Fibromyalgia Tender Points

Fibromyalgia Tender Points Cause

The cause of fibromyalgia tender points is currently unknown. It appears to be a central nervous system disorder of hyperactive nerves characterized by fatigue, sore muscles, headaches and poor sleep.

Fibromyalgia Tender Points Symptoms

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

• Widespread pains and tender points over muscles and around joints.
• Morning stiffness.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Fuzzy mental functioning.
• Headaches.
• Unrefreshing sleep.
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Associated somatic disorders such as irritable bowel and irritable bladder syndrome.

Fibromyalgia Tender Points

There are eighteen standardized diagnostic fibromyalgia tender points:

• Tenderness at the back of your neck where it meets your skull.
• Tender lower muscles at the back of your neck.
• The mid point of your trapezius on each side - tender shoulder girdle.
• Just the midline of your shoulder blades each side.
• Tender upper chest muscles next to the breast bone.
• Tender points over the elbows points.
• Mid buttocks tenderness.
• Tenderness over your hips.
• Tender points over the inner aspect of your knees.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

Fibromyalgia is a diagnosis based on symptom history, negative blood work and imaging for alternate explanations such as arthritis, and 11 or more of the 18 standard tender points as above.

Fibromyalgia Tender Points Treatment

• A routine aerobic exercise program.
• Regular sleep habits.
• Stress management counselling.
• Acupuncture.
• Meditation, tai chi and yoga.
• Hypnosis.
• Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline (Elavil).
• Sedatives to asisst with sleep.
• Nerve signal dampeners like gabapentin and pregabalin (Lyrica).
• S-adenosyl-methionine.
• Tender point injections with local anesthetics.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for fibromyalgia but with careful management the symptoms of fibromyalgia can be successfully controlled.

Living with Fibromyalgia

 

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