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Fibromyalgia is a disease that attacks the joints. But there are many other diseases that also cause joint pain. One of the most common is synovitis, which is caused by the swelling of the tissue surrounding your joints.
So how do you tell if you have or fibromyalgia synovitis?
What is synovitis?
Synovitis is caused by the swelling of the tissue around the joint, or synovium. In someone with synovitis, this tissue becomes tender and strained. And that causes their joint to hurt when they move or touch them.
The most common cause of synovitis is overuse of the joints. As a result of strain to the joints, the tissue becomes inflamed and fills the joints with synovial fluid, which is a clear fluid that causes the joints to swell up.
What is fibromyalgia?
No one is sure what causes fibromyalgia. There are a number of theories ranging from an overactive immune system to delayed food allergies.
Fibromyalgia causes pain all over the body, especially in 18 specific points. Most of these points are located in or near the joints of the body.
How can you tell whether it’s fibromyalgia or synovitis?
There are a lot of similarities between synovitis and fibromyalgia. Both can cause pain or stiffness in the points. Both can cause swelling.
But there are some very significant differences that make it easy to tell between the two of them. First, the pain caused by synovitis is located only in the joints. And usually, the pain is located in just one joint. While the pain caused by fibromyalgia is usually constant or worse at night, synovitis pain spikes only when the joint is moved.
And fibromyalgia also causes fatigue. In fact, one of the most significant symptoms of fibromyalgia is the sort of mental fog that comes with it. Fibromyalgia causes sufferers to feel constantly tired and have a hard time thinking or remembering simple things.
These kinds of mental symptoms are completely missing from synovitis.
What do you do if you have synovitis?
If you have swelling or pain in your joints, the most obvious solution is to go see your doctor. They will look at your joints for the signs of synovitis which are swollen, red, and warm joints. They may stick a needle into the joints to withdraw fluid for a definite diagnosis.
Your doctor will be able to recommend therapies to treat your pain. The most common treatment for synovitis is rest and a cold compress. But the doctor can also prescribe steroid injections into the joints to treat the swelling.
What do you do if you have fibromyalgia?
If you have joint pain accompanied by other symptoms of fibromyalgia, go to to the doctor and discuss your concerns. They will be able to tell you if you have fibromyalgia. If you do have fibromyalgia, there is currently no cure. But there are many different therapies that may be able to help you manage your fibromyalgia pain.
The most important thing when you find that you have significant joint pain is to seek medical help. There is no reason to endure that kind of pain when there are things that can be done to help manage it.
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