is called Fibromyalgia or Rheuatism. It is characterized by general muscle pain, constant fatigue, and several localized tender points with these symptoms. Known commonly as rheumatism, it is now called Fibrositis, fibromyalgia, and fibromyositis by the medical community.Causes and Symptoms of FibromyalgiaThere is no known cause of fibromyalgia. It may be genetic, or related to the geographical place a person lives. Those who suffer fibromyalgia will complain to have three general symptoms: joint and muscle pain, stiffness, and fatigue (usually caused by sleep disturbance).However, pain is the predominant symptom with pain without apparent reason, aches, and stiffness of multiple muscles, joints, and tenderness in soft tissue. Additionally the pain will move from one part of the body to another. It is most common in the hands, neck, arms, shoulders, chest, legs, hips, and back. The fatigue results from the individual’s chronic pain coupled (disturbing sleep) It is common for the inflammatory condition to produces various enzymes that are known to cause fatigue.Some additional symptoms can include diarrhea, tension headaches, difficulty swallowing, numbness or tingling of the extremities, and recurrent abdominal pain. It is well known that stress, anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep will increase symptoms. Who Is at Risk of Getting FibromyalgiaWomen of child bearing age are the most at risk, followed by the elderly. Men and children are the least at risk, but they also suffer with this disease.Diagnosis of FibromyalgiaAs the symptoms of fibromyalgia are vague and generalized, diagnosis is difficult and frequently incorrect.As a sufferer may also have other nerve and muscle disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, the diagnosis may further complicated. There are no tests yet available to specifically diagnose fibromyalgia, so the diagnosis is generally made after simply ruling out other conditions. However, as there is usually so much stress related to sufferers of fibromyalgia, it is now being diagnosed as a psychological condition (perhaps wrongly) The Treatment of FibromyalgiaFibromyalgia has no known cure. Therefore, doctors (and the patients themselves) have to look to alleviating the symptoms. A good way to do this is to include in your daily life exercise, sufficient rest, lessons in stress management, and a “clean” diet.A clean diet will exclude coffee, red meat, processed food, and other difficult digestible foods, but include a multitude of fresh fruits and vegetables. Vitamin supplements are also helpful. Ginger, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and garlic are also helpful.One’s daily exercise will include various forms of aerobic exercise, with getting the heart rate to good levels, for 20 minutes or more. Care must be made not to do exercises that could cause additional muscle and joint pain (i.e. if you are lifting weights, use minimums instead of maximums). Warm up and cool off at each exercise session.From medications, some muscle relaxants and antidepressants have been helpful, but are not good for the long term. Analgesics should be used sparingly. Medical TreatmentConventional medicine will resort to medication and some physiotherapy. However massage has proven very helpful, as well as acupuncture and acupressure (shiatsu). There are other alternative therapies as well.Prognosis of FibromyalgiaAs fibromyalgia is a chronic illness, the general symptoms will both improve and then worsen. The symptoms can last for months to years. If you think you have it then make sure you consult your doctor as soon as possible.

At the moment of writing this article, there is not an entry in the Social Security Disability Listing for Impairment for the condition Fibromyalgia. Nor is there for its other names commonly used such as fibromyositis or Myofacial Pain Syndrome. Getting denied of claims is quite common ground for Fibromyalgia patients, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

There is hope for the fibromyalgia patient who needs to claim disability. Many fellow sufferers have gone on to win their cases, you likewise can. The trick is to pursue the claim of disability through the appeal process.

After a person files at the Social Security Office, the case is transferred to DDS, an agency responsible for making the decisions on Disability. Once it is in this agency, the claim is assigned to a specialist who then makes the determination to approve or decline the disability claim.

So why is it so hard to get approved for disability when fibromyalgia is so disabling? Well, the reasons are many. SSD will generally give very little weight to this condition because the condition is not well understood. Your chances get even less when there is not another condition that is accompanying it such as arthritis or some degenerative disease.

Part of the problem is also that the causes are not fully understood and symptoms can range from mild to severe, from one patient to the next. This is why it helps if Fibromyalgia is diagnosed in conjunction with another diagnosis. This is because Fibromyalgia will be seen more legitimately and logical if it is an extension of another “more real” diagnosis.

Another factor is who makes the diagnosis. A diagnosis coming from a Rheumatologist will hold much more weight than if made by a family practitioner or an internist. The label of a specialist holds more umph when it comes to decision time.

This, of course, is no fault of the fibromyalgia sufferer, but there are some tips you can follow to increase your chances of winning your case. The chances of winning are improving as more information about fibromyalgia comes out. So let’s get to the tips for a winning case.

If you want to claim Fibromyalgia for your disability make sure that it has been diagnosed and is in your medical records. If a doctor merely mentions fibromyalgia as a possibility without diagnosing it and charting it, you could be out of luck. So, make sure it is in your medical records.

Make sure that you have been diagnosed by a specialist. If your family doctor makes the diagnosis, have a specialist such as a rheumatologist give you the same diagnosis. Like previously mentioned, diagnosis from a specialist will hold more weight.

This sounds brutal but try not to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by a mental health worker. Psychiatrists and those in the mental health arena sometimes overdiagnose patients with Fibromyalgia and so it does not look valid to the SSD agents. If you are diagnosed by a mental health provider, make sure that you are also seen by a specialist such as a rheumatologist to validate the diagnosis.

Be informed and know what’s in your records. Make copies of everything. It is well known that social security disability cases are decided on records. This holds true for all levels of administration that your case will flow through. By obtaining copies of your medical records before you apply, you will have an idea of how your case looks to the decision makers and help you know if you need to see another doctor before applying.

These simple tips will help you in your fight to win your disability case. Fibromyalgia disability cases can be won and the more that do the easier it will get for our fight.

Copyright (c) 2007 Hailey Harris