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If you’ve heard of fibromyalgia, you might have wondered what exactly the name means. The “fibro” part denotes the fact that the condition affects the fibers of the muscle system. And the “myalgia” part means that it causes pain. So essentially, the name means “pain in the muscles”, which makes sense given the chronic muscle pain that the condition causes.
But there are a lot of different conditions that can cause muscle pain. And pain in the muscles doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re suffering from fibromyalgia. So, what are some of the different conditions that cause myalgia? And what can you do to treat it?
What Causes Myalgia
When it comes to fibromyalgia, the basic source of the pain in the muscles is a bit of a mystery. We don’t really know what causes fibromyalgia. Different theories have been proposed, like that the condition is caused by an autoimmune disorder, or less plausible explanations like that it’s caused by different environmental factors like toxic mold. but the root of the condition may actually lie in the nervous system.
But the root of the condition may actually lie in the nervous system. Recent research suggests that fibromyalgia is caused by a sort of general sensitization of the nerves. Your nerves relay pain signals from the tissue to the brain. But when you have fibromyalgia, they begin to send these pain signals for no obvious reason. As a result, they cause widespread muscle pain and weakness.
And fibromyalgia isn’t the only condition that causes muscle pain. Many related conditions can also lead to myalgia. For instance, there is chronic fatigue syndrome, which many people with fibromyalgia experience. Basically, it’s a condition that causes a chronic, debilitating fatigue, but it can also lead to muscle and joint pain as well.
And we know that there is a definite link between fibromyalgia and autoimmune disease, which can also cause muscle pain. When you suffer from an autoimmune disease, your body’s immune system begins to attack tissue all over the body, leading to chronic inflammation. This inflammation can cause severe pain in the joints and in the muscles as well as the tissue is slowly damaged.
There are many different forms of autoimmune disease that are common among people with fibromyalgia and all can lead to muscle pain. There’s systemic lupus, which is a condition where the immune system begins attacking the skin and vital organs like the kidneys. And then there’s arteritis, where the immune system attacks the lining of the blood vessels, which causes them to swell and leads to muscle pain.
But just as there are many different conditions that can cause muscle pain, there are many different ways to treat it.
How Can You Treat It?
The treatment for muscle pain depends on what condition is causing it. If the pain is caused by fibromyalgia, many doctors prescribe something called a SSRI. SSRI’s are commonly called anti-depressants because they work by elevating the level of serotonin in the brain, which can help improve your mood. But they also work to limit the pain of fibromyalgia. In fact, the only drug designed specifically to treat fibromyalgia, Savella, is a form of SSRI.
But many patients find that these drugs aren’t enough to treat the pain of fibromyalgia, so they often turn to opioid pain relievers. These drugs work by blocking the pain receptors in the brain, and are generally effective for treating pain from all sources. But they do carry the risk of physical or mental dependency and overdose. That’s why many doctors are turning away from prescribing these drugs, which has left many people who depend on them to manage their pain in a tough spot.
When it comes to forms of myalgia caused by autoimmune disease, the first step is to treat the inflammation that these conditions cause. To do this, many doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs, which are common pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen, which limit inflammation by blocking the production of the enzymes that lead to inflammation.
In addition, many doctors prescribe corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are a type of hormone that your body produces in response to inflammation. Synthetic corticosteroid drugs can help your body’s natural response.
Finally, there are immunosuppressant drugs which lower the activity of the immune system, thus addressing the root cause of the inflammation. But these drugs also carry the risk of making you more susceptible to infections.
So, let us know, how do you treat your muscle pain? What works for you? What doesn’t? Tell us in the comment.s
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