4 Steps to Take After an Accident
If you’re in an accident, you can be flooded with adrenaline, eager to get everything over with so you can go home, and quick to write off pain. Here’s what you should do instead.
Fibromyalgia: Facts and Fiction
Fibromyalgia has been one of the hardest diseases to pin down, and remains one of the most hotly debated. With around 5% of the global population now thought to be affected with fibromyalgia, it’s time to dispel the myths surrounding this condition.
At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland and Delaware, our specialists can diagnose fibromyalgia and help you plan a path forward. Here’s what we want you to know.
Fibromyalgia: The debated disease
No one is quite certain yet what causes fibromyalgia. However, it's been recognized as a disease since 1992, and most patients agree it can be intensely painful and fatiguing. It’s one of the top disabling diseases that causes people to leave the workforce.
Even though doctors in the 1800s discussed the grouping of symptoms that most fibromyalgia patients struggle with today, there have been many detours along the way to a clearer diagnosis for many.
That means you may have read or heard a lot of things about fibromyalgia that aren’t true.
Separating fact from fiction
It’s time to clear away the mystery surrounding fibromyalgia and get a better understanding of what it means to have “fibro,” whether you’ve been diagnosed or know someone who has struggled with their own health.
Fact: Fibromyalgia is real
It’s fiction that fibromyalgia is a made-up disease or that it’s just in someone’s head, or that doctors use it as an umbrella diagnosis for people with unexplained symptoms. Fibromyalgia is real. It’s even thought to have a genetic component since it often shows up in families.
Fact: Fibromyalgia sufferers can be men or women
Fibromyalgia is often called a woman’s disease, but that isn’t entirely accurate. An estimated 80%-96% of people with fibromyalgia are women, but men can also be diagnosed with it.
Fact: Fibromyalgia isn’t masked depression
For a while, some psychiatrists thought that people with fibromyalgia who complained of pain, fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms were depressed. This idea has since been debunked. However, it’s not uncommon for people with fibromyalgia and other health conditions to be depressed — especially if they’re in pain and nobody believes them.
Fact: Fibromyalgia is treatable
There’s no cure for fibromyalgia. Good news, however: Fibromyalgia is treatable. Different things work for different people.
Some find relief from medication. Others use physical activity or talk therapy to manage symptoms. We can help you find a pain management program that works for you.
If you have a fibromyalgia diagnosis or think you may have fibromyalgia, don’t hesitate. Call us today to schedule your visit to CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, or request an appointment online.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Managing Cancer Pain: Injections as Part of a Multidisciplinary Treatment Plan
Some cancers are almost painless, but most cause pain at some stage of the illness or treatment. Injections for cancer pain can be part of a multidisciplinary management plan.
‘Tech Neck’: Treatments That Help Stop the Pain
Does your neck always seem to hurt, especially when your chin is tipped down? You could be experiencing what’s now known as “tech neck.”
4 Signs That Your Pain Could Be Arthritis
Do you have unexplained joint pain? It could be arthritis, even if you’re still young. May is Arthritis Awareness Month, and it’s time to get unexplained joint pain checked out.
Help for Spinal Headaches: All About Epidural Blood Patches
If you’ve recently had a spinal tap, you may have terrible pain and pressure in your head. An epidural blood patch may be the best way to resolve this spinal headache.
How Does Osteoporosis Cause Compression Fractures?
When your bones weaken due to osteoporosis or bone density loss, your spine can fracture under the compression of your weight. Find out how this happens.